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Northern Ireland: The Fragile Peace

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Northern Ireland: The Fragile Peace

By: Feargal Cochrane
Narrated by: Roger Clark
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About this listen

After two decades of relative peace following the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, the Brexit referendum in 2016 reopened the Northern Ireland question. In this thoughtful and engaging book, Feargal Cochrane considers the region's troubled history, from the struggle for Irish independence in the 19th century to the present.

New chapters explain the reasons for the suspension of devolved government at Stormont in 2017 and its restoration in 2020, as well as the consequences for Northern Ireland of Britain's decision to leave the European Union. Providing a complete account of the province's hundred-year history, this book is a must-listen to understand the present dimensions of the Northern Irish conflict.

©2013 Feargal Cochrane; Chapters 10, 11, and Epilogue copyright 2021 by Feargal Cochrane (P)2021 Tantor 20th Century Europe Great Britain Modern United Kingdom Northern Ireland

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An excellent book but where on earth did you get the narrator.? Pronunciation errors throughout.

good book, unconvincing narrator.

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Fearful Cochranes account of the turbulent history of NI was helpful, fulsome and peppered with key insights. For the most part he was balanced and fair, until he dealt with Brexit - then he lost the plot with a welter of observations that made you think Armaggeden was on the horizon. The reality is that national history doesn't stop because one piece of legislation changes. He recovered some poise towards the end with the hopeful emergence of the Alliance Party. Overall a comprehensive account.

A RESTRAINED ACCOUNT - UNTIL BREXIT!!

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This book is a very cogent review of the recent history of Northern Ireland and a valuable contribution to the literature on the subject. As someone who has lived his adult life throughout "The Troubles", I found it very helpful as a general analysis. That said, I think insufficient time has passed for a true history of the period to be written. That is the task for future historians.

I think the author is on shakier ground in the later chapters of the book when he deals with the very recent past particularly with reference to Brexit. His fears that it is an existential threat to the Good Friday Agreement (GFA) are I believe, exaggerated. For all its shortcomings, it is now imbedded in the political system in the Province. All Parties pay at least lip service to the Power Sharing arrangements that are its essence. Sinn Fein and the DUP were both shocked by the reaction of the Public to their failure in forming an Executive in a survey in late 2019. This lead very quickly to its formation shortly afterwards. The issues over the NI Protocol will no doubt put a strain on it, but both sides know there is no alternative. The reasons as to how we got to this situation will no doubt be studied at a later date but for the present a good summary would be - DUP Cockup.

I would also take issue with his undue emphasis on the role of sectarianism in NI. It does of course exist, how could it not? given our history, but it does not permeate ordinary life here to the extent he suggests. Large tranches of the population, and not only the professional/middle classes get by fine with "the other side". Academics like journalists tend to concentrate on what divides us.

However, my biggest complaint by far is about the audible version of this book and the narrator Roger Clark. This book is about Northern Ireland and the narrator should have been someone from there. Mr Clark's thick Irish accent grated on me throughout and frankly struck me as phoney. This together with his regular mispronunciation of a number of words raised my suspicions. These were confirmed when I looked him up on the Net and sure enough it transpires he is American and his natural accent at least on You Tube is east coast American. In the end to finish the book, I ended up buying a hard copy.

Good book spoilt by the Narrator

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Learnt new things and deepened my understanding. Also good to hear Mo Mowlam properly acknowledged.

Interesting and insightful

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Republican propaganda. Bias bigoted Rubbish throughout. I was not allowed to return. Not recommended. Avoid

Bigoted Rubbish

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