The Northern Ireland Troubles in Britain - by Graham Dawson & Jo Dover & Stephen Hopkins (Paperback)

About the Book

This book investigates the history of responses to, engagements with and memories of the Northern Irish conflict in Britain, exploring the lessons to be learned from post-conflict efforts to 'deal with the past' in Northern Ireland and providing a starting point for wider academic and public debate in Britain on the significance of this history.

Book Synopsis

This ground-breaking book provides the first comprehensive investigation of the history and memory of the Northern Ireland Troubles in Britain. It examines the impacts of the conflict upon individual lives, political and social relationships, communities and culture in Britain, and explores how the people of Britain (including its Irish communities) have responded to, and engaged with the conflict, in the context of contested political narratives produced by the State and its opponents. Setting an agenda for further research and public debate, the book demonstrates that 'unfinished business' from the conflicted past persists unaddressed in Britain, and advocates the importance of acknowledging legacies, understanding histories and engaging with memories in the context of peace-building and reconciliation.

From the Back Cover

During the three decades of the Northern Ireland Troubles (1968-98), the United Kingdom experienced within its borders a profound and polarising conflict. Yet relatively little research has addressed the complex effects, legacies and memories of this conflict in Britain. The experiences and understandings of those in or from Britain who fought in it, were injured by it or campaigned against it have been neglected both in wider scholarship and in public policy. In the peace process since 1994, British initiatives towards 'post-conflict' remembering have been limited and fragmented.

This ground-breaking book provides the first comprehensive investigation of the history and memory of the Troubles in Britain. It examines the impact on individual lives, political and social relationships, communities and culture, and explores how the people of Britain - including its Irish communities - have responded to and engaged with the conflict in the context of the contested political narratives produced by the state and its opponents. Setting an agenda for further research and public debate, the book demonstrates that unfinished business from the conflicted past remains unaddressed and advocates the importance of acknowledging legacies, understanding histories and engaging with memories in the context of peace-building and reconciliation.

The Northern Ireland troubles in Britain features contributors from a wide range of scholarly disciplines -spanning law, literature, history, arts and culture - alongside activists, artists, writers, peace-builders and people with direct personal experience of the conflict. It is essential reading for students and scholars of British and Irish history and politics, but will also be of interest to policy-makers and professionals in the fields of conflict resolution, human rights, arts and media and those who have been affected by the Troubles.

Review Quotes

'This is an important book academically but one that challenges all activists involved in Irish politics to get together and produce their own history.'
Bernadette Hyland, Morning Star 13/02/2017

'This is a collection of essays by academics discussing the usually neglected topic of the impact of the Troubles on Britain.'
Books Ireland Magazine May/June 2017

'This volume constitutes a useful addition to the series Manchester University Press has constituted in Irish Studies, as well as a valuable contribution to a better understanding of the repercussions of the Troubles on the mainland.'
Christophe Gillissen, Université de Caen Normandie, Cercles

About the Author

Graham Dawson is Professor of Historical Cultural Studies at the University of Brighton

Jo Dover is Honorary Research Associate in the Department of Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology at the University of Liverpool

Stephen Hopkins is Lecturer in Politics at the University of Leicester