A Life of Picasso: Vol. IV – a flawed but ‘astounding’ book

John Richardson’s new volume is clever and flamboyant

Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso poses in his Paris studio
(Image credit: Bettmann/Getty Images)

In this thoughtful, “impeccably researched” book, Terence Dooley narrates the “tumultuous history” of Irish country houses in the early 20th century, said Gareth Russell in The Times. During the War of Independence (1919-21) and the civil war that followed it, the IRA burned down some 300 of the country’s biggest houses – a fifth of the total. Some were buildings of great architectural value – such as the vast Palladian mansion Summerhill House in Meath, known as the “wonder of Ireland” – while others were relatively small.

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