The author is very readable, as he writes about the lives of those who lived in Westport House, and the social, historical and political background of Ireland from 1580 to 1981. And the photographs are also first-rate. I am an American, and not a big fan of genealogy in general, but this book was a surprise, in my quest for castles and history, and I have to give it the highest praise. One the lords Sligo was with the poet Byron (a favorite of mine) in Greece in 1811. The author writes informally (not a word too many, or any irksome generalities), as he covers the social background concisely - but imaginatively. This book is a congenial and informative journey into the past of Ireland.