Ireland's minstrel : a life of Tom Moore : poet, patriot and Byron's friend

"He will live in his "Irish Melodies", they will go down to posterity with the music; both will last as long as Ireland, or as music and poetry' - Lord Byron. In this enthralling new biography of Thomas Moore, Linda Kelly evokes the life and times of a great Irish writer - romantic poet, political satirist, pioneering biographer and above all creator of the "Irish Melodies", those heartfelt lyrics set to traditional Irish airs by which he is best remembered. Tom Moore, a Dublin grocer's son, was a student at Trinity College, Dublin, at the time of the doomed Irish rising of 1798. The experience intensified his sense of identity as an Irish Catholic, and though his charm and talents won him entry to the highest reaches of English society, he never lost sight of his own country's causes, and through his songs and satires became one of Ireland's most eloquent and persuasive advocates. Immensely successful in his lifetime, though always dogged by poverty, Moore was ranked with Walter Scott and Byron; his oriental epic Lalla Rookh was more widely translated than any other poem of the period. But like most modern readers Moore himself was in no doubt about the pre-eminence of the Irish Melodies, still known and loved on both sides of the Atlantic. The recent discovery of Moore's original journals provides fascinating new material on Moore's social and literary life, not least the vexed episode of the burning of Byron's memoirs. Linda Kelly draws extensively on these to give a warm and insightful picture of one of the most delightful figures of the age, capturing the charm of Whig society and casting new light on his relationship with Byron."--Bloomsbury publishing

He will live in his Irish Melodies, they will go down to posterity with the music; both will last as long as Ireland, or as music and poetry.--Lord Byron

A magnificent evocation of the life and times of a great Irish writer - romantic poet, passionate patriot and pioneering biographer. Tom Moore was a student at Trinity College, Dublin, during the doomed Irish rising of 1798 and this experience infused his sense of identity as an Irish Catholic throughout his life. In this vivid and sensitive biography, Kelly shows how a sense of purpose underpinned his charming and apparently light-hearted character and, at a dark time in its history, made him one of Ireland's most eloquent and persuasive advocates. Drawing extensively on previously unpublished journals, Ireland's Minstrel brilliantly captures the charm of Whig society and fully explores for the first time Moore's relationship with his closest friend, Lord Byron, from its origins in an abandoned duel to his ground-breaking biography.

""He will live in his Irish Melodies, they will go down to posterity with the music; both will last as long as Ireland, or as music and poetry.""--Lord Byron A magnificent evocation of the life and times of a great Irish writer - romantic poet, passionate patriot and pioneering biographer. Tom Moore was a student at Trinity College, Dublin, during the doomed Irish rising of 1798 and this experience infused his sense of identity as an Irish Catholic throughout his life. In this vivid and sensitive biography, Kelly shows how a sense of purpose underpinned his charming and apparently light-hearted character and, at a dark time in its history, made him one of Ireland's most eloquent and persuasive advocates. Drawing extensively on previously unpublished journals, Ireland's Minstrel brilliantly captures the charm of Whig society and fully explores for the first time Moore's relationship with his closest friend, Lord Byron, from its origins in an abandoned duel to his ground-breaking biography. Features the biography of Thomas Moore, describing the life and times of a great Irish writer - romantic poet, political satirist, pioneering biographer and the creator of the "Irish Melodies". This work captures the charm of Whig society and casts light on his relationship with Byron.