The Uncivil Wars , first published in 1983, continues to stand as the most thorough and balanced account of the troubles in Northern Ireland available. This new edition covers recent developments, including the prospects for peace.
This poor book deserves a review, and I hardly recall enough to give it one. All I can say is that my Professor circa 2004 felt it was important enough to include on the syllabus, and I thought it was important enough to keep in my reference collection for, apparently, 20 years. He was a good professor, I'm sure it's a valuable read.