Professor Lydon's book on Ireland in the middle ages is a coherent and comprehensive study of an important and fascinating period in the development of Ireland as we know it today. This book provides essential background information on the causes of the English invasion and the founding of Anglo-Ireland. It covers the thirteenth century - the high point in the history of the lordship. It examines the increased prosperity and the stability resulting from the new English settlement which made Ireland a valuable assest to England. However, the the strain imposed by the English exchequer by the King's involvement in war put pressure on the lordship for military and financial support. Relative peace gave way to war and lawlessness. An endless struggle for power in the localities followed. The Irish, through the so-called 'Gaelic revival', reasserted their own culture and in most areas their political independence. This all lead to the effective collapse of the lordhsip as polictical reality. Lydon, examines this collapse and summarises the contribution made by the middle ages to the shaping of modern Ireland.