Making Sense of a United Ireland

Oct 3, 2024 5:30 PM

Author:Brendan O'Leary

'Should be required reading for everyone - including unionists - who are interested in and concerned about the fate of this island' Dublin Review of Books

'Compelling' Financial Times

Will Ireland really reunite?

A century ago the resolution to Ireland’s long struggle for independence was a settlement that saw six of its northern counties remain in the United Kingdom while the other twenty-six formed the new Republic of Ireland. Since partition the unification of the two parts of the island has seemed impossible, particularly because of the bloody legacy of past conflict.

However, by 2030, if not sooner, demographic and electoral advantages of Ulster unionists, who wish to remain part of the UK, will be over. And in the light of Brexit, the rising popularity of the Irish nationalist party Sinn Féin, political developments both sides of the border, and within Great Britain, Irish unification referendums will become increasingly likely. Yet even those who want these to happen are not prepared.

Making Sense of a United Ireland is a landmark exploration of this most contentious of issues. Distinguished political scientist Brendan O'Leary - a global expert on divided places, who has been profoundly engaged with the Irish question for nearly four decades - argues that the time to consider the future of the island of Ireland is now.

'The first comprehensive manual of Irish unification' Irish Times

‘Several books have been written about this subject . . . for sheer intellectual firepower O’Leary wins first prize’ Business Post

'A tour de force' Globe and Mail

'A must-read for anyone who lives in Northern Ireland and thinks seriously about its future. [O'Leary has] thought through the implications of possible unity so deeply it would be foolish for anyone who seeks it or opposes it to ignore his book' Cathal Mac Coille

'Impressively researched and well-argued … detailed and readable' Irish Independent

'Brilliant' Brian Feeney, Irish News

____

'Highly readable, stylishly written, and essential' Irish Central

Reviews

Welcome and compelling

—— FT

A tour de force

—— Globe and Mail

Thoughtful and thought-provoking . . . [provides] invaluable insights into the choices and challenges that lie ahead

—— Oran Doyle , Irish Times

Highly impressive . . . several books have been written about this subject in 2022 alone, but for sheer intellectual firepower O'Leary wins first prize

—— Andrew Lynch , Business Post

Should be required reading for everyone - including unionists - who are interested in and concerned about the fate of this island

—— Andy Pollak , DRB

Brilliant

—— Brian Feeney , Irish News

A must-read . . . [O'Leary has] thought through the implications of possible unity so deeply it would be foolish for anyone who seeks it or opposes it to ignore his book

—— Cathal Mac Coille

A tour de force, a highly readable, stylishly written, and essential book for anyone interested in a united Ireland, whether supportive, opposed or simply anxious about disturbing the peace we have enjoyed for 25 years . . . fascinating and ultimately optimistic

—— Irish Central

Impressively researched and well-argued . . . detailed and readable

—— Irish Independent

The Hong Kong Diaries ... details his persistent but ultimately failed efforts to secure the continuance of Hong Kong's freedoms ... Despite Mr. Patten's best efforts, Hong Kong became the canary in the mine shaft, showing what happens when the Chinese Communist Party is allowed to get its way.

—— L. Gordon Crovitz , Wall Street Journal

Legacy of Violence...is deeply researched... a powerful, compelling read

—— Rana Mitter , Financial Times

Fascinating... [Legacy of Violence] is a harrowing read, and one that brings the violence of empire sharply into focus

—— Alex von Tunzelmann , BBC History Magazine

Vividly written... [Elkins] brings together...episodes in order to draw out what she sees as their commonalities in British imperial doctrine

—— John Darwin , Times Literary Supplement

[Elkins'] magnum opus... Elkins' achievement is to chronicle how makeshift responses to rebellion evolved into a chillingly standardised playbook for the use of force

—— Erik Linstrum , History Today

Legacy of Violence is beautifully written and follows through on its arguments doggedly... This is an important book that deserves to be read by everyone who wants to understand and argue against the current attempt to reinvigorate the romance of the British Empire

—— Socialist Worker

A dark, riveting book... her [Elkins'] method is what gives the book its intensity

—— New Statesman, *Books of the Year*

Fascinating... a real page-turner... the writing is backed up with considerable academic research... the evidence of systematic oppression, presented as powerfully and relentlessly as it is here, will be difficult to resist

—— Literary Review

Not so much a history book as a book of historical significance

—— BBC History Magazine, *Best Books of 2022*

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