Tommy Sands' new book, published in the UK in 2005 and now available in the US, "...shows the rare gift of combining objectivity with passion. His fine mellow prose sparkles with humour and compassion."

With a Fenian fiddle in one ear and an Orange drum in the other, Sands was reared in the foothills of Mourne Mountains. His family was immersed in folk music - his father played fiddle, his mther accordion. Their kitchen was a place where Protestant and Catholic farmers alike would gather to sing at the end of a day's harvesting. The Songman is the story of Sands' remarkable journey, the turbulent days of the civil rights movement, encounters with The Bothy Band, Pete Seeger, Ian Paisley, and a 'defining moment' during the Good Friday Agreement talks.

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“In his book Tommy Sands shows the rare gift of combining objectivity with passion. He is - and the world knows this - the bard of peace, loved by both sides. His book is a journey through his life and the recent history of his own place, the North. It's the kind of book you want to read under a tree with a glass of wine by your side because that is what his writing is, a fine mellow prose, that sparkles with humour and compassion. Keep it by your bed. It's that kind of book - and you know what I mean.”
Frank McCourt