Irish Freedom: A History of Nationalism in Ireland

Richard English

Sept 2008 · Pan Macmillan

About this eBook

Richard English's brilliant new book, now available in paperback, is a compelling narrative history of Irish nationalism, in which events are not merely recounted but analysed. Full of rich detail, drawn from years of original research and also from the extensive specialist literature on the subject, it offers explanations of why Irish nationalists have believed and acted as they have, why their ideas and strategies have changed over time, and what effect Irish nationalism has had in shaping modern Ireland. It takes us from the Ulster Plantation to Home Rule, from the Famine of 1847 to the Hunger Strikes of the 1970s, from Parnell to Pearse, from Wolfe Tone to Gerry Adams, from the bitter struggle of the Civil War to the uneasy peace of the early twenty-first century. Is it imaginable that Ireland might – as some have suggested – be about to enter a post-nationalist period? Or will Irish nationalism remain a defining force on the island in future years?

'a courageous and successful attempt to synthesise the entire story between two covers for the neophyte and for the exhausted specialist alike' Tom Garvin, Irish Times

About the author

Richard English was born in Belfast in 1963. He is Professor of Politics at Queen's University, Belfast. His critically acclaimed book, Armed Struggle is available in Pan paperback and won the Political Studies Association Politics Book of the Year 2003 and was and shortlisted for the Ewart-Biggs Prize. He lives in Belfast and Donegal.