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The Irish Famine
An Illustrated History
Helen Litton

“The most fatal effects of starvation in the appearance of the poor people was a swelling about the face and a peculiar turn of the eye… they were deformed; they were not able to walk and they became languid and careless about what became of them.”
- Rev. Meehan 1849

Why did millions of starving people seem to accept their fate without rebelling?

Why did people starve beside seas and rivers stocked with plenty of fish?

In The Famine: An Illustrated History Helen Litton succinctly deals with the Great Famine with clarity and compassion. With quotes from first-hand accounts, and information from numerous studies and sources, both sides of the tragedy are exposed.

Meet the people who tried to gain help – British politicians, relief workers, clergy and landlords – who sometimes gave up in despair as the desperate situation escalated. Listen to the horrific stories of individuals such as Denis McKennedy, who died in Cork in 1846 because his wages were two weeks late.
The Irish Famine should be read by anyone who seeks a fuller understanding of the Irish past and the catastrophic event that shaped so much of Ireland’s future.

The first edition of this book was written to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Great Famine. This edition is part of the new Merlin/Wolfhound series making some of the major events in Irish history accessible and easy to understand.