Great Hatred, Little Room

Jan 11, 2025 7:47 AM

Author:Jonathan Powell

Making peace in Northern Ireland was the greatest success of the Blair government, and one of the greatest achievements in British politics since the Second World War. In Jonathan Powell's masterly account we learn just how close the talks leading to the Good Friday agreement came to collapse and how the parties finally reached a deal.

Pithy, outspoken and precise, Powell, Tony Blair's chief of staff and chief negotiator, gives us that rarest of things, a true insider's account of politics at the highest level. He demonstrates how the events in Northern Ireland have valuable lessons for those seeking to end conflict in other parts of the world and shows us how the process of making peace is sometimes messy and often blackly comic.

Reviews

Fascinating and fast-moving... an extraordinary book

—— Observer

A powerful contribution to the history of Anglo-Irish relations

—— Literary Review

A fascinating book. No-one else could provide such an insider's account, for he was the only one to be involved in the detail of every tortuous step

—— Sunday Telegraph

Jonathan Powell has produced one of the half-dozen best books on the Troubles... He was the ultimate insider... Powell writes in a personal manner, with deft character sketches

—— Independent

This is the best-informed rough draft of history so far written by someone who was on the roller-coaster ride to a settlement

—— The Times

Students of government will find Powell's book a treasure trove

—— Max Hastings , Sunday Times

[A] highly informative account

—— Nicholas Bagnall , The Sunday Telegraph

He is an engaging witness to the events that brought peace to the benighted north - largely because he wants no future role in politics and can afford to be outspoken

—— Scotland on Sunday

All parties should consult Powell’s meticulous account of negotiations that underpinned the peace process

—— Michael Conaghan , Belfast Telegraph

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