BEHAN, Brendan: Brendan Behan’s Island An Irish Sketch-book. With drawings by Paul Hogarth (Signed by Behan and Hogarth)

Illustrated. London: Hutchinson, 1962. First edition. pp. 192. Green and brown paper boards, title in gilt on spine. A fine copy in fine dust jacket. Signed by the author and illustrator on title page.

First published in 1962, Brendan Behan’s Island is a vivid, humorous, and affectionate portrait of Ireland and its people, captured through Behan’s sharp wit and Paul Hogarth’s expressive drawings. Blending travel writing, memoir, and social commentary, the book takes the reader on a journey across Ireland’s towns, villages, and coastlines — from Dublin’s pubs to the western seaboard — revealing the country’s character in all its contradictions.

Behan’s distinctive voice brings every scene to life with warmth and mischief, while Hogarth’s illustrations add a lyrical visual charm that perfectly complements the text. Together, they create a timeless record of Irish life in the mid-twentieth century.

For collectors, Brendan Behan’s Island holds special appeal as a beautifully illustrated collaboration between two major creative talents — a celebration of Irish spirit, humour, and storytelling that remains as engaging today as when first published.

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