"Histories of the Irish Future" is an intellectual history of Ireland seen through the eyes of key individuals who in different eras sought to influence the country's future. Written by Bryan Fanning, a leading scholar of modern Irish history, the book offers a new, pioneering perspective on on the country's development over the course of the last 400 years. "Histories of the Irish Future" is divided into eleven chapters, each examining a key intellectual's views on Ireland's path to modernity and the issues and struggles faced by the Irish in this process. The book clearly explains and contextualises the main works of the authors and locates these within the wider social, political, economic and cultural debates of their times. It thus provides both a summary and an analysis of the bodies of work of great thinkers - writers, philosophers, politicians, economists and clergy - from Jonathan Swift to Fintan O'Toole. The intriguing and original concept and structure of the book lend themselves to discussion and group exercises in the classroom. It will appeal to undergraduate history students taking courses on modern Ireland and Britain as well as undergraduates in Irish Studies. The author's interdisciplinary background will also make the book attractive to undergraduates in related fields such as Cultural Studies, Philosophy and Political Science.