Without doubt, The King of Irelanda??s Son is the best of Padraic Columa??s books. Originally published in 1916, this classic has stood the test of time and remains one of the greatest set of tales evera??full of humor, imagination and drama. This edition has been carefully edited, annotated and endnoted, allowing the reader to enter fully into all the often playful subtlety of meaning Colum gives to the names, places and objects in the tale. In addition, the pronunciation of the Irish and Celtic names and words has been noted, often with a background note or two as to their meaning. These are no stories retold by an academic or scholar, but rousing, living tales recounted from Columa??s own childhood in Ireland. There, as a boy, he heard firsthand the myths and sagas, folk and fairy tales from itinerant storytellers who wandered the roads and told their stories in exchange for a roof over their heads and a bite to eat. He was a witness to the last generation of a long tradition...