Owen O'Shea

This sampler of entertaining mathematical diversions reveals the elegance and extraordinary usefulness of mathematics for readers who think they have no aptitude for the subject. If you like any kind of game at all, you'll enjoy the amazing mathematical puzzles and patterns presented here in straightforward terms that any layperson can understand. From magic squares and the mysterious qualities of prime numbers to Pythagorean triples, probability theory, the Fibonacci sequence, and more, the author shows that math can be fun while having some profound implications.

surprising patterns, peculiar puzzles, and other marvels of mathematics

The call of the primes

Mary McAuliffe

Bridget McAuliffe

Histories and Legacies of the Easter Rising: A Centenary Record

Kerry 1916

The violence and divisions caused by the Irish Civil War of 1922–23 were more vicious, bitter and protracted in County Kerry than anywhere else in Ireland. For generations, the fratricide, murder and executions that occurred there have been synonymous with the worst excesses of the brutality which followed the split over the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921. In this compelling new history of the conflict in his native county, Owen O’Shea offers fresh insights into atrocities such as the landmine executions at Ballyseedy and Knocknagoshel, and their cover-ups, and also the misery and mayhem of the conflict for the wider population. The immense trauma and hardship faced by combatants and their families, as well as the legacy of ill health and psychological scars left on survivors are explored for the first time. Also presented is a catalogue of the intimidation, destruction and lawlessness which severely affected civilians who had no involvement in the war but suffered greatly, sometimes losing their lives. No Middle Path offers an engrossing account of the terrible events in Kerry, and their shocking and enduring legacy.

The Civil War in Kerry

No Middle Path

On 1 June 1921, at the height of Ireland’s War of Independence, a cycling patrol of members of the RIC was ambushed by members of the IRA at Ballymacandy, between Milltown and Castlemaine in County Kerry. After an hour of fighting, four police officers lay dead and another died a day later, among them a father of nine children. The group of IRA assailants included some of the most high-profile figures in Ireland’s ‘Tan War’, men like Dan Keating, Jack Flynn, Dan Mulvihill, Billy Myles and Johnny Connor, but also lesser-known figures, including members of the local Cumann na mBan. Their actions were condemned from the pulpit and an official enquiry tried to discredit the local doctor who tended to the dying men. This book comes on the centenary of an ambush that continues to resonate in its community and in a county in which the battle with Crown forces was more virulent and violent than most. Drawing on newly published witness statements and previously unpublished official records, Ballymacandy details what happened the five men who died and those who led the attack against them and sets the incident against the backdrop of the wider revolutionary struggle in the county.

The Story of a Kerry Ambush

Ballymacandy

In the modern world the theory of probability is used extensively in mathematics, science, engineering, medicine and, of course, gambling. A proposition bet is one that involves the use of probability –both estimated and actual –where an individual makes an apparently attractive bet to someone who is easily deceived by the odds, which are at first glance in his favor. The Book of Proposition Bets gathers together, and reveals the true mathematics behind, over 50 classic and original proposition bets. From the famous Three Card Monty (really an exercise in the Monty Hall Paradox), to probabilities based on rolling dice and pulling playing cards, or whether or not a mark can guess 3 correct digits of a one dollar bill’s serial number (spoiler: the odds are against it), author Owen O’Shea here compiles a fascinating and engaging survey of prop bets. In addition, Part 2 of the book contains a brief history of the theory of probability and some examples of cons and scams perpetrated on the general public to this day around the world, (plus a few more mathematical proposition bets!). Whether to learn the intricacies used by hustlers, or borrow a couple of tricks for yourself, we wager that there is a high probability that readers will enjoy this entertaining and illuminating book!

Using Mathematics to Reveal the Odds of Friendly (and Not-So-Friendly) Wagers

The Book of Proposition Bets

Underwood Dudley

A fascinating collection of numerical curiosities and wonders. The Professor in Owen O Shea s book is the imaginary American Richard Stein. As Owen O Shea and the Professor travel through Ireland, O Shea notes the Professor s collection of amazing magic numbers in fascinating detail. His mathematical curiosities are wide ranging, concerning the 1915 sinking of the Lusitania to coincidences about Apollo 11 to the first moon walk to new numerical curiosities. The new curiosities, among many others, center on Presidents Lincoln and Kennedy, the USA and Ireland, the two World Wars, the King James Version of the Bible, and James Joyce. The Magic Numbers of the Professor reveals astonishing details about the year 1776; the year of American Independence. It contains discussions on prime numbers, gives some wonderful number patterns, and reveals many other eye-opening properties of numbers. It asks, for instance, if you know in how many different ways a US dollar can be changed. The Professor gives the answer to this and other currency questions. The number of the Beast 666, is discussed as well, as are many new equations involving that famous number all appearing here for the first time. And for those fascinated by games and gambling, a number of curious proposition bets involving dice, darts, and playing cards, and various mathematical puzzles are scattered throughout this singularly entertaining book.

Owen O'Shea

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