Maire Cruise O'Brien explores the republican and revolutionary connections of her family as she was growing up, the fallout of the Irish Civil War, and life in the Irish-speaking districts of Ireland almost a century ago.Maire spent two years studying in postwar Paris, where she met Samuel Beckett and Sylvia Beach, among others. She became the first ever Irish woman diplomat, a role which took her to Spain in the time of Franco, the General Assembly of the U.N., and the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. After her marriage to Conor Cruise O'Brien, she accompanied him to various countries, including wartime Congo, when Conor was U.N. representative; Ghana, where he was chancellor of the new university; and the U.S., when he lectured in New York University.This is the autobiography of a unique woman, spanning most of the twentieth century. It is filled with famous people, including revolutionaries, writers, statesmen, and many more. A compelling insight into a time of great upheaval in Ireland, Europe, and Africa. This book iscopublished withO'Brien Press, Dublin and is for sale only in the United States, it's territories and dependencies, Canada, and the Philippines. "