Tom Crean: An Illustrated Life [Paperback] Smith, Professor of European Politics Department of European Studies Michael

Not that Tom Crean — this one shaped modern Europe. Michael Smith chronicles the Irish political giant who served as Tánaiste and led Fine Gael through the turbulent 1990s and 2000s. Smith, a professor of European politics, traces Crean's role in Ireland's EU integration, the peace process, and coalition governments that modernised the nation. It's political biography done right: clear-eyed about ambition and compromise, sharp on policy battles, generous with the human details. Illustrated throughout with photographs from Crean's decades in public life. If you're into Irish political history, the mechanics of coalition government, or just want to understand how modern Ireland was built, this delivers substance without hagiography. A proper political life, well told.