Hail and Farewell! can be considered George Moore's masterpiece. Since it was first published, it has coloured many people's view of the Irish Literary Revival and its members - W.B.Yeats, Lady Gregory, George W. Russell (AE), Edward Martyn, Sir Horace Plunkett and J.M.Synge.

It is a prodigious work, containing Moore's assessment of the Irish Literary Revival, the Abbey Theatre, and its predecessors, as well as remarkable insights not only into the literature and tastes in painting (particularly French Impressionism) and music (the influence of Wagner and the revival of polyphony) at the turn of the Century, but into the social and religious background to the Irish scene at the same time - all viewed through his eyes, the eyes not only of an Irish country gentleman, but of a European man of letters. First published in 1911-14, Moore revised it for the second edition (1925), and the text remained the same for the Uniform (1933) and Ebury (1937) Editions. This is the first edition to appear since then, and uses the most recent text.

At the time of its first publication most of the references were readily understood by Moore's readers, but they are now obscure: much is lost to the modern reader as a result of a lack of intimate knowledge of the people and their times. Professor Cave has tracked down all the points and references which would be obscure today, often even to the student of the period, and has produced detailed notes on them. Thus the reader is able to understand all Moore's references and his modifications of the truth and chronological sequences. Light is also thrown on many obscure pseudonyms and passages in the text through more than 600 notes and a comprehensive index provided by the Editor.

Many critics have considered that of all the works of Anglo-Irish literature that deserve to be kept permanently in print, their first choice would be Hail and Farewell!.