William O'Brien believed in the British Parliament's capacity to give good government in 19th Century Ireland. His attempts to secure liberal reform were largely unsuccessfully, and he entered the 1840s with a growing conviction that the Irish Members were wasting their time at Westminister. In 1843, his political campaign for "justice" in Ireland prefigured the tactics of Parnell, but the effort ended in disappointment and O'Brien joining the Repeal Association in October of 1843. For the next five years he was a major political figure, and finally, a leader in the 1848 Irish rebellion. In William Smith O'brien And The Young Ireland Rebellion Of 1848, Robert Sloan provides the reader with a remarkable and informative political biography, as well as a "window in time" to the events that led up to Ireland's doomed rebellion against an unresponsive and exploitative British rule. Scholarly, informative, and highly recommended.

OK, slight admission - I've never read the book. Frankly, failed Irish rebellions (of which there seem many) are not really my interest. However, the author is my history teacher at school, and a really good bloke. He deserves to do well out of this book, so even if you don't like the subject, buy it and give him a nice supplement to his teacher's salary!