Elizabeth Bowen : "notes on Eire"

This publication comprises some of the spy reports, which the author, Elizabeth Bowen, sent from Ireland during World War II, together with a historical review of Irish neutrality in that war.

The story of this book starts in 1993, when extracts from Elizabeth Bowen's works were included in "A North Cork Anthology", with the qualification that, though her family had property connections in the area, she could not be regarded as a North Cork, or even an Irish, writer.

This caused outrage in the Dublin media and some vicious attacks on Jack Lane and Brendan Clifford, the compilers of the Anthology.

There was even doubt cast on the fact that Ms Bowen spied against Ireland in World War II.

The upshot of that controversy was that the Aubane Historical Society traced several of Ms Bowen's secret reports, which are published here in full.

For those who would see Ms Bowen's spying as needing no defence, on the supposition that the Allied war on Germany was absolutely justified, and that Neutrals had no case, this book provides an extensive survey of international affairs in the decades before the War, including De Valera's role in the League of Nations. There are also sections on Irish and European Facism.

The book is rounded out by reproducing the polemic about Bowen, which took place between the Aubane Historical Society and lumminaries of the "Irish Times" and the "Sunday Business Post".