Belfast Diary: War as a Way of Life [Paperback]

John Conroy (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0807002178 | ISBN-13: 978-0807002179 | Publication Date: June 30, 1995

Resolution of intractable problems around the world requires understanding ordinary people as well as leaders. This street-level view of Northern Ireland provides the best explanation of the twenty-five-year conflict.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Perhaps more than any book in the recent spate of writing about the conflict in Northern Ireland, Conroy's account conveys a street-level atmosphere and provides a context in which ordinary people are seen and heard. A Chicago journalist, the author lived in West Belfast in 1980 and returned in later years to gather material. He lived in the small, working-class Catholic district of Clonard where he found his neighbors haunted by myths, legends and history, their lives defined by civil war and the lot of being Irish. In Conroy's view there is "encroaching similarity" between Protestant and Catholic communities in the North. Unemployment, once largely a Catholic experience, is today an issue for others as well. Conroy's experience, as well as the North's history, give credence to the popular notion that violence has been effective in achieving progress in Ireland. This is an informative, powerful, sensitive evocation of people who "don't need any practice" in suffering.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

For those puzzled by Northern Ireland, Belfast Diary offers a well-written, sympathetic and clear-eyed view.--New York Times Book Review

"Mr. Conroy's account is suffused with an ominous tension. . . . He eschews the reductive, and succeeds in mounting a disturbing case." --New Yorker

"A sensitive and perceptive chronicle . . ." --London Times

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Beacon Press (June 30, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807002178
• ISBN-13: 978-0807002179
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.6 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #222,728 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A realistic, eye opening look at life in Northern Ireland!, June 24, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Belfast Diary: War as a Way of Life (Paperback)

Belfast Diary is a moving, eye opening experience. John Conroy takes you from the viewpoint of a questioning American to an insiders look at life in Northern Ireland. As a part of the Belfast community he takes you through important events with insight and understanding. He helps you understand how a community learns to accept violence as a way of life and how they survive it. This is a MUST read for anyone who is interested in understanding the "troubles", and anyone who cares about the people of Northern Ireland

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding, October 10, 1999

By 

Sandra L. Boyd (Avon, Connecticut) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Belfast Diary: War as a Way of Life (Paperback)

Are you the average American completely confused with the subject on Northern Ireland and "The Troubles"? This is THE book for you. John Conroy writes in easy to understand language with an underlining compassion for the people he is writing about. This book is moving and reads like a novel. I couldn't put it down. If you are interested in this subject, please read it. You will not be disappointed.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful and timely-a must if you want to understand, April 15, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Belfast Diary: War as a Way of Life (Paperback)

Conroy recounts his experiences as an American journalist living in Belfast. He masterfully intertwines his spellbinding experiences with the history of "the troubles" in Northern Ireland. This is a superior book for the history reluctant or adversed. Engaging, gripping and intelligent, it is hard to put this book down. This is a "must read" for those preparing to travel to Northern Ireland or those who want to develop a better understanding of the complexities, emotions, history and politics of this divided people. Conroy's insights will expand the readers appreciation of current events in Northern, Ireland.