66. The Merry-Hearted Boys: Liam Clancy, the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem by Ronald L. Leonard (2014)Genre: Non-Fiction
Started: 12 July 2014
Finished: 19 July 2014
Where did it come from? Many thanks to Ronald L. Leonard for sending me a copy of this book to read.
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 12 May 2014
Why do I have it? I like non-fiction and Ron Leonard is a new author for me. We play the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem quite often on 'Proud to be Irish' and a listener - himself a singer/songwriter and an artist - let us know that Ron Leonard had written this book.
Ronald L. Leonard was a friend of Liam Clancy's for forty years. This book is a collection of the author's personal memories and reminiscences of that lasting friendship. This is a story which is also steeped in the history, culture, and the traditions of Ireland. Ireland's songs and stories also play a prominent role as do the centuries of hardship that have withstood various invasions and the many years of living under foreign rule.
The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem's popularity in the 1960s was the result of several factors. There was already an American folk revival beginning in the United States, and men such as Ewan MacColl were popularizing old songs on the other side of the Atlantic. But it was the Clancys' boisterous performances that set them apart, taking placid classics and giving them a boost of energy and spirit; although they would still give mournful ballads due reverence.
I must say that I don't usually read much poetry, but the author is also a poet and I thoroughly enjoyed reading his pieces. We actually interviewed Ron Leonard and his wife Peggy on 'Proud to be Irish' about The Merry-Hearted Boys: Liam Clancy, the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem, and two more delightful people you couldn't hope to meet. I give this book a definite A+!
A+! - (96-100%)
Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight
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