Miller enjoyed the acclaim, but soon found himself forced to shed his naiveté about the agendas of reviewers. Because he had no mentors in Irish-American history or in immigration studies, and because he worked so far out of the mainstream by locating in mid-Missouri, Miller failed to realize just how politicized the camps might become.

"Reviewers had trouble pigeonholing the book; it didn't seem to fit into any of the existing schools," Miller says. Some wrote that he favored the Irish Catholic faction. Some thought they discerned the subtle anti-Catholic bias of a Protestant. Others portrayed Miller as an apologist for British imperialism. Former ambassador Shannon turned out to be correct when, in his review, he warned Miller that the research "is certain to arouse controversy," especially among Irish nationalists intent on blaming massive emigration on an allegedly oppressive British government.

These reactions seem strange from today's perspective, particularly in light of the 1998 Good Friday peace accords and the subsequent stunning economic success of the Irish Republic. Miller, however, demonstrates that for many Irish nationals, historical perception can be more powerful than reality: "Irish-American homesickness, alienation and nationalism were rooted ultimately in a traditional Irish Catholic worldview which predisposed Irish emigrants to perceive or at least justify themselves not as voluntary, ambitious emigrants but as involuntary, non-responsible ‘exiles,' compelled to leave home by forces beyond individual control, particularly by British and landlord oppression."

Such nuanced analyses were calculated to challenge the views of professional historians, not necessarily to enlighten the general public. So when fame arrived a decade ago, it took Miller by surprise.

Miller, who has taught at MU since 1978, collaborated with documentary filmmaker Paul Wagner to create "Out of Ireland," an 111-minute saga of Irish emigration to America. A grant of $796,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities made the movie possible. Hollywood actress Kelly McGillis narrates; actors reading from historical material include Liam Neeson. The documentary aired on the Public Broadcasting System program "American Experience."