A Farther Shore: Ireland's Long Road to Peace - Softcover

Adams, Gerry

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0375760121 ISBN 13: 9780375760129

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, 2005

Synopsis

He’s been imprisoned, shot at, denounced, shunned, and banned, yet Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams remains resolute in his belief that peace is the only viable option for the Irish people. Adams led the oldest revolutionary movement in Ireland on an extraordinary journey from armed insurrection to active participation in government. Now he tells the story of the tumultuous series of events that led to the historic Good Friday Agreement as only he can: with a tireless crusader’s conviction and an insider’s penetrating insight.

In vivid detail, Adams describes the harrowing attack on his life, and he offers new details about the peace process. We learn of previously undisclosed talks between republicans and the British government, and of conflicts and surprising alliances between key players. Adams reveals details of his discussions with the IRA leadership and tells how republicans differed, “dissidents” emerged, and the first IRA cessation of violence broke down. He recounts meetings in the Clinton White House, tells what roles Irish-Americans and South Africans played in the process, and describes the secret involvement of those within the Catholic Church. Then—triumphantly—this inspiring story climaxes with the Good Friday Agreement: what was agreed and what was promised.

Gerry Adams brings a sense of immediacy to this story of hope in what was long considered an intractable conflict. He conveys the acute tensions of the peace process and the ever-present sense of teetering on the brink of both joyous accomplishment and continued despair. With a sharp eye and sensitive ear for the more humorous foibles of political allies and enemies alike, Adams offers illuminating portraits of the leading characters through cease-fires and standoffs, discussions and confrontations. Among the featured players are John Major, Tony Blair, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Jean Kennedy Smith, and Nelson Mandela.

As the preeminent republican strategist of his generation, Gerry Adams provides the first comprehensive account of the principles and tactics underpinning modern Irish republicanism. And in a world where peace processes are needed more urgently than ever, A Farther Shore provides a template for conflict resolution.

About this title

From the Back Cover

Advance praise for A Farther Shore
“A rollicking good read, replete with murder, noble deeds, hilarious mistakes, treachery, and chicanery, from the pen of a nonjudgmental, gifted writer who is a decent, honorable leader, Gerry Adams.”
—Malachy McCourt, author of A Monk Swimming

“The Irish peace process had to overcome decades—if not centuries—of hate, mistrust, and oppression. Its success was a true triumph of the human spirit. No one did more to make it happen than Gerry Adams. A Farther Shore tells you why. It is gripping, moving, and on the money.”
—Congressman Peter King, co-chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee for Irish Affairs

“The refusal to acknowledge the roots of conflict guarantees its perpetuation, whether in Ireland, in Iraq, or on our own shores. Thankfully there are voices—and Gerry Adams will always be among them—who are prepared to penetrate the silence. A Farther Shore is a memoir of a place and a time rather than of a man; Adams, no fool, knows that his story is not the only one. That he has the bravery to pull aside the silence is just one of his gifts. That he has offered us a history with hope is yet another.”
—Colum McCann, author of Dancer: A Novel

About the Author

About the Author

The president of Sinn Féin since 1983, Gerry Adams has served as a member of Parliament for West Belfast from 1983 to 1992 and from 1997 to the present. Dubbed “a gifted writer” by The New York Times, Adams is the author of numerous nonfiction books as well as a volume of fiction, The Street and Other Stories. He lives in Belfast.

About this edition

• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0375760121
• ISBN 13: 9780375760129
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 464