A uniquely entertaining look at how physical and mental experiences have shaped Irish history. Skulls, heads, hands, height, legs, sex organs, blood, brains, stomachs, ears and corpses – discover Irish history through the prism of the body.

 

From the brutal beheading of the 25-year-old, red-headed Clonycavan Man some 2,000 years ago, and the rich vein of information that has been preserved in his ‘bog body’, to the ancient skulls stolen from islands off Ireland’s west coast believed to be those of giants – here medical historian Dr Ian Miller brings readers on a uniquely entertaining journey through Irish history.

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Encounter the famous scribes, including St Patrick, who preserved our knowledge of ancient Ireland by hand. Discover the fears of excessive tea drinking that were once such a great cause for concern on this isle. Meet the doctors who revolutionised Irish medicine in the 19th century – along with the gruesome bodysnatching that accompanied it.

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Reviews

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"Fascinating, surprising and at times titillating...A useful appendage to the corpus of Irish history...a fascinating potted history lesson". Irish Times.

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‘Enticing…’a history book with a twist’, Audrey Carville, BBC Radio Ulster.

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‘A journey through our bodies filled with stories from across time’, Ray D’Arcy, RTÉ One.

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‘A riveting read’, Pat Kenny, Newstalk.

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‘Very accessible’, Greg Hughes, Highland Radio.

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