Product Description

The Troubles may have developed into a sectarian conflict, but the violence was sparked by a small band of leftists who wanted Derry in October 1968 to be a repeat of Paris in May 1968. Like their French comrades, Northern Ireland s 68ers had assumed that street fighting would lead to political struggle. The struggle that followed, however, was between communities rather than classes. In the divided society of Northern Ireland, the interaction of the global and the local that was the hallmark of 68 had tragic consequences. Drawing upon a wealth of new sources and scholarship, Simon Prince offers a fresh and compelling interpretation of the civil rights movement, of the origins of The Troubles, and of 68. The authoritative and enthralling narrative weaves together accounts of high politics and grassroots protests, mass movements and individuals, and international trends and historic divisions. Prince shows how events in Northern Ireland and around the world were interlinked during this period.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #541963 in Books
• Published on: 2007-10-31
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 260 pages

About the Author
Simon Prince is a Junior Research Fellow at Lady Margaret Hall, University of Oxford. He completed his PhD at Cambridge University on the civil rights movement in Northern Ireland and has delivered seminar papers on related topics at Cambridge University and at the National University of Ireland.

Customer Reviews

It's not just about Northern Ireland!
This is a gripping and informative account of the `long `68' (stretching back to the 1950s and forward into the 1970s) - not just another book about the Northern Irish troubles. It should be read by anyone who wants to understand why young people took to the streets at the end of the 1960s.

The Swinging Sixties may have been about consuming sex, drugs and rock `n' roll, but '68 was about combating imperialism, capitalism and bureaucracy. Northern Ireland's student radicals may not have had flowers in their hair, spliffs in their hands and the Lovin' Spoonful on their record players, but they shared the same political beliefs and strategies as '68ers around the world. The author brilliantly marshals a mass of evidence to show that '68 was an international struggle and that Northern Ireland was an important part of it.

It's this awareness of the international dimension to '68 that makes this book so special. At every stage of the story, the author deftly highlights how the same things were happening around the world and how people from different countries were swapping ideas. The section on the anti-nuclear movement is particularly good at showing the way people ignored national frontiers to come together to tackle the problems facing all of humanity.

As well as spanning the globe, the book's narrative also covers the whole social spectrum. The author not only takes the reader into the corridors of power in Belfast, Dublin, London, Paris, Washington and Moscow, but also into the crowded houses of the poor, the lecture halls occupied by student radicals and the streets full of protesters and policemen. This is where the meticulous research and attention to detail really pays off as the excitement and disappointment of this fascinating period leap off the page.

My only real criticism of this book is that it's full of `characters' (some of whom make only brief walk-on appearances) and it may be difficult for a reader coming fresh to '68 to remember them all. That said, the author has tried to make things easier for such readers by including a `dramatis personae' at the start of the book. In summary, this is one of the best and most accessible introductions to the student revolts of 1968, their origins and their impact.

Northern Ireland's '68
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in this subject. Simon Prince writes in a clear, strong style and the book has clearly been researched thoroughly. Very insightful.

A good read
An excellent book and a captivating read whether you are completing academic research or just an interested novice.