A blistering account of fame, class and the cost of reinvention, as John Healy confronts what happens after survival − and the invisible cage success can buildNearly four decades after his acclaimed memoir The Grass Arena, John Healy delivers the long-awaited second volume of his extraordinary life.The Glass Cage begins in the wake of sudden literary success and fragile sobriety, as Healy attempts to inhabit a world far removed from the pr...

"Insula Sanctorum et Doctorum; Or, Ireland's Ancient Schools and Scholars" by John Healy explores the rich educational heritage of Ireland during the early medieval period. Healy delves into the history of monastic schools, which were centers of learning and scholarship, attracting students from across Europe. The book highlights the contributions of Irish scholars to theology, philosophy, and the arts, emphasizing the significance of these institutions in preserving knowledge during times...

Since his first appearance on RTÝ's The Restaurant in 2002, celebrity maître d' John Healy has entertained both diners and viewers alike with his easy manner and winning charm. Seemingly unflappable and endlessly cheerful, he appears the consummate professional. However, behind the smile, John has spent a lifetime struggling to cope with his own demons; battling addiction and depression before suffering two heart attacks and undergoing a subsequent life-saving transplant. A Perfect Heart i...

In "Insula Sanctorum et Doctorum; Or, Ireland's Ancient Schools and Scholars," John Healy embarks on a profound exploration of the rich intellectual heritage of ancient Ireland. Combining meticulous historical research with a picturesque narrative style, Healy illuminates the pivotal role played by Irish monastic schools during the early medieval period. The work highlights not only the educational institutions' contributions to philosophy, theology, and literature but also showcases the u...

This vintage book contains a detailed account of the schools and scholars of ancient Ireland from the time of St. Patrick down to the Anglo-Norman Invasion. This volume is highly recommended for those with an interest in Irish history and would make for a fantastic addition to collections of allied literature. Contents include: "Learning of the Druids", "Religious Worship", "Sacrifice of Human Victims", "Worship of the Elements", "Enchantments", "Acquaintance with Letters", "Sun-Worship", ...

In "The Ancient Irish Church," John Healy presents a meticulously researched chronicle of the early Christian church in Ireland, exploring its foundations, development, and theological distinctions within the broader context of European ecclesiastical history. Healy employs a rigorous academic style, utilizing primary sources, historical documents, and a wealth of archaeological evidence to illuminate the unique characteristics of the Irish church. His examination of the monastic tradition...

John Healy's The Grass Arena describes with unflinching honesty his experiences of addiction, his escape through learning to play chess in prison, and his ongoing search for peace of mind.In his searing autobiography Healy describes his fifteen years living rough in London without state aid, when begging carried an automatic three-year prison sentence and vagrant alcoholics prowled the parks and streets in search of drink or prey. When not united in their ...

In "Insula Sanctorum et Doctorum; Or, Ireland's Ancient Schools and Scholars," John Healy offers a meticulous examination of Ireland'Äôs rich educational heritage during the early medieval period. Healy delves into an era often romanticized yet frequently overlooked, utilizing a combination of historical analysis, literary critique, and anecdotal evidence to illuminate the pivotal role of monastic schools in the preservation and dissemination of knowledge. The text's elegant prose and meth...

In the following pages it has been the author’s purpose to give a full and accurate, but at the same time, as he hopes, a popular account of the Schools and Scholars of Ancient Ireland. It is a subject about which much is talked, but little is known, and even that little is only to be found in volumes that are not easily accessible to the general reader. In the present work the history of the Schools and Scholars of Celtic Erin is traced from the time of St. Patrick down to the Anglo-Norma...

In 1988, his autobiography ?The Grass Arena? catapulted John Healy to worldwide literary fame. That harrowing tale described how Healy by discovering chess, escaped alcoholism, violence and crime. Many fans have wondered how Healy did as a chess player. In this book Healy uses over a hundred of his own games to show how unusual tactics or defensive motifs can turn the tide in any position. Along with the games the author describes in eloquent but brutal language the beautiful, sometimes te...

From Vancouver Island in 1912 to a dark colony of the moon three hundred years later. The Sunday Times bestseller, Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel is a story of parallel worlds and possibilities that plays with the very line along which time should run.'A cunning time-travel narrative . . . unputdownable' - The Guardian Best Books of the Year'So wise, so graceful, so rich' - Nao...

**PRE-ORDER AGRIPPA NOW: THE THRILLING NEW NOVEL FROM ROBERT HARRIS, COMING AUGUST 2026**AN EPIC JOURNEY ACROSS CONTINENTS AND A CHASE LIKE NO OTHER.'A belter of a thriller' THE TIMES'A master storyteller' OBSERVER'From what is it they flee?'He took a while to reply. By the time he spoke the men had gone inside. He said quietly, 'They killed the ...