The Bombing of Dublin's North Strand, 1941 by Kevin C Kearns

The Bombing of Dublin's North Strand, 1941 by Kevin C Kearns

On a gloriously starry night four bombs fell, the last and most devastating at precisely 2:05 a.m. on 31 May. There was a thunderous explosion and the earth quaked. Tremors were felt as far away as Enniskerry and Mullingar. Panic and pandemonium reigned in a “city seized with fear”. Destruction was astonishing—homes and shops in the North Strand were largely demolished, 2,250 buildings in the city suffered some bomb damage, over forty people were killed, about 100 seriously injured, many more wounded. Hospitals and morgues filled within hours. Almost 2,000 people were rendered homeless refugees. It would later be determined that in terms of destructive performance a monstrous “perfect bomb” had done the deed. For two-thirds of a century, no book was written on what the Evening Herald proclaimed a “Night of Horror”. Later called a “seismic event” in Dublin’s history. Finally, near the end of the century both the Irish Military Archive and Dublin City Archive declassified their documents on the bombing — some stamped “Secret” for sixty years. At last, the theories and myths long surrounding the mysterious incident could be examined in the light of real evidence. But the heart of a book on so human a tragedy is the oral historical testimony of survivors, rescuers and observers who provide graphic eye-witness accounts. This is a narrative social history of immense human drama. An on-the-scene account of calamity, terror, heroism and survival. And a mystery lingering long thereafter. This is the untold tale of a great historical event and human tragedy that has long needed telling.

Kevin C. Kearns PhD is a social historian and professor emeritus at the University of Northern Colorado. He has made thirty-eight research trips to Ireland, a number of which were funded by the National Geographic Society. Of his ten books on Dublin, five have been bestsellers, most notably Dublin Tenement Life, which was number 1 on the Irish Times bestseller list for many weeks. He now resides in the coastal village of Camden, Maine.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780717146444
ISBN 10	0717146448
Title	The Bombing of Dublin's North Strand, 1941
Author	Kevin C Kearns
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Gill
Year published	2010-05-07
Number of pages	288
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.