Interesting look at the impact Irish Americans had on entertainment, popular culture, labor, politics, and other facets of society, as well as the pivotal role played in the overall immigrant experience of the 19th and early 20th centuries. ( )

Reading anything about the Irish is a passion for me so anytime I am offered a book about Ireland and its people I jump at the chance. The Irish were the first ethnic group in America and no matter how long the Irish have been here they always feel that Ireland is 'home' but also proud to be American. With their lives deeply rooted in their origins, be it religion, culture etc. they are always passionate.The Irish Way delves into the Irish in America in a way that is easy to understand and very entertaining. I am of Irish descent and I can still remember the slight brogue that my father had and the stories he would tell. In telling this story of the Irish in America, James R. Barrett uses his immense knowledge to instill in his readers a sense of what it was like to be Irish in America. The struggle in the streets of New York and Chicago, their deep Catholic faith, the racism even among their own such as the difference between the "lace curtain Irish" to the "shanty Irish". The Irish have had a huge presence on stage and in movies over the years and have been a force to be reckoned with in the labor movement for men and women. I really enjoyed this book and it will have a place with my many other books about Ireland. ( )