Maud Gonne has long been viewed merely as a contemporary of more prominent literary, political and legal figures who played a role in Irish politics of the early twentieth century. While Eva Gore-Booth has been the subject of recent critical attention, much less notice has been paid to Gonne. This succinct biography highlights the significance of Gonne as a political and literary figure in her own right and utilises archival resources in a detailed study of her role as a political activist, journalist,reviewer and also as a founder and editor of nationalist publications.

Drawing on previously unpublished correspondence and interviews, this book offers an important re-evaluation of Gonne's contribution to the political and social landscape of early twentieth-century Ireland. It contributes to the growing emphasis in scholarship on the roles played by women in the formation of the Irish state.