cover image Knopf Guide: Ireland

Knopf Guide: Ireland

Knopf Guides. Alfred A. Knopf, $25 (424pp) ISBN 978-0-679-76203-4

Both Voices in Ireland and Ireland are best suited to the independent, experienced traveler who has seen Ireland's standard tourist itinerary and is interested in knowing more about Irish history and literature. Kavanagh, an English-born poet of Irish extraction, reminds us that Ireland, despite many similarities, is ""not a quaint variant of England."" He begins his literary tour in the northeast and circles around the west and south, ending his journey at Dublin. Not an off-the-cuff trifle, his book includes footnotes and bibliography. Though intended as a traveler's ""companion,"" Kavanagh's book may be better enjoyed by armchair travelers. Some libraries may already own Susan and Thomas Cahill's A Literary Guide to Ireland (1973. o.p.). Knopf's compact, lavishly illustrated guide is an English translation of a French guide published by Gallimard in 1994. Though information on lodging, food, and shopping is offered, the focus is on history and culture. As with Kavanagh's work, this guide may be too heavy for some travelers' tastes, but for others it will make a more interesting trip. An optional purchase for public libraries.--Mary C. Kalfatovic, Telesec Lib. Svcs., Washington, D.C.