Protestant liberals are not rare in Northern Ireland, but their conspicuous absence from active politics has been one of the most dispiriting, and damaging, aspects of the ongoing situation. There are, however, some honorable exceptions and Basil McIvor is one of them. Lawyer, minister of education, and member of the Stormont parliament as a Unionist MP in 1969, McIvor speaks from experience.The candor of his memoirs, written at a time of unprecedented movement on the broader political stage, makes this quiet, thoughtful book an invaluable addition to the literature of the Troubles.