The Devil's Own by Deborah Lisson is a well-written Australian story in which the main character Julie finds herself trapped in 17th century amongst moarooned sailors of the Dutch East India ship Batavia. Historical and geographical references with a love story at its core makes The Devil's Own a rich reading.

Julie Dykstra didn't want to go sailing in the Abrolhos Islands.She would have preferred to stay with her friend Lisa but since she was caught stealing that wasn't going to happen.She thought the trip was boring until she goes over to Long Island to investigate a face she saw there yesterday.Julie goes back in time to when the ship Batavia sunk.Back to when the skipper Jacobsz and the Commandeur Pelsaert sailed off in the ships boat and left the evil Jeronimus Cornelisz to become Captain General and inflict much pain and suffering on all who survived the shipwreck.Luckily for Julie not all of the crew are bad.Weibbe Hayes,a soldier,and Dirk help Julie to survive through this time of hatred.
I really love this book and I recommend it to all that love a good read on history that includes its own characters to make it more interesting.Other good books are the Royal Diaries series.
Hope this review was helpful!!:)

It is 1587, and the English are seeking to tighten their grip on Ireland. Ulster is particularly troublesome to the English, and the clans there have been slow to provide hostages to be held against their "good behavior." So, to rein in the powerful O'Donnell clan, the English kidnap young Hugh Roe (Red Hugh) O'Donnell, son of the clan's chief. And so begins Hugh's sojourn among the English, where his mistreatment teaches him that peace between the English and Irish is simply not possible.

This book is a well-written piece of historical fiction. The author has plainly done a good deal of research, and has provided a wonderful look into late-sixteenth century Ireland. Her Irish characters speak with the modern Irish brogue, but since they didn't speak English at all, it was a nice way to maintain the "Irishness" of the characters.

Now, as the summary above points out, Deborah Lisson's English characters are all painted as ruthless, domineering blackguards whom you would *not* want to meet in a dark alley. This did strike me as going a little too far. However, I must say that my own reading of history suggests that the Elizabethans treated their politics as a blood sport. Also, from what I can tell, the facts of Hugh O'Donnell's life do actually support this narrative.

So, if you are interested in the life of one the giants of Irish history, or if you are just interested in a really good read, then I highly recommend this book to you.