"Tom Clarke was the architect of Ireland's 1916 Easter Rising. This old Fenian was surrounded by a younger generation of republicans whom he galvanized towards one of the most important events in Irish history. However, relatively little is known of this apparently quiet and unassuming man. In this book, Tom Clarke is brought to life through the letters he wrote to family and friends over a 17-year period. A complete context for the correspondence is presented, with a biography containing new information on Clarke's early days, particularly the years he spent in English prisons. The book includes previously unknown and intimate details about Clarke's life, examining his relationship with his wife and children, his work, his political activism, his time spent in America, and his decision to return to Ireland. His political correspondence begins in 1899 and terminates with a short note written hours before his execution on May 3, 1916. These letters will enable the reader to view Tom Clarke as he truly was, in his own words."--amazon.