Blood Upon the Rose: Easter 1916: The Rebellion That Set Ireland Free Gerry Hunt 9781788491471

The rebellion that set Ireland free, told as a graphic novel.

The 1916 Easter Rising was an attempt by a small group of militant Irish republicans to win independence from Britain. It was the most significant rebellion in Ireland. Though a military failure, it set Ireland on the road to freedom from Britain.

The book covers the story from the early planning to the final executions and includes the tragic romance between Joseph Plunkett and Grace Gifford.

Following on from the success of political graphic novels such as Maus and Persepolis, this is accessible, informative and insightful history at its best.

About the Author
Gerry Hunt worked for twenty-five years as an architect, eighteen of them with the IDA. In 1986 he left architecture and began drawing political cartoons. From this, he moved on to drawing entire comics ... his first, self-produced, comic was a rhyming, Spanish-language work that he gave away to friends. His book The Streets of Dublin was included in an exhibition entitled 'Artist's Books' in the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago. He published ground-breaking historical graphic novels for The O'Brien Press, about the 1913 Lockout, Easter Rising (1916), War of Independence (1919) and Bobby Sands. Gerry died in June 2018. Gerry Hunt worked for twenty-five years as an architect, eighteen of them with the IDA. In 1986 he left architecture and began drawing political cartoons. From this, he moved on to drawing entire comics ... his first, self-produced, comic was a rhyming, Spanish-language work that he gave away to friends. His book The Streets of Dublin was included in an exhibition entitled 'Artist's Books' in the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago. He published ground-breaking historical graphic novels for The O'Brien Press, about the 1913 Lockout, Easter Rising (1916), War of Independence (1919) and Bobby Sands. Gerry died in June 2018.

Reviews

fantastic ... it's a great sign of what can be done through that medium and I hope we'll see more like it ... We featured this and asked some children to review it and they raved about it, they loved it

-- TV3's Ireland AM

really smart ... tricks you into learning stuff

-- Ireland AM, TV3

a history that brings the Rising to life. Too many accounts of the rebellion are austere and gloomy, and portray the key personalities as distant, ascetic figures. Blood Upon the Rose restores to the story its spirit of adventure, and a rounded humanity

-- Irish Independent

I've no idea why I haven't blogged about Gerry Hunts historical graphic novels before. We've had Blood Upon The Rose, the story of Easter 1916, since it was published in 2009. That was such a success that when At War With The Empire, the follow up came out, I ordered it straightaway. It was a no-brainer - my eldest son loved graphic novels and flew through them. And these books explained (in colourful detail) Irish history that he needed to know about, for school and for life. This latest one, 1913 Larkin's Labour War which I found in the library last week is his favourite of the lot

-- onthestripeycouchonasaturdaymorning.blogspot.ie

the comic would be particularly useful for Irish Junior Cert and Leaving Cert students studying history, or general history buffs of early 20th century Irish and British relations

-- Girlslikecomics.com

'a landmark Irish graphic novel'

-- Irish Times

'pulls the story together brilliantly ... a lovely thing to have'

-- Tom Dunne, Newstalk 106

'Few other publications have brought the Rising to life as viscerally as Gerry Hunt's Blood Upon the Rose ... an interesting and fresh take on a tale that most people would assume they knew by rote'

-- Sunday Tribune

'the Easter Rising as you've never seen it before ... a colourful comic story about the famous revolt'

-- Evening Herald

'will appeal to youngsters and will familiarise with them with the heroes and heroines of the Easter Rebellion'

-- Irish Examiner

'shows the rising in all its multicoloured glory'

-- Irish Examiner

'compelling'

-- Belfast Telegraph

'a ground-breaking work'

-- Primary Times Magazine

'an excellent introduction to politics'

-- Primary Times Magazine

'an enjoyable read'

-- CBI Bookfest Guide 2009

'illustrations are bright and appealing'

-- CBI Bookfest Guide 2009

'I would certainly recommend this book'

-- Michael Doorley, Inis Magazine

'[a] new and exciting departure in Irish publishing'

-- Inis Magazine

'for 12 years and over'

-- Primary Times Magazine

'A colourful comic book is bringing the 1916 Rising to life for a new generation of young Irish people'

-- Irish Daily Star

'has already been snapped up by teachers and students alike'

-- Irish Daily Star

'Exciting'

-- The Irish Daily Star

'brings the story to life through illustration and lively text and could be a great resource to engage history students' interest in that period in Irish history'

-- Astir

'rings the story to life through illustration and lively text and could be a great resource to engage history students' interest in that period in Irish history'

-- Astir

'excellent illustrations and artwork ... an impressive work'

-- Evening Echo

'the artwork is second to none, handled with a light touch and there is none of the overwrought pomposity sometimes present in American graphic novels'

-- Evening Echo

an unexpected publishing hit

-- Irish Independent

'a fantastic way of digesting a bit of history in a fun and vivid format ... Hunt's graphics bring the story of their struggle for Irish freedom to life in a way that sterile prose in a school history book never could'

-- Books Ireland

'graphics ... convey the tension and the atmosphere of fear that must have surrounded Dublin in those days'

-- Books Ireland

'the Easter Rising as you've never seen it before ... a colourful comic story about the famous revolt'

-- Evening Herald

'Gerry Hunt gave a brief, excellent and very modest talk on the work ... It was more than fitting that Honor O Brolchain, grand-niece of Joseph Plunkett, was also present to deliver a fine talk on Joseph Plunkett, Grace Gifford and the importance of the j

-- Come Here Me

'Few other publications have brought the Rising to life as viscerally as Gerry Hunt's Blood Upon the Rose ... an interesting and fresh take on a tale that most people would assume they knew by rote'

-- Sunday Tribune

'Following on from the success of political graphic novels such as Maus and Persepolis, this is accessible, informative and insightful history at its best ... help give a sense of realism to the story, Hunt presents an art style deeply influenced by his a

-- Comic Related

'pulls the story together brilliantly ... a lovely thing to have'

-- Tom Dunne, Newstalk 106

'brings you back to your youth when comics were all the rage, but now you can enjoy all that again by reading a graphic novel about our great and proud history'

-- An Cosantoir's

'a landmark Irish graphic novel'

-- Irish Times

'everyone has heard of the Easter Rising, but never has it been told in such a colourful and exciting way as this graphic novel'

-- An Cosantoir's

'an enjoyable read'

-- CBI Bookfest Guide 2009

'illustrations are bright and appealing'

-- CBI Bookfest Guide 2009

'I would certainly recommend this book'

-- Michael Doorley, Inis Magazine

'[a] new and exciting departure in Irish publishing'

-- Inis Magazine

'a ground-breaking work'

-- Primary Times Magazine

'for 12 years and over'

-- Primary Times Magazine

'an excellent introduction to politics'

-- Primary Times Magazine

'shows the rising in all its multicoloured glory'

-- Irish Examiner

'will appeal to youngsters and will familiarise with them with the heroes and heroines of the Easter Rebellion'

-- Irish Examiner

'compelling'

-- Belfast Telegraph

'brings the story to life through illustration and lively text and could be a great resource to engage history students' interest in that period in Irish history'

-- Astir

'A colourful comic book is bringing the 1916 Rising to life for a new generation of young Irish people'

-- Irish Daily Star

'has already been snapped up by teachers and students alike'

-- Irish Daily Star

'Exciting'

-- Irish Daily Star

'excellent illustrations and artwork ... an impressive work'

-- Evening Echo

the artwork is second to none, handled with a light touch and there is none of the overwrought pomposity sometimes present in American graphic novels

-- Evening Echo



Book Information
ISBN 9781788491471
Author Gerry Hunt
Format Paperback
Page Count 48
Imprint O'Brien Press Ltd
Publisher O'Brien Press Ltd
Weight(grams) 210g
Dimensions(mm) 259mm * 182mm * 5mm