Dangerous Ambition: The Making of Éamon de Valera by Colum Kenny (Eastwood Books, €20)
De Valera’s public career didn’t begin until he was in his 30s. His “first three decades … are surely significant in trying to understand the most complex political figure”, and most divisive, in 20th-century Ireland, Colum Kenny argues, and it’s to that period that he meticulously devotes most attention. The then future leader’s feeling of having been abandoned by his mother comes across in extracts of letters from him to her quoted. She sent him from the United States to Ireland at age two-and-a-half and returned to see him only twice in 27 years. Although he cautioned his half-brother about ambition being possibly “dangerous”, he himself possessed it in spades. As Kenny points out, there was much retrospective fixing of facts or manipulating of interpretations as he “took time to shape his personal profile”. Brian Maye
Triumphs, Trophies and Troubles by Peter Bills (Allen & Unwin, £20)
In an entertaining and whimsical search for “the soul of Irish rugby”, Peter Bills visits junior clubs all over Ireland; Boyne, Omagh, Inishowen, Westport, Clonakilty, and Rugbaí Chorca Dhuibhne, among others. Despite constant struggles over money, concussion concerns and dwindling playing numbers (although female participation is growing), what is striking is the unfussy heroism and ingenuity of volunteers – one club holds a pig race to raise funds – as is the growing disconnect between the clubs and the IRFU. Peppered with astute observations from Keith Wood, Gordon Darcy and other luminaries, this quirky and engaging odyssey argues persuasively that Ireland’s professional successes have come at the expense of the amateur game. John O’Donnell
The Accidental Immigrants by Jo McMillan (Bluemoose Books, £10.99)
What’s in a name? If Jo McMillan is to be trusted, a whole lot. The Accidental Immigrants is a novel about nationality and newspeak, but at its core, it’s about marriage. When a far-right regime takes over the island of St Mira, the reclusive Tess is tasked with translating its dicta from Greek into English, all while trying to protect her partner, Arlo, from getting deported. Lies spread, gun regulations dissolve, and speech is (quite literally) suppressed. McMillan is anything but subtle about her inspirations: in this story, politicians quote verbatim from Nigel Farage and David Cameron. Towards its end, the novel misses a key irony: the compromises that Tess and Arlo demand from one another start to eerily resemble the conformist pressures they’re resisting. Kristen Malone Poli
