Review of ?The Castle Has Fallen? ? By Jack Coyle
Publisher: 1st Books
ISBN: 1-4107-1700-3 (ebook)
1-4107-1701-1 (paperback)
http://www.1stbooks.com
The ?Castle Has Fallen?, tells a tale of secular hatred in Ireland. Set in the early part of the twentieth century, the story follows the life of Patrick Kyle. He is a Catholic, who is a survivor.
Patrick joined the British Army in 1900 as a young man. He did this in order to escape the boredom, hatred and bigotry of Derry. The Loyal Orange Order, a militant Protestant group, aimed to make life a living hell for all Irish.
They hated Catholics to the extreme. Violence was considered a just form of vengeance; no restraint was the order of the day. Orangemen took pride in their bigotry and were prepared to use any excuse to exercise it to the full.
Fighting in the Boer War taught Patrick how to kill. It was a skill that he excelled at. But there was a sad side effect that the war in Africa had on him. He became hardened inside and harbored a killing lust for those who would wrong him, which came straight from the gates of hell.
After the Boer War, Patrick met Hannah Smyth. She totally captured his heart and being. It meant nothing to him that her family belonged to the order of Orange Men and loathed Catholics.
He wooed and married Hannah, thus causing her family to reject her. This set the young couple off on a path that was frequently disturbed by violence. It included World War One, the Black and Tans and the murder of their young daughter Rosin.
During all of this Patrick became a lawyer with a prosperous practice. It made him materially quite well off. But like Ireland, he was in turmoil within himself.
The hatred of the Orangemen raged through the country like a flood. It was tearing both Patrick and Ireland apart. The British had backed away from the intent of the original Home Rule Bill. It transformed into the Irish Treaty. Now the legality of the six Northern Counties was assured.
This decision had a profound effect on Patrick. It forced him into a corner concerning the fate of his country, and the safety of his family. He needed to decide where his future lay.
I really enjoyed reading this excellent novel by Jack Coyle. The writing style kept my interest high from beginning to end. The period of the story is a crucial time in the history of English and Irish relations.
Those of us, who have often wondered why the fighting continues in Northern Ireland, will benefit by reading this book. The treachery of the British Government, the hatred and the passion of those involved in the crisis are well felt and described. I learnt a lot about the background leading up to the partitioning of Ireland, that I did not know before.
This is a book that both entertains and educates. It gets the reader involved in a time when dramatic changes were taking place, that effect all of us today. Jack Coyle has penned a gripping tale that thoroughly entertains.
It is indeed a book that I highly recommend.
Review by Warren Thurston ? Owner of Boggle Books
?The home of Quality eBook Reviews?
http://www.bogglebooks.com
