The Troubles - Hardcover

Tim Pat Coogan

3.98

579 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0091791464 ISBN 13: 9780091791469

Publisher: Random House UK, 1995

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Coogan, Tim Pat. The Troubles - Ireland's ordeal 1966-1995 and the search for peace. London, Hutchinson, 1995. 24cm. xv, 460 pages with 16 pages of plates. Original Hardcover with original dustjacket. Excellent condition with only minor signs of external wear. An up-to-date, engaging chronicle of the causes, effects, and many dimensions of 30 years of violent struggle in IrelandIn this widely acclaimed study of the complex conflicts in contemporary Northern Ireland, Tim Pat Coogan offers a clear, balanced, and reflective assessment of that struggle -- and a new epilogue to address the recent breakdown of the 1994 cease-fire. An authoritative observer of the nationalist cause with strong political contacts on both sides of the border, Coogan sets the historical context for the resurgence of centuries-old tensions that led to the civil protest and pogroms of 1969. He examines the reasons for -- and the snowballing reactions to -- the introduction of British forces to the streets of Derry and Belfast. Photos bring the events and personalities sharply into focus as he insightfully probes the spread of IRA violence to key locations in Britain, and the responses of the British government, its troops, and various Union organizations. In this new edition, Coogan discusses the continuing argument over weapons, the resumed IRA bombings in February 1996, and the significance of recent elections. Having gained the confidence of the combatants, he presents exclusive interviews and examines the prospects for peace. Coogan fills this book with quotes, personal reportage, and wry wit.... This title should be part of any history or current events collection. (Source: Library Journal Starred Review)

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Review:

Noted Irish journalist Tim Pat Coogan covers the tortured history of Ireland from the beginning of the civil rights movement of the 1960s, through the long, horrible years of violence, and up to the attempts to find peace. Coogan, author of the definitive biography of Michael Collins, knows what he's writing about, and his access to many of the principals gives this book a particular authority. Going beyond the slogans and tabloid headlines, Coogan provides a good hard look at many of the characters, some of whom prefer to live in the shadows, who act out the deadly drama of divided Ireland.

From Publishers Weekly:

Coogan, biographer of Michael Collins and Eamon DeValera who has written the definitive history The IRA, here tackles the "troubles" that have plagued Ulster since 1966. After looking at the roots of Catholic discrimination of the Northern Irish state, which was created in 1922 at the same time as the Free State, Coogan points to Orange prejudice in housing, education and jobs and the lack of a Catholic outlet for peaceful protest. He also argues that the war in the North started as a civil rights demonstration in the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr., but that radical Orange response soon turned protest into war. He takes a close look at Ian Paisley ("the great pornographer" because of his habit of interjecting sexual metaphor into his sermons); John Hume, the quiet peacemaker; Bernadette Devlin, one of the first to put a "face" on the struggle in the North; Gerry Adams, gunman turned peacemaker; and Albert Reynolds, the Irish Taoiseach who was the first prime minister to insist on peace. Coogan looks at all parts of the war, from Bloody Sunday in 1972 and the Bobby Sands hunger strike to the current peace initiative. Although he has written from the nationalist viewpoint, Coogan has also taken a very complicated history and explained it simply, with grace and wit. A primer for those looking to understand the religious bloodshed in the North. Photos.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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