The Great Atlantic Air Race
'beautifully illustrated ... a treasure trove of information about the early days of flight' Connaught Tribune and Galway City Tribune
How a typical Irish emigrant rose to a position of influence at the highest levels of US and Irish politics.
A remarkable firsthand account of an Irish emigrant who began as a part-time footballer and house-painter and became a journalist, author, founder and publisher of two newspapers, a magazine and website, as well as a leading advocate for immigration reform for the ‘illegal’ Irish in the United States. He played a pivotal role in the Northern Ireland peace process, securing a US visa for Gerry Adams in 1994 and acting as intermediary between the White House and Sinn Féin during a critical time in the peace negotiations.
Niall O’Dowd has been described as: ‘the authentic voice of the Irish in America, who has more knowledge of this community than almost anyone else alive,’ by Jim Dwyer, New York Times and Pulitzer Prize winner.
'what makes the book work is that O’Dowd tells his story honestly and the reader learns too about his family, friends and his own personal struggles to leave behind a life of hard drinking and bouts of depression to become successful as a business man and a human being' Books Ireland
'O’Dowd’s autobiography made quite an impact when it was first published' Books Ireland
'For a good part of his autobiography he is not centre stage but an observer in the wings, and when he writes about himself, there is enough painful honesty about his heavy drinking, depression and misfiring relationships to dispel any notions of personal vanity' Irish Post
'There is no shortage nowadays of big hitters recognising the unique qualities of Niall O’Dowd, the founder of an Irish American publishing empire, who earned his place in the history of the Irish peace process as the man who brought Sinn Féin in from the cold by gaining it access first to the US, and then to President Clinton himself' Irish Post
‘unflinchingly recounts the Irish immigrant experience of the 1980s ... a story familiar to Irish emigrants the world over, yet rarely is it written about so candidly. The book is fluid and dynamic, the story remarkable. You can detect the influence of American writers like Hemingway and Whitman. O’Dowd shares a similarly pure and eloquent writing voice: deceptively simple, but an art in itself. The Huffington Post
'Niall O’Dowd has written an outstanding book' The Irish Independent
'remarkable insiders story of the Northern Irish peace process' The Irish Times
‘A valuable contribution to the history of the peace process as well as the Irish emigrant experience. Niall’s is a powerful story and it may well yet prove to be a classic of the emigrant genre. Taoiseach Brian Cowen
'a "very humane and very humourous" story' The Irish Times
'a classic work of emigrant literature which, in the Irish canon, deserves to be assessed alongside such works such as Patrick McGill’s Children of the Dead End and Donal MacAmhlaigh’s Diallan Diorat or, in the American, with Barack Obama’s Dreams from My Father' The Irish Independent
'Some...would say that in America, his is the Irish Voice' The Irish Independent
'a fascinating tale' The Irish Independent
'His father would be hugely proud of him, and so should be all of us' The Irish Times
'an affecting emigrant’s tale' The Irish Times
'riveting political reportage' The Irish Times
'highly readable' Phoenix Magazine
'a worthy contribution to the literature on emigration and an insightful exploration of the relationship between Ireland and the US' Phoenix Magazine
'this book is wonderful ... A fascinating read' Sunday Business Post
'a constant, reasonable and articulate voice' Sunday Business Post
'his story is a wonderful articulation of the tale of thousands of Irish immigrants' Sunday Business Post
'a valuable contribution to the history of the peace process as well as the Irish emigrant experience' The Irish Times
'Niall O’Dowd knows how to tell a story' Drogheda Independent
'at times painfully honest, at other times wittily self-effacing, this is O’Dowd’s account of his times as an undocumented Irishman working in the US' The Sunday Tribune
'a witty and lively book, and a hopeful one' The Sunday Tribune
'This ‘fascinating book … gives us a rare glimpse of the rich tapestry of emigrant experience, as well as insights into the Northern peace process, in which he was a key player' Books Ireland
'honest, upbeat' Books Ireland
'His is an insider’s view of much of American and Irish-American politics as well as of significant events in' Books Ireland
'a compelling personal journey' Ireland of the Welcomes
'reads almost like a thriller' Galway Advertiser
'the confident note struck in the first chapters is never fully absent, giving the book a positiveness that is rarely, if ever, present in these narrations' Galway Advertiser
'a beacon of light and hope at a time when the prevalent climate is dark and depressing' Galway Advertiser
'a welcome breath of fresh air, not to say, an inspiration' Galway Advertiser
'could lay claim to being not only the first emigrant classic of the 21st century, but also to opening up a whole new chapter in the experience of our exiles' Galway Advertiser Reader reviews
'I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Every chapter was very interesting and easy to read. I have to congratulate you on the work you have done for the peace process in Northern Ireland. It sure was a struggle for you and the other hard working group members but it paid off in the end. We now have a thriving society in Northern Ireland and a lot of co-operation on both sides of the border. Thanks a million' Mary Clemenger
Send us your review of this book:
Click to browse or download our new 2011-2012 catalogues: general, children's and schools.
Congratulations to Anna Carey, winner of the Irish Book Awards Specsavers Children's Book Of The Year (senior category) award for The Real Rebecca, beating a highly-competitive field. Well done, Anna!
Kindle