Northern Ireland's Lost Opportunity: The Frustrated Promise of Political Loyalism - Softcover

Novosel, Tony

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0745333095 ISBN 13: 9780745333090

Publisher: Pluto Press, 2019

Synopsis

Northern Ireland's Lost Opportunity is a unique in-depth investigation into working-class Loyalism in Northern Ireland as represented by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), the Red Hand Commando (RHC) and their political allies.

In an unorthodox account, Tony Novosel argues that these groups, seen as implacable enemies by Republicans and the left, did develop a political analysis of the Northern Ireland conflict in the 1970s which involved a compromise peace with all political parties and warring factions – something that historians and writers have largely ignored.

Distinctive, deeply informed and provocative, Northern Ireland's Lost Opportunity is the first study to focus not on the violent actions of the UVF/RHC but on their political vision and programme which, Novosel argues, included the potential for a viable peace based on compromise with all groups, including the Irish Republican Army.

About this title

About the Author:

Tony Novosel is a senior lecturer in History at the University of Pittsburgh. He is involved in 'common history' projects in Belfast.

Review:

"A significant contribution. Novosel exposes the limitation of commonly held views that loyalism was apolitical and merely sectarian. The book's significance also lies in the depth of its scholarship. Hopefully it will remind those studying Northern Ireland that loyalists played and continue to play a significant role in peace-building. This warts-and-all account is a vital read." – Professor Peter Shirlow, School of Law, Queen's University Belfast

"Novosel's study of the UVF and its attempts to develop a politicized loyalism challenges the standard one-dimensional representation of loyalism that so dominates the media and popular imagination. A well-researched history based on extensive contacts with key players, this is a welcome addition to the emerging body of work on loyalism. A necessary, serious and informative read." – Graham Spencer is Reader in Politics, Conflict and the Media at the University of Portsmouth, UK and author of The State of Loyalism in Northern Ireland

"This thoroughly researched book is integral to an understanding of the Conflict Transformation Process which has made Northern Ireland a beacon of hope, and adds a vital component to the complex narrative of our recent history." – John Kyle, Belfast City Councilor

"Novosel effectively challenges common perceptions. He demonstrates that some Loyalists offered hope when hope was most needed but faced constant obstruction by those challenged by their 'new thinking'." – Roy Garland, Irish News

About this edition

• Publisher: Pluto Press
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 0745333095
• ISBN 13: 9780745333090
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 304