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Summary

Set in Dublin during the years of the Second World 
War and in England during the post-war years of 
the 1950s and 1960s Against the Wind is a lively 
and compelling memoir. 
It is the story of a young man of independent mind and feisty 
spirit who refuses to accept the constraints and strictures of a 
closed Irish society. And who through economic necessity, at a very 
young age, is forced to live and work in ‘Pagan England’ the land 
of ‘the enemy’. There he learns to ‘like the English’ and learns of 
‘freedoms that he knew very little about’ in ‘holy Ireland’. 
A wealth of varying and informative material and the ability to 
anchor the personal securely within the public domain gives this 
memoir a universal appeal. 
The narrative has all the ingredients for a compelling read –vivid 
and varied characters brought alive on the page, compelling setting 
and historical relevance and interest. The prologue whets our 
appetite for what is to come and the mixture of recollection, poetry 
and historical information drawstrings the narrative together well. 
Astute observation and character portrayal are the strengths of the 
work, as is the accessible tone of the narrative voice in which the 
author employs a light touch that has just the right amount of wit and sobriety.

Duration: about 4 hours (04:26:10)
Publishing date: 2019-07-31; Unabridged; Copyright Year: — Copyright Statment: —

• Biography & Memoirs
• Essay