Making Sense of the Troubles

Taking you from the Irish Civil War, to the IRA campaigns of the 60s and 70s, to the creation of the power-sharing government of today – this is the essential history of Northern Ireland and The Troubles.

COMPLETELY REVISED AND UPDATED EDITION

‘By far the clearest account of what happened in the Northern Ireland conflict and more importantly why it happened' Irish News

First published over two decades ago, Making Sense of the Troubles is widely regarded as the most comprehensive and accessible history of the Northern Irish Conflict. Written by award-winning journalist David McKittrick and historian David McVea, this authoritative account examines the roots of the conflict from the partition of Ireland in 1921, the descent into violence in the late 60s, and the three decades of conflict and political unrest that followed.

In this fully revised and updated edition, McKittrick and McVea assess the momentous developments of the decade following first publication, including the disbanding of the IRA, Ian Paisley’s historic deal with Sinn Féin, and the establishment of a devolved, power-sharing government at Stormont in Belfast.

Clear, compassionate and deeply informed, Making Sense of the Troubles is the definitive introduction to one of the most complex and consequential conflicts in Ireland’s history.

Praise for Making Sense of the Troubles:

'A frank, accurate and authoritative narrative of events which should be required reading for anyone hoping to understand what had been going on in the North' Irish Independent

'Comprehensive, considered and compassionate' Irish Times

'Extraordinarily well-balanced, sane, comprehensive and rich in sober understatement' Glasgow Herald

'I would strongly advocate that it be made compulsory reading for everyone in Northern Ireland because for the first time it is our history, all of it warts and all, presented in a clear and understandable way' Irish News

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