Customer Reviews

Making Sense of the Troubles: The Story of the Conflict in Northern Ireland

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David McKittrick and David McVea present a thoughtful, excellent overview of sectarian strife in Northern Ireland since the 1960's, giving a balanced look at both the Protestant and Catholic communities. They begin with a superb brief historical sketch on the origins and early history of Northern Ireland, chronicling its major events from its inception in 1921 through the 1960's. They offer many fascinating portraits of prominent British, Irish and Northern Irish politicians and terrorists, ranging from the likes of diehard Protestant minister Ian Paisley to former IRA member Gerry Adams. This is quite simply one of the best books I've read on recent Northern Irish history and may be the best historical overview on the origins and current state of "The Troubles".

If you are like I was before I read this book knowing only that Northern Ireland was about some kind of Religious Conflicts and the IRA then you have so much more to learn about Northern Ireland as I have learned with this book. This book covers everything in an informative way to help one absorb the information and yet not feel inundated. The book also features a chronology of events for quick references, tables and a glossary section that serves as a refresh section for the mind when the abbreviations of political parties and organizations become to much to remember. I recommend this book highly for personal or academic reasons in learning about the troubles in Northern Ireland.

I throughly enjoyed this book - most likely because I spent the majority of my life in Northern Ireland. Unfortunately a good unbiased viewpoint is very hard to come by, so I relished the opportunity to fill in a few gaps in my understanding. The flip side of this is that it appears that the authors let a few characters off lightly, on both sides.

The issue I believe is that the situation is very fluid in that part of the world, and events often come to light that change perceptions of various characters. The famous 'They haven't gone away' remark from Mr Adams isn't mentioned for example, and this casts him in a rather different light than is presented in the book.

I do applaud the authors however for not glossing over the lowpoints of Northern Ireland's recent history. Whilst sometimes painful to read, it does help dispel the fairytale fancy of those who have been led to regard murderers as 'freedom fighters'. I just wish that the authors hadn't given their apologists such a light hand.

All in all, if you are new to the area I'd highly recommend this one. This book is a great startpoint but shouldn't be your last read on the matter.

I read this before a trip to Northern Ireland this summer, where I met with politicians, community leaders and artists. After reading the book, I felt very comfortable with the main themes and events of the Troubles, and several people commented that I seemed particularly well-versed in the history of the conflict (I knew next to nothing even a year before my trip). The book is well-written and balanced, and gives a thorough introduction to the troubles. I recommend reading it after a brief overview of general Irish history (such as "Modern Ireland: A Very Short Introduction") and, of course, as much Joyce as time allows.

Making Sense Of The Troubles: The Story Of The Conflict In Northern Ireland by prize winning journalist David McKittrick and Northern Ireland political expert David McVea is a well-researched, insightful, highly accessible account of what really happened and why in the turmoil of Northern Ireland's history, especially during the last century. A mediated, sober, straightforward analysis, Making Sense Of The Troubles espouses hope that the violence in Northern Ireland will continue its recent decline yet cautions against tension, economic woes and other factors that exacerbate hostility. A meaningful book featuring a detailed chronology as well as a glossary and index, Making Sense Of The Troubles is highly recommended for the non-specialist general reader who seeks to better understand the politically charged and confrontational events in Northern Ireland throughout the decades of the twentieth century.

I found this book to be a little bit dry at times, though on the other hand, the descriptions of the violence at the hands of both the IRA and other republican groups and by the Unionist/loyalist groups were quite graphic. Still, it was quite easy to keep up with who was who and who was on which side, something that can sometimes be a problem in a history book. The authors gave a pretty balanced perspective--I do think they were a little more on the Catholic side, but overall, it was balanced. I do wish they had gone more into the background. Why did the British send the Protestants to Catholic Ireland in the first place, and how did the two sides get along before the 20th century? This is glossed over, though I guess what information is given is sufficient. It does whet my appetite to know more, however.

Making Sense Of The Troubles is a fine history of the conflicts that have taken place in Northern Ireland over the years: the authors are experienced observers of these conflicts and consider the struggles from 1921-1963, from political stalemates to dissents into violence, accords, and the modern peace process. An essential survey for any interested in the history of Northern Ireland's problems

When buying this book I had no previous knowledge on the Troubles, except some general info gathered from the internet. As an Israeli activist for peace in the Middle East, I felt it was very important to learn about the conflict in NI, especially given the many similarities between the 2 conflicts.
McKittrick and McVea's book provides the reader with plenty of information, quotes and figures and IMO does reflect different viewpoints. The timeline at the end of the book is really useful, as are the statistics of the casualties, breakdown by religious group, etc. However, I did find this book lacking in some aspects:

1. The historical background is IMO less than adequate for anyone not familiar with key events in Irish History, such as the Union with England, the 1916 Rising etc. Although the book does focus on the so-called Troubles themselves (that is 1960's-1990's), more background could have been useful.
2. The book is not very much up-to-date. The timeline ends at 2001, and recent events are not covered.
3. There are no pictures inside the book. Pictures could have helped understand much of the Zeitgeist of the conflict, and some of the events themselves. Murals, demonstrations, parades, aftermath of bombings and key persons - pictures could have added so much to the portraying of the Troubles in this book!

I recently read A FARTHER SHORE by Gerry Adams and MAKING PEACE by George Mitchell, both very interesting but hardly comprehensive regarding the challenges faced in creating a sustainable peace for the population of Northern Ireland. MAKING SENSE OF THE TROUBLES provides the background on the circumstances and the individuals that laid the foundation for the challenges faced by the peace makers. I wish I had sufficient depth of knowledge to advise the level of neutrality in this book. However, I do not. That said, it makes a major contribution to providing an understanding of how complex and long standing this conflict was and how it entrenched the psyche of a divided population. It helps one to understand how each set of players saw the conflict through the prism of their own beliefs and needs and how even relatively minor actions could serve as tender boxes that elicited dramatic responses.

This is an informative book about the long conflict in Ireland between Catholics and Protestants. It is unbelievable how religious differences can cause so much bloodshed and turmoil. It's a dry read, but gives a lot of information.