A Great Feast of Light

Growing Up Irish in the Television Age

Biography & Memoir
Cover of the book A Great Feast of Light by John Doyle, Hachette Books
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: John Doyle ISBN: 9780786734696
Publisher: Hachette Books Publication: April 24, 2009
Imprint: Da Capo Press Language: English
Author: John Doyle
ISBN: 9780786734696
Publisher: Hachette Books
Publication: April 24, 2009
Imprint: Da Capo Press
Language: English

Celebrated TV critic John Doyle has penned an Irish memoir that gives a portrait of a boy and his country transformed by television. Funny, insightful, and engaging, A Great Feast of Light begins in the small town of Nenagh, where young John's father purchased the family's first television in 1962, and ends in 1979 with the Pope's historic visit to the Emerald Isle, the appearance of "Dallas" on Irish TV, and twenty-two-year-old John's escape to North America. By day, John was schooled by the Christian brothers in the valor of Irish rebel heroes and the saintliness of Catholic martyrs. But in the evenings, television conveyed more subversive messages: American westerns, "I Love Lucy, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Laugh-In, The Muppet Show, Starsky and Hutch, and Monty Python suggested ways of life that were exciting and free. News coverage of American civil rights and women's rights protests, Irish street riots, bombings, and Bloody Sunday clashed with Catholic conservatism. While the "global village" was yanking Ireland out of its past, one intelligent and sardonic boy was taking notes. His story, at once a charming coming-of-age tale and a compelling social history, is a welcome addition to the literature of Ireland.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Celebrated TV critic John Doyle has penned an Irish memoir that gives a portrait of a boy and his country transformed by television. Funny, insightful, and engaging, A Great Feast of Light begins in the small town of Nenagh, where young John's father purchased the family's first television in 1962, and ends in 1979 with the Pope's historic visit to the Emerald Isle, the appearance of "Dallas" on Irish TV, and twenty-two-year-old John's escape to North America. By day, John was schooled by the Christian brothers in the valor of Irish rebel heroes and the saintliness of Catholic martyrs. But in the evenings, television conveyed more subversive messages: American westerns, "I Love Lucy, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Laugh-In, The Muppet Show, Starsky and Hutch, and Monty Python suggested ways of life that were exciting and free. News coverage of American civil rights and women's rights protests, Irish street riots, bombings, and Bloody Sunday clashed with Catholic conservatism. While the "global village" was yanking Ireland out of its past, one intelligent and sardonic boy was taking notes. His story, at once a charming coming-of-age tale and a compelling social history, is a welcome addition to the literature of Ireland.

More books from Hachette Books

Cover of the book Cornelia Guest's Simple Pleasures by John Doyle
Cover of the book 30 Things Every Woman Should Have and Should Know by the Time She's 30 by John Doyle
Cover of the book A Good Year for the Roses by John Doyle
Cover of the book The Longevity Bible by John Doyle
Cover of the book Let's Play Two by John Doyle
Cover of the book The Lean by John Doyle
Cover of the book I Do Not Come to You by Chance by John Doyle
Cover of the book S.t.p. by John Doyle
Cover of the book Schooled by John Doyle
Cover of the book A Skating Life by John Doyle
Cover of the book Miss D and Me by John Doyle
Cover of the book Get Clark Smart by John Doyle
Cover of the book Leonardo's Legacy by John Doyle
Cover of the book Skinny Liver by John Doyle
Cover of the book Sinfully Vegan by John Doyle
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy