Looking for Jimmy: A Search For Irish America

Review\nYou don't have to be Irish or Irish-American to love this book. Whoever you are, you are in it. This is the kind of book you will want to bestow on anyone with, or without, a hyphen in their history.---Frank McCourt\nAn exceptionally thoughtful and interesting inquiry into Irish America. ― The Washington Post\nA sweeping tale of disaster, survival, and triumph. ― San Francisco Chronicle\nA wonderful addition to the story of the Irish in America...teem[ing] with deep, surprising insights.---Pete Hamill\nCharming... A timely reminder that controversy over immigration exists as very much part of a continuum. ― The New York Times\nThe Irish American story―a 150-year saga―is a fascinating one, and Quinn tells it superbly. A charming, informative, and memorable book. ― America Magazine\nIn this stunning work chronicling the author’s exploration of his own past―and the lives of many hundreds of thousands of nameless immigrants who struggled alongside his own ancestors―Peter Quinn paints a brilliant new portrait of the Irish-American men and women whose evolving culture and values continue to play such a central role in all of our identities as Americans. In Quinn’s hands, the Irish stereotype of “Paddy” gives way to an image of “Jimmy”―an archetypal Irish-American. From Irish immigration to modern politics, Quinn vibrantly weaves together the story of a remarkable people and their immeasurable contribution to American history and culture.