Brian Boru and the Battle of Clontarf #[nn]

Towering over the battlefield in crown and blue cloak, the white-haired High King Brian Boru dominates this 2014 graphic novel's cover as two warriors clash in fierce single combat below him — one red-haired and spear-wielding, the other helmeted and shield-bearing in the Viking manner, with serried ranks of silhouetted soldiers stretching across the horizon behind them. Deirdre de Barra's cover art captures the epic scale of medieval Irish history with real confidence, balancing the monumental and the intimate in a single striking image. Written by Rory McConville, this is a handsome introduction to one of Ireland's most storied conflicts.