Hope Against History: The Course Of Conflict In Northern Ireland

by Jack Holland

In Northern Ireland, the conflicting claims and aspirations of Catholic and Protestant, nationalist and unionist, republican and loyalist grate against each other, at each turn escalating the potential for renewed death and destruction. Hope for a peaceful future is not enough to cont with history. In Ulster, history has vanquished hope so often that it seems an act of folly to expect it to be otherwise. Until recently, the crisis in Northern Ireland was deemed a problem without a solution. Now that the major antagonists have agreed to work for peace and democracy, it is time for an authoritative assessment of "the troubles" that have plagued Ulster for more than a quarter century.

A Belfast product of mixed Catholic and Protestant heritage, Jack Holland is both of and above the fray; he is the writer who has stayed close to the terrorists and antiterrorists of every persuasion since 1966. In this cogent and balanced history, he unravels the complex and often misunderstood story of "the troubles," offering an insightful look at the past, a thorough vision of the present, and a glimpse of what the future may hold.

Genres: History, Ireland, Nonfiction, Politics

280 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1999

Reviews

[Andijkl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn’t finish it. Comprehensive history but too much violence and too long.

[Lauretta Farrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best, most comprehensive books about the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

[FellowBibliophile KvK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Balanced account that has details that the overaged schoolboy and MI5 apologist Tony Geraghty missed.

[Elisabeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

While the topic of the book is scintillating, the writing and integration of events lacks cohesion. Simple things (e.g., time line of events; list political and paramilitary groups, and their abbreviations; maps of Northern Ireland, and Belfast in particular) that would have made reading more palatable were lacking, making it, at times, arduous to read without a map or an on-going handwritten list of players. Holland's best writing and synthesis are found in Chapter 9, which made me wonder why similar synthesis and analysis of the events and players were not employed throughout the entire work.

[Liam · Rating 4 out of 5]

RTF...