One of the most popular Irish films of recent times is Neil Jordan's Michael Collins. Whilst the film has many positives in terms of bringing key events in Irish history to a wider audience, there was a real downside in the way in which Eamon de Valera was portrayed. He was totally caricatured as a 'baddie' in contrast to the iconic Collins.

The film reflects the way in which de Valera has been unfairly castigated by many in recent years. Economic stagnation, emigration and cultural bleakness have all been laid at Dev's door. Some even have suggested that he was single-handedly responsible for the Civil War.

Thankfully a new work has been published that does much to redress the balance. Diarmaid Ferriter's book, Judging Dev, does not overlook De Valera's faults but does conclude that he was "a unique politician and a noble one."

Ferriter has used the de Valera archive at UCD to produce a fascinating work. Photos and documents take up 250 out of 370 pages with the concise text providing sustained and balanced analysis.

It's definitely worth a read at just 30 euros.