Since the resurgence wave of poets, dramatists and artists, the west coast of Ireland has been a focal point of the island’s creativity, being portrayed as the birthplace of national authenticity. The eastern island has felt distant in comparison, especially in the past century as Brexit became a tasteless comedy after the intense drama of the Abbey stage.
Now, the voyage across the Irish and British sea is a mere transition, the threadbare lounge seats only offer vague reminiscences of the old Cork train, void of lighthearted traveller conversations and dining car invites. Yet on the deck, there’s a connection to an era when the tumultuous oceans made travel arduous and sea life felt deeply intrinsic. In this atmosphere, The Turning Tide calls for a shift to this perspective. It serves as a guide to historical debris that had washed ashore in Ireland and Wales. Although Scotland and England feature, the focus is primarily on Rathlin and the Isle of Man which seem to be isolated.
Jon Gower, the author, has an uncanny knack for storytelling and a flowing narrative style making The Turning Tide an interesting read through the diverse histories of communities that have interacted with the Irish Sea from ancient times to the present. His approach is quirkily delightful, as he metaphorically picks up objects along the shoreline, interweaving time and location. The sheer life and history by the water can feel a bit overpowering with one chapter ending in the Normans attacking Wexford and the subsequent one starting at the Dublin docks seven centuries after.
The book shines when focusing on the sea’s withdraw and Gower makes a contemplative and friendly guide to the mudflats, bays, marine flora and fauna, and birds that continue to follow ancient human-travelled paths. His observations on Dublin’s Brent Geese parallel Tim Dee’s work and surely evoke fond memories of the shearwaters of Skokholm Island.
In his captivating book, “Murder by Mail: A Global History of The Letter Bomb,” an intimidating exploration is made into the enduring and grisly strategic use of lethal written communication, a tactic that dates back centuries. The concept for this striking tome originated as author Tim Robinson sat near a wharf in Roundstone and pondered upon how despite Pangea’s fragmentation, Panthalassa remains undisturbed. Comparable to this thought, “The Turning Tide” also is a narrative about connections, a beckoning and nomadic nod to the ocean that rests just beyond our threshold. Baldwin Professor in the Humanities at University of Georgia, Nicholas Allen, is the man behind these intriguing ideas.