I first encountered Thomas Cahill in the reading requirements for ninth grade history, where Mr. Dachille’s designation of Cahill’s book The Gifts of the Jews as a substitute for the dry textbooks to which I was accustomed instantly granted him canonical stature in my mind. And for good reason: Cahill’s accessible and fascinating takes on the histories of the Irish, the Jews, … [Read more...] about Thomas Cahill: Civilization on Trial
Politics Archives
Jane Sullivan Roberts on Family, Heritage and Faith
Her husband may be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, but Jane Sullivan Roberts is an amazing success story all her own. Jane Sullivan Roberts, 54, is one of those rare Washington women who won’t let her husband’s achievements overshadow her. When your husband is John Roberts, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, that’s quite a trick, but it is one Jane Roberts pulls off with … [Read more...] about Jane Sullivan Roberts on Family, Heritage and Faith
Obama’s Irish Roots: A House in Black, White & Green
When Barack Obama enters The White House as the 44th U.S. President, he will find that the Irish and African-American strands of his ancestry have been linked in many other ways throughout the history of the most famous building in the world. On the day he assumes the highest office in the land, Barack Hussein Obama, the descendant of Ohio and Indiana immigrants who came from … [Read more...] about Obama’s Irish Roots: A House in Black, White & Green
Second U.S.-Ireland Forum a Success
Over 400 delegates attended the second annual U.S.-Ireland Forum hosted at University College Dublin in early November, which was yet another extraordinary success. The delegates were drawn from Irish politics, business, students, academics and ordinary members of the public. The topics ranged from the role of America in the Obama era to how deep the Irish financial crisis is … [Read more...] about Second U.S.-Ireland Forum a Success
Inside the Kennedy White House
When Barack Obama moved into the White House, many felt a sense of optimism despite the vast challenges facing America. Such feelings, naturally, recalled January of 1961 when, on a bright, frozen Washington morning, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was inaugurated, declaring that “the torch has been passed to a new generation – born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a … [Read more...] about Inside the Kennedy White House