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The Trump White House previewed some of the unfair trade practices the United States faces ahead of President Donald Trump’s big Rose Garden event, falling on what has been dubbed “Liberation Day.” The White House shared a clip of press secretary Karoline Leavitt laying out some of the unfair trade practices America already faces. “Unfortunately,…
“Wounds – A Memoir of War and Love” is the April 2025 selection for the IrishCentral Book Club.
Each month, we will pick a new Irish book or a great book by an Irish author and celebrate the amazing ability of the Irish to tell a good story for the IrishCentral Book Club.
IrishCentral Book Club
Looking for Irish book recommendations or to meet with others who share your love for Irish literature? Join IrishCentral’s Book Club on Facebook and enjoy our book-loving community.
After nearly three decades reporting conflict from all over the world for the BBC, Fergal Keane went home to Ireland to tell a story that lies at the root of his fascination with war. “Wounds” is a family story of war and love, and how the ghosts of the past return to shape the present.
Published by Harper Collins in 2017, “Wounds” went on to win the 2017 Non-Fiction Irish Book of the Year Award and the 2018 Christopher Ewart-Biggs Memorial Prize. It was also a Sunday Times bestseller.
Synopsis of “Wounds – A Memoir of War and Love”
“Wounds” is a powerful memoir about Irish people who found themselves caught up in the revolution that followed the 1916 Rising, and in the pitiless violence of civil war in north Kerry after the British left in 1922.
It is the story of Keane’s grandmother Hannah Purtill, her brother Mick and his friend Con Brosnan, and how they and their neighbours took up guns to fight the British Empire and create an independent Ireland.
And it is the story of another Irishman, Tobias O’Sullivan, who fought against them as a policeman because he believed it was his duty to uphold the law of his country.
Many thousands of people took part in the War of Independence and the Civil War that followed. Whatever side they chose, all were changed in some way by the costs of violence.
Keane uses the experiences of his ancestral homeland in north Kerry to examine why people will kill for a cause and how the act of killing reverberates through the generations.
Reviews of “Wounds – A Memoir of War and Love”
“Few books this year have been as moving Keane’s account of his family’s experience during the conflicts that tore Ireland apart… Keane writes with an impeccable eye for details and a profound sensitivity to human suffering” – Books of the Year, Sunday Times, Dominic Sandrook
“While Keane is acutely aware of the allure and the danger of myth, he also has an objective reporter’s eye for the human tragedies of those caught up in the heightening viciousness … Ireland has not always borne in mind all its dead. To its great credit, this deeply absorbing book does” – The Times
“Couldn’t put down the brilliant, moving, eye-opening book Wounds by Fergal Keane. You don’t need interest in Irish history to be swept away by characters who leap off page, facing impossible choices in the struggle for dignity and independence” – Samantha Power, author of “A Problem from Hell”
“A fine and troubling book … Keane is a gifted writer whose scarifying experiences in war zones have not coarsened his humanity. Nor does his emotional reaction to terrible cruelty lessen his determination to tell the truth. He admits here to just one bias: ‘a loathing of war and of all who celebrate the killing of their fellow men and women.’ He has unsparingly used his family history to show how many of us, in certain circumstances, might be killers and worse. Even in our own backyards” – Sunday Times
About Fergal Keane
Fergal Keane, who was born in London and raised in Dublin and later Cork, is one of the BBC’s most distinguished correspondents and an award-winning broadcaster and author. He has been awarded a BAFTA and named reporter of the year on television and radio, winning honours from the Royal Television Society and the Sony Radio Awards. He has also been named Report of the Year in the Amnesty International Press Awards and the Edward R. Murrow Award from the US Overseas Press Association.
(Synopsis, reviews, and biographical information provided by Harper Collins.)
“Wounds – A Memoir of War and Love” is the April 2025 selection for the IrishCentral Book Club.
Each month, we will pick a new Irish book or a great book by an Irish author and celebrate the amazing ability of the Irish to tell a good story for the IrishCentral Book Club.
IrishCentral Book Club
Looking for Irish book recommendations or to meet with others who share your love for Irish literature? Join IrishCentral’s Book Club on Facebook and enjoy our book-loving community.
After nearly three decades reporting conflict from all over the world for the BBC, Fergal Keane went home to Ireland to tell a story that lies at the root of his fascination with war. “Wounds” is a family story of war and love, and how the ghosts of the past return to shape the present.
Published by Harper Collins in 2017, “Wounds” went on to win the 2017 Non-Fiction Irish Book of the Year Award and the 2018 Christopher Ewart-Biggs Memorial Prize. It was also a Sunday Times bestseller.
Synopsis of “Wounds – A Memoir of War and Love”
“Wounds” is a powerful memoir about Irish people who found themselves caught up in the revolution that followed the 1916 Rising, and in the pitiless violence of civil war in north Kerry after the British left in 1922.
It is the story of Keane’s grandmother Hannah Purtill, her brother Mick and his friend Con Brosnan, and how they and their neighbours took up guns to fight the British Empire and create an independent Ireland.
And it is the story of another Irishman, Tobias O’Sullivan, who fought against them as a policeman because he believed it was his duty to uphold the law of his country.
Many thousands of people took part in the War of Independence and the Civil War that followed. Whatever side they chose, all were changed in some way by the costs of violence.
Keane uses the experiences of his ancestral homeland in north Kerry to examine why people will kill for a cause and how the act of killing reverberates through the generations.
Reviews of “Wounds – A Memoir of War and Love”
“Few books this year have been as moving Keane’s account of his family’s experience during the conflicts that tore Ireland apart… Keane writes with an impeccable eye for details and a profound sensitivity to human suffering” – Books of the Year, Sunday Times, Dominic Sandrook
“While Keane is acutely aware of the allure and the danger of myth, he also has an objective reporter’s eye for the human tragedies of those caught up in the heightening viciousness … Ireland has not always borne in mind all its dead. To its great credit, this deeply absorbing book does” – The Times
“Couldn’t put down the brilliant, moving, eye-opening book Wounds by Fergal Keane. You don’t need interest in Irish history to be swept away by characters who leap off page, facing impossible choices in the struggle for dignity and independence” – Samantha Power, author of “A Problem from Hell”
“A fine and troubling book … Keane is a gifted writer whose scarifying experiences in war zones have not coarsened his humanity. Nor does his emotional reaction to terrible cruelty lessen his determination to tell the truth. He admits here to just one bias: ‘a loathing of war and of all who celebrate the killing of their fellow men and women.’ He has unsparingly used his family history to show how many of us, in certain circumstances, might be killers and worse. Even in our own backyards” – Sunday Times
About Fergal Keane
Fergal Keane, who was born in London and raised in Dublin and later Cork, is one of the BBC’s most distinguished correspondents and an award-winning broadcaster and author. He has been awarded a BAFTA and named reporter of the year on television and radio, winning honours from the Royal Television Society and the Sony Radio Awards. He has also been named Report of the Year in the Amnesty International Press Awards and the Edward R. Murrow Award from the US Overseas Press Association.
(Synopsis, reviews, and biographical information provided by Harper Collins.)
Democrats burned up $15 million losing special election congressional races in Florida, Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Whatley said in a statement. On Tuesday evening, Trump-endorsed candidates Randy Fine and Jimmy Patronis won their respective races in Florida’s 6th Congressional District and 1st Congressional District. Fine, who ran against Democrat Josh Weil, is replacing…
American universities have become strategic targets for extremist organizations that exploit immigration laws to embed operatives, secure future U.S. citizenship, and cultivate a new generation of pro-terror activists — often under the radar, warns Emirati political analyst Dr. Salem Al-Ketbi, who links the trend to foreign-backed efforts, including by Iran, to “infiltrate young minds” and…
This peculiar narrative of a utopian dream turned nightmare follows the tragic journey of two German socialites attempting to escape civilisation post-World War One. The twisted tale of murder and deception culminates in an oil tycoon discovering two mummified bodies on one of the Galapagos Islands’ shores.The story, set against the backdrop of the Great Depression and the looming World War Two, is now being adapted for the screen in Eden. Jude Law will portray the eccentric Berlin doctor Freiderich Ritter, with Vanessa Kirby as his sophisticated lover Dore Strauch. Ana de Armas will play a Baroness entranced by the couple’s tale, while Sydney Sweeney will portray Margret Wittmer, another woman ensnared in this bizarre saga.The narrative, unearthed in Abbott Khaler’s book Eden Undone and drawn from previously unseen archives, concludes at the peak of the Great Depression, when Los Angeles oil magnate George Allan Hancock and his team of Smithsonian scientists stumble upon a macabre pair of corpses.The island of Florena was previously known only to those who visited it to collect rare species for Western zoos. It was for this purpose that George Hancock and other American elites initially journeyed to the South Seas, seeking specimens for scientific research.During a visit to the Galápagos, Hancock stumbled upon an intriguing group of European exiles led by Freiderich Ritter and Dore Strauch. They had escaped political and economic turmoil in their homeland with dreams of establishing a utopian paradise on the island. However, as Hancock and his fellow American explorers soon found out, this paradise had descended into pandemonium.Over time, Ritter and his partner were joined by a shell-shocked World War One veteran and his young family, along with an Austrian baroness accompanied by her two devoted lovers. This motley crew quickly became embroiled in conflict.In 1932, Heinz and Margret Wittmer, who was expecting a baby, brought their teenage son to the island. Their newborn, Rolf, who was delivered in a cave on the island, is believed to be the first person born on Floreana.Tensions flared between Dore and Margret, leading to the Wittmers being housed in a cave previously used as a pirate’s lair – they later constructed a proper dwelling. The situation took a bizarre turn in 1933 when the eccentric and flamboyant self-styled Baroness Eloise Wehrborn de Wagner-Bosquet arrived with her two lovers, Rudolf Lorenz and Robert Phillipson, and their Ecuadorian servant Manuel Valdivieso.Petty disputes escalated into heated exchanges as the baroness, armed with a riding crop and a pearl-handled revolver, orchestrated brawls between her two paramours and brazenly charmed American visitors. Her antics soon stole the limelight from Ritter and Strauch, causing resentment among the duo who were used to global media attention.In their memoirs, Dore and Margret each recall being present at Freiderich Ritter’s deathbed, with strikingly disparate recollections of his final moments. Dore recounts an affectionate farewell, but Margaret describes Ritter glaring at his partner, allegedly proclaiming with his dying breath: “I curse you with my dying breath.”The Baroness’ companions, Lorenz and Nuggerud, took a journey to Santa Cruz, obtained supplies, and set out for San Cristóbal, only to disappear mysteriously. Several months afterward, in 1934, their mummified corpses were discovered on the shores of Marchena Island, significantly off course from their intended destination.Following Ritter’s demise, Strauch returned to Germany where she died in 1943. The Wittmers continued to reside on Floreana, eventually prospering from the tourism influx years later. Their descendants remain on Floreana today.Margret Wittmer remained on the island until her death in 2000, aged 96. She consistently stood by her account, taking any undisclosed truths with her to her final resting place.The outcome was fatal: with two exiles vanished and two others deceased, the remaining individuals levelled murder allegations. Abbott Kahler, utilising previously unpublished archives, crafts a spine-tingling narrative that could easily be mistaken for an Agatha Christie thriller.Eden is set to hit European cinemas on Thursday, April 3. A US release date has yet to be announced.The film is helmed by acclaimed director Ron Howard, renowned for his work on Arrested Development and A Beautiful Mind.
This peculiar narrative of a utopian dream turned nightmare follows the tragic journey of two German socialites attempting to escape civilisation post-World War One. The twisted tale of murder and deception culminates in an oil tycoon discovering two mummified bodies on one of the Galapagos Islands’ shores.The story, set against the backdrop of the Great Depression and the looming World War Two, is now being adapted for the screen in Eden. Jude Law will portray the eccentric Berlin doctor Freiderich Ritter, with Vanessa Kirby as his sophisticated lover Dore Strauch. Ana de Armas will play a Baroness entranced by the couple’s tale, while Sydney Sweeney will portray Margret Wittmer, another woman ensnared in this bizarre saga.The narrative, unearthed in Abbott Khaler’s book Eden Undone and drawn from previously unseen archives, concludes at the peak of the Great Depression, when Los Angeles oil magnate George Allan Hancock and his team of Smithsonian scientists stumble upon a macabre pair of corpses.The island of Florena was previously known only to those who visited it to collect rare species for Western zoos. It was for this purpose that George Hancock and other American elites initially journeyed to the South Seas, seeking specimens for scientific research.During a visit to the Galápagos, Hancock stumbled upon an intriguing group of European exiles led by Freiderich Ritter and Dore Strauch. They had escaped political and economic turmoil in their homeland with dreams of establishing a utopian paradise on the island. However, as Hancock and his fellow American explorers soon found out, this paradise had descended into pandemonium.Over time, Ritter and his partner were joined by a shell-shocked World War One veteran and his young family, along with an Austrian baroness accompanied by her two devoted lovers. This motley crew quickly became embroiled in conflict.In 1932, Heinz and Margret Wittmer, who was expecting a baby, brought their teenage son to the island. Their newborn, Rolf, who was delivered in a cave on the island, is believed to be the first person born on Floreana.Tensions flared between Dore and Margret, leading to the Wittmers being housed in a cave previously used as a pirate’s lair – they later constructed a proper dwelling. The situation took a bizarre turn in 1933 when the eccentric and flamboyant self-styled Baroness Eloise Wehrborn de Wagner-Bosquet arrived with her two lovers, Rudolf Lorenz and Robert Phillipson, and their Ecuadorian servant Manuel Valdivieso.Petty disputes escalated into heated exchanges as the baroness, armed with a riding crop and a pearl-handled revolver, orchestrated brawls between her two paramours and brazenly charmed American visitors. Her antics soon stole the limelight from Ritter and Strauch, causing resentment among the duo who were used to global media attention.In their memoirs, Dore and Margret each recall being present at Freiderich Ritter’s deathbed, with strikingly disparate recollections of his final moments. Dore recounts an affectionate farewell, but Margaret describes Ritter glaring at his partner, allegedly proclaiming with his dying breath: “I curse you with my dying breath.”The Baroness’ companions, Lorenz and Nuggerud, took a journey to Santa Cruz, obtained supplies, and set out for San Cristóbal, only to disappear mysteriously. Several months afterward, in 1934, their mummified corpses were discovered on the shores of Marchena Island, significantly off course from their intended destination.Following Ritter’s demise, Strauch returned to Germany where she died in 1943. The Wittmers continued to reside on Floreana, eventually prospering from the tourism influx years later. Their descendants remain on Floreana today.Margret Wittmer remained on the island until her death in 2000, aged 96. She consistently stood by her account, taking any undisclosed truths with her to her final resting place.The outcome was fatal: with two exiles vanished and two others deceased, the remaining individuals levelled murder allegations. Abbott Kahler, utilising previously unpublished archives, crafts a spine-tingling narrative that could easily be mistaken for an Agatha Christie thriller.Eden is set to hit European cinemas on Thursday, April 3. A US release date has yet to be announced.The film is helmed by acclaimed director Ron Howard, renowned for his work on Arrested Development and A Beautiful Mind.
John Wick appeared to kick the bucket in Chapter 4, but we never saw a body, just a wounded man and then his grave.Given the film franchise’s box office success, Lionsgate soon confirmed that John Wick 5 was in the works.In the meantime, we’ve got Ballerina, a spin-off starring Ana de Armas set between Chapters 3 and 4.As a result, Keanu Reeves is returning to cameo in the new film, which is out this summer.In recent interviews, the titular star has been asked about resurrecting his assassin and now Lionsgate has confirmed he will star in John Wick 5 alongside announcing two other movies.During their slot at CinemaCon in Las Vegas last night, the studio confirmed that Reeves and director Chad Stahelski have decided on the story they want to tell in John Wick 5. If that wasn’t enough, Reeves will also voice his hitman in an anime prequel set before the first film’s events. This movie will chart his “Impossible Task” that allowed him to retire from the underworld of assassins.As for the third film, Donnie Yen’s Caine, the blind assassin from John Wick Chapter 4, is getting his own spin-off – as teased in the end credits of the last movie. Release dates for three newly announced John Wick movies remain to be confirmed. But in the meantime, From the World of John Wick: Ballerina hits cinemas on June 6, 2025.
John Wick appeared to kick the bucket in Chapter 4, but we never saw a body, just a wounded man and then his grave.Given the film franchise’s box office success, Lionsgate soon confirmed that John Wick 5 was in the works.In the meantime, we’ve got Ballerina, a spin-off starring Ana de Armas set between Chapters 3 and 4.As a result, Keanu Reeves is returning to cameo in the new film, which is out this summer.In recent interviews, the titular star has been asked about resurrecting his assassin and now Lionsgate has confirmed he will star in John Wick 5 alongside announcing two other movies.During their slot at CinemaCon in Las Vegas last night, the studio confirmed that Reeves and director Chad Stahelski have decided on the story they want to tell in John Wick 5. If that wasn’t enough, Reeves will also voice his hitman in an anime prequel set before the first film’s events. This movie will chart his “Impossible Task” that allowed him to retire from the underworld of assassins.As for the third film, Donnie Yen’s Caine, the blind assassin from John Wick Chapter 4, is getting his own spin-off – as teased in the end credits of the last movie. Release dates for three newly announced John Wick movies remain to be confirmed. But in the meantime, From the World of John Wick: Ballerina hits cinemas on June 6, 2025.
The House Judiciary Committee holds a hearing on waste, fraud, and abuse within the FBI that occurred during the Biden administration on Wednesday, April 2. The Subcommittee on Oversight claims the Biden FBI under the leadership of former Director Christopher Wray “abandoned its core mission to uphold the Constitution and protect the American people, wasting…