The Harp & The Eagle

Baltimore, Maryland: American Literary Press, Inc., 2009. AM6 - A 2nd printing trade paperback book SIGNED by author on the back of the front cover in very good condition that has some bumped corners, some scattered wrinkling, crease, and scratches, light discoloration and shelf wear. The Harp & The Eagle is Meaher's story as the author imagines it. 9"x6", 859 pages. Satisfaction Guaranteed. All the world loves a good Irish story. It makes for an even better tale if the life of a real person is so full of adventure, romance, and mystery that it reads more like a work of fiction. Thomas Francis Meagher (1823-1867) was such a man. In his short life, he roamed from his boyhood in Waterford, Ireland, to wlld places like the prison-island of Tasmania and Gold-Rush California, and to sophisticated cities like Dublin and New York. In the Civil War, he led the storied Irish Brigade of the Union Army, and fought in battles from Bull Run to Chancellorsville. The enigmatic Meagher was a complex and controversial man. He was an Irish revolutionary whose father was a Member of the British Parliament. He was a partisan politician who unhesitatingly answered the call of the Republican Lincoln to crush the rebellion of his fellow Democrats. He was a faithful Roman Catholic, but he was often involved in disputes with the hierarchy of his Church. He began his life in America with the prejudices against black people common to most white Americans at the time, but he lost the support of his Irish-American compatriots by championing the rights of the newly-freed slaves. His private life was even more chaotic. He was a charmer who could win the love of a beautiful daughter of New York society, but he had trouble with all the women in his life. Rumors of a drinking problem swirled about him. He resigned his command in the middle of the war, and did not return to duty until more than a year had passed. Even his untimely death left unanswered questions. Was it an accident, as officially determined? Or murder? Or suicide? To explain the man, his story is better told as a novel than a biography, interweaving invented characters and incidents with the real people and events in his life. The Harp and The Eagle is Meagher's story as the author imagines it.. Signed by Author. 2nd Printing. Trade Paperback. Very Good/No Jacket as Issued. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.