“A delightful and deeply informative new take on the Scots-Irish who, despite being relatively unknown, made a tremendous contribution to America's culture.” —James Flannery Tracing the journey of the people from the north of Ireland in the early 1700s, Karen F. McCarthy shines a probing light on this fascinating topic, illuminating the extent to which the Scots-Irish helped weave the fabric of our nation. Setting down roots primarily in the South, they went on to produce such American icons as Mark Twain, Davy Crockett, Sam Houston, George Patton, and Stephen King—as well as a number of US presidents. In addition to novelists and military and political leaders, they also contributed to more colorful aspects of our culture, from moonshine to NASCAR. Despite their outsize role in the history of the United States, the story of these descendants of Ulster Protestants is not widely known. This book tells that story, illuminating a lively and fiercely independent cast of characters over the course of centuries.

What do Mark Twain, Neil Armstrong, and John McCain have in common? They're all descendants of a merry group of Scots-Irish braggarts that crossed the Atlantic from Ireland in the early 1700s and settled in America's South. Also known as the "Other Irish," this wild bunch of patriotic, rebellious, fervently religious rascals gave us the NRA, at least fourteen presidents, decisive victories in the Revolutionary War, a third of today's US Military, country music, Star Wars, the Munchkins, American-style Democracy, and even the religious right . . . not to mention NASCAR, whose roots go back to Prohibition-era moonshine runners. Yet few Americans are familiar with the Other Irish or their contributions to American culture. Now author and documentary filmmaker Karen McCarthy shines a probing light on this fascinating topic, illuminating the extent to which the Scots-Irish helped weave the fabric of our nation.

In his first work of nonfiction, bestselling novelist James Webb tells the epic story of the Scots-Irish, a people whose lives and worldview were dictated by resistance, conflict, and struggle, and who, in turn, profoundly influenced the social, political, and cultural landscape of America from its beginnings through the present day. More than 27 million Americans today can trace their lineage to the Scots, whose bloodline was stained by centuries of continuous warfare along the border between England and Scotland, and later in the bitter settlements of England’s Ulster Plantation in Northern Ireland. Between 250,000 and 400,000 Scots-Irish migrated to America in the eighteenth century, traveling in groups of families and bringing with them not only long experience as rebels and outcasts but also unparalleled skills as frontiersmen and guerrilla fighters. Their cultural identity reflected acute individualism, dislike of aristocracy and a military tradition, and, over time, the Scots-Irish defined the attitudes and values of the military, of working class America, and even of the peculiarly populist form of American democracy itself. Born Fighting is the first book to chronicle the full journey of this remarkable cultural group, and the profound, but unrecognized, role it has played in the shaping of America. Written with the storytelling verve that has earned his works such acclaim as “captivating . . . unforgettable” (the Wall Street Journal on Lost Soliders), Scots-Irishman James Webb, Vietnam combat veteran and former Naval Secretary, traces the history of his people, beginning nearly two thousand years ago at Hadrian’s Wall, when the nation of Scotland was formed north of the Wall through armed conflict in contrast to England’s formation to the south through commerce and trade. Webb recounts the Scots’ odyssey—their clashes with the English in Scotland and then in Ulster, their retreat from one war-ravaged land to another. Through engrossing chronicles of the challenges the Scots-Irish faced, Webb vividly portrays how they developed the qualities that helped settle the American frontier and define the American character. Born Fighting shows that the Scots-Irish were 40 percent of the Revolutionary War army; they included the pioneers Daniel Boone, Lewis and Clark, Davy Crockett, and Sam Houston; they were the writers Edgar Allan Poe and Mark Twain; and they have given America numerous great military leaders, including Stonewall Jackson, Ulysses S. Grant, Audie Murphy, and George S. Patton, as well as most of the soldiers of the Confederacy (only 5 percent of whom owned slaves, and who fought against what they viewed as an invading army). It illustrates how the Scots-Irish redefined American politics, creating the populist movement and giving the country a dozen presidents, including Andrew Jackson, Teddy Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton. And it explores how the Scots-Irish culture of isolation, hard luck, stubbornness, and mistrust of the nation’s elite formed and still dominates blue-collar America, the military services, the Bible Belt, and country music. Both a distinguished work of cultural history and a human drama that speaks straight to the heart of contemporary America, Born Fighting reintroduces America to its most powerful, patriotic, and individualistic cultural group—one too often ignored or taken for granted.

The Scots-Irish Presbyterians settled in the American frontier during the 18th century were a unique breed of people with an independent spirit which boldly challenged the arbitary powers of monarchs and established the church. This book tells their absorbing stories.

'...from time to time a study comes along that truly can be called ‘path breaking,’ ‘seminal,’ ‘essential,’ a ‘must read.’ How the Irish Became White is such a study.' John Bracey, W.E.B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies, University of Massachussetts, Amherst The Irish came to America in the eighteenth century, fleeing a homeland under foreign occupation and a caste system that regarded them as the lowest form of humanity. In the new country – a land of opportunity – they found a very different form of social hierarchy, one that was based on the color of a person’s skin. Noel Ignatiev’s 1995 book – the first published work of one of America’s leading and most controversial historians – tells the story of how the oppressed became the oppressors; how the new Irish immigrants achieved acceptance among an initially hostile population only by proving that they could be more brutal in their oppression of African Americans than the nativists. This is the story of How the Irish Became White.

"Experience the magical world of Irish storytelling where many remarkable characters await you: a king with a mysterious secret, brave warriors famous for their strength, a clever leprechaun who outwits humans, and many more"--Front dust jacket flap.

"Those interested in Ireland and its history and people will find interesting reading here, sometimes humorous, sometimes serious, always informative."—Foreword Reviews AN IN-YOUR-FACE COLLECTION OF TRIVIA THAT'S SURE TO INSPIRE CHEST-THUMPING PRIDE IN EVERYONE OF IRISH DESCENT From battling oppression and famine in Ireland to overcoming poverty and discrimination in America, we Irish gained our fightin’ moniker by standing up for our rights and earning the respect we deserve. Now, the amazing feats, astounding people and incredible facts in this fascinating book of Irish trivia will make you proudly say, “F*ck you, I’m Irish” because we’re... •SMART (from ancient monks to James Joyce) •TOUGH (from boxing champs to Liam Neeson) •SEXY (from redheaded lasses to Colin Farrell) •TALENTED (from step-dancing troupes to Bono) •INVENTIVE (from tech companies to the Model T) •FUN (from raucous wakes to St. Patrick’s Day) and sometimes. . . •BANJAXED (thanks to great whiskey and Guinness)