Supply of Heroes

The author of Mortal Friends has fashioned an absorbing account of two Irishmen fighting for their country according to the dictates of their consciences. With unquestioning loyalty to England, Captain Douglas Tyrrell leads his Irish regiment against the German trenches on the French battlefields of World War I. For Dublin actor and Irish revolutionary Daniel Curry, the Great War is a God-sent opportunity to loosen Britain's deathgrip on Ireland, even if it requires an alliance with the hated Germans. Sister of one and lover of the other, Jane Tyrrell is forced to put aside her qualms and choose sides. But events outstrip them all as the Easter Rising provokes a bloody denouement that ultimately tests the loyalty of each. Carroll's narrative is strong and moving, and his skillful evocation of the emotional pressures his characters endure evokes sympathy for Ireland's tragic dilemma. 50,000 first printing; major ad/promo; author tour. (September 10)