This interdisciplinary panorama of Dublin from the tenth through the sixteenth centuries is a fitting tribute to Professor Howard B. Clarke who spent much of his career investigating the history of towns in Ireland. Bradley (history, National University of Ireland, Maynooth), Fletcher (medieval and renaissance English, University College, Dublin) and Simms (historical geography, University college, Dublin) first present an homage to Clarke and his work before the articles enter Viking Dublin. The exploration of contact between the Irish and Norse provides insight into this early conquest, especially in the blending of the groups. The articles on medieval and early modern Dublin concentrate on architecture and the mapping of the city, with discussions of the Dublin Chronicle and guilds. There is also an article on a fourteenth-century Yorkshireman who died in Rome which, while interesting, doesn't seem to fit the theme. The final section describes ways in which Dublin's history was envisioned from Spenser to twentieth century recreations. Distributed in the US by ISBS. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
