From the Book - 1st Crown ed.
Introduction: nothing but trouble
I. Mythical wars and warriors (Introduction ; The Second Battle of Moytura ; The cattle raid of Cooley: Cuchulain ; The palace of the quicken trees: Finn MacCool ; The frenzy of Sweeney)
II. Kings and battles (Introduction ; Brief sketches of three Irish kings / Geoffrey Keating ; The annals of the Four Masters: ninth- and tenth-century entries)
III. The Vikings (Introduction ; The war of the Gaedhil with the Gaill: the early Viking raids ; The freeing of Cellachain, King of Munster)
IV. Brian Boru and the Battle of Clontarf (Introduction ; Njal's saga: a Viking account ; The war of the Gaedhil with the Gaill: an Irish account)
V. The Norman invasion (Introduction ; The Normans arrive, 1169 / Gerald of Wales ; The Song of Dermot and the Earl: another version of the invasion ; Henry II comes to Ireland / Gerald of Wales).
VI. John de Courcy and the conquest of Ulster (Introduction ; The Book of Howth: the northern conquest begins, 1177)
VII. The Scots (Introduction ; Edward Bruce invades Ireland / John Barbour ; Ireland during the Bruce invasion / Holinshed's Chronicles of Ireland)
VIII. Warfare in the kingdom of Thomond (Introduction ; The triumphs of Thurlough: the Battle of Dysert O'Dea / John mac Rory MacGrath)
IX. The Battle of Axe Hill (Introduction ; The Book of Howth: Battle of Knockdoe)
X. Hugh O'Neill triumphant (Introduction ; The annals of the Four Masters: the Battle of Clontibret and Yellow Ford ; O'Neill's victories / Philip O'Sullivan Beare ; The papers of Sir John Harington: Essex and Elizabeth)
IX. The Battle of Kinsale (Introduction ; The annals of the Four Masters: O'Donnell and O'Neill head south to Kinsale ; An Englishman's siege and battle diary / Fynes Moryson ; The annals of the Four Masters: the Battle of Kinsale, an Irish view).
Afterword: the flight of the earls
Glossary of common Irish words used in place-names
A guide to pronunciation.
