James Charles Roy has been a peripatetic “independent scholar” since 1969, when he left his job in New York City, bought a 500 cc BSA “Royal Star” in London, and took off for Ireland (“it was the cheapest place to go and hang out, as well as being the most interesting place on earth”). His fascination with Ireland has been lifelong, beginning when his parents visited the island in 1955 for two months, bringing their family of three children in tow, and stretching through his purchase and renovation of Moyode Castle in County Galway. He has written innumerable articles on Irish history and eight distinguished books, including The Fields of Athenry and Islands of Storm, a Book-of-the-Month and History Book Club selection. He lives in Newburyport, Massachusetts with his wife, the artist Jan V. Roy.
News and Events
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New Releases:
Riding with the Blues 
Forthcoming, Spring 2026. McFarland Publishing Co.
One Man and his Boat: A Tale from Nova Scotia 
Praise for One Man and his Boat:
“Even before he began his solo writing career, James Charles Roy was a savvy traveler and serious historian. The wonder of his writing career is that he chose to combine those two skills in a single literary genre—a difficult assignment indeed, which is why so few living writers in the English language do what Roy does, and does so well.” --Paul Lazarus, veteran editor of Professional BoatBuilder magazine Lady Gregory Reception
James Charles Roy with co-curators Colm Tóibín (left) and James Pethica (center) at the opening reception for "All This Mine Alone: Lady Gregory & The Irish Literary Revival," at the New York Public Library, March 5, 2020.
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Available now in the U.S.:
All the World at War 
Order via Amazon or request from your local bookstore.
Praise for All the World at War: "The First World War has produced a vast literature and Roy's treatment of the subject ranks with the best. He has immersed himself in a vast range of primary and secondary sources and his text demonstrates a sophisticated appreciation of the issues involved in that conflict. A superb book, full of fascinating detail and written in a most appealing style, a veritable page turner. This particular version deserves to become a classic." —Professor Jack Spence, OBE, distinguished scholar of war and international history, Fellow of King’s College London "James Charles Roy's history of the First World War offers a vivid and wide-ranging narrative, encompassing both events and individuals in a kaleidoscopic approach to a well-known story." —C. Brad Faught, professor of history and global studies, Tyndale University; author of The Oxford Movement, The New A-Z of Empire and Kitchener: Hero and Anti-Hero, among other titles. "This is an unusual history of the First World War, the fruit of long reflection, research and much travelling. A rich and thought-provoking book. It doesn't offer a straight narrative history of the war. Anyone ignorant of that might be better to read other works first. But there is a great sweep to Roy's work, and his character sketches are acute and – to my mind – fair." —Allan Massie, The Scotsman, novelist and critic, author of A Question of Loyalties. |