R. F. Foster is Professor of Irish History and Literature at Queen Mary University of London and Emeritus Professor of Irish History at the University of Oxford. His many books include Modern Ireland: 1600–1972, the two-volume W. B. Yeats: A Life, and, most recently, Vivid Faces: The Revolutionary Generation in Ireland, 1890–1923. Foster’s writing has appeared in the Guardian, the New York Review of Books, the Irish Times, and many other publications. He lives in London.
"One of the Financial Times' Best Books of 2020: Critics'
Picks"
"Foster’s characteristic brio brings Heaney to life again. . . . On
Seamus Heaney, with its abundant account of his life, its
illuminating analysis of his work, and the generous quotations from
favourite poems, should find a place on bookshelves all over
Ireland and beyond."---Clíona Ní Ríordáin, Irish Times
"A sparkling memorial to an utterly singular poet."---Sebastian
Barry, Sydney Morning Herald
"[An] excellent new study."---James Parker, The Atlantic
"A compact but comprehensive guide."---Seamus Perry, London Review
of Books
"This exploration of Heaney’s oeuvre, and the tumultuous times that
inspired it, is an immensely enjoyable step towards giving
Ireland’s great poet his due."---Maria Crawford, Financial
Times
"There will be longer, fatter biographical and critical books about
Seamus Heaney, but none will be better written, more knowledgeable,
more generously understanding than this one."---Anne Chisholm, The
Tablet
"One of the most elegant works of criticism I have ever
read."---David Mason, Hudson Review
"Engrossing. . . . Undeniably impressive."---Hilary A. White, Irish
Independent
"Foster brings long-felt passion and measured scholarship to his
welcome analysis of the poetry of Seamus Heaney."
*RTE*
"A concise, meticulously researched account. . . . Foster couples
forensic attention to detail with engaging prose."---Tara McEvoy,
Times Literary Supplement
"More than [in] any other writing on Heaney, you actually get a
sense of Heaney’s own personality, his charisma, his friendliness,
his warmth, his humour and it’s a hugely respectful biography in
that way because you get the sense of Heaney’s own words about
himself that have not been made public before and you’ve got the
impression, at least, of being in his company and that’s one of the
things I was hoping for in the book and it certainly comes
across."---Peter Mackay, BBC Radio 3 "Free Thinking"
"As one would expect of Foster, the suavest Irish historian of his
generation, the handling of Irish contexts . . . is
impeccable."---David Wheatley, Literary Review
"Foster's painstakingly researched and affectionately penned On
Seamus Heaney offers an illuminating bite-sized refresher course on
one of our greatest literary talents."---David Roy, Irish News
"[A] succinct but insightful critical biography that puts the
poetry of Seamus Heaney (1939–2013) firmly in the context of his
life and times. . . . This reflective and incisive study works both
as an academic research aid and as an accessible primer for general
poetry readers."
*Publishers Weekly*
"[A] careful and attentive poetic biography."---Peter Craven,
Sydney Morning Herald
"A brief and brilliant study that weaves together the life and work
of the Nobel Prize-winning Irish poet."---Sunil Khilnani, Open
Magazine
"The joy of this book emanates from the sense of intimacy that
Foster captures in each epoch, enabling readers to get a sense of
Heaney’s personality. . . . This book is an essential complement to
any study of Heaney’s poetry, as it creates a more comprehensive
understanding of how life informs art."
*Choice*
"A timely perspective on the Northern Irish troubles as experienced
and responded to in Heaney’s work."---Fiona O'Connor, Morning
Star
"If a book on poetry can teach, Roy Foster’s new book about
Ireland’s Nobel Prize poet Seamus Heaney shares it all."---Ronn
Hartviksen, Chronicle Journal
"It is difficult to imagine how a brief, general, fair-minded
introduction to Heaney might be bettered . . . . The book is more
literary criticism than biography, although it effortlessly
combines the two so that it’s difficult to say where one starts and
the other ends, which suits Heaney down to the ground. Foster’s
trademark elegance, clarity, and skill in shaping a narrative are
to the fore, and he remains a more lucid and nuanced reader of
Irish poetry than many specialized critics."---Alan Gillis, Irish
University Review
"Writing with the restraint of the professional academic but with
all the vim of a youthful enthusiast, R. F. Foster has published On
Seamus Heaney, his take on the life and writings of one of
Ireland’s famous poets . . . Foster has captured the young Heaney
in a manner that readers can grasp fully, and the description is
written in elevated language that is appropriate to the status of
its subject. . . . I recommend this book very highly indeed."---Ian
Lipke, Queensland Reviewers Collective
"[On Seamus Heaney] adds welcome layers to our understanding of
Heaney as a poet and of the kind of public intellectual who attains
moral standing in the wider world. . . . I hope that others who
care about our literary inheritance will use On Seamus Heaney as a
standard for writing about writing. Its combination of
meticulousness and soul can only enrich our
understanding."---Denise Provost, Somerville Times
"One of the finest books to date on Irish poet and Nobel laureate
Seamus Heaney."---Daniel Picker, New Ulster
"A very good 'short book essay' on one of my favorite
poets."---Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution
"[Foster’s] knowledge of Heaney is nothing short of encyclopedic. .
. . An excellent roadmap for readers."---John Austin Gray, Fare
Forward
"It’s not the done thing to choose a book of which I’m the
dedicatee: even so, RF Foster’s On Seamus Heaney, which is short
but runs deep, was for me the richest food for the spirit in
2020."---Jan Dalley, Financial Times
"R. F. Foster has herein written an altogether focused, and most
vivid account of quite possibly the most important Irish poet of
the postwar era."---David Marx, David Marx Book Reviews
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