A Short History of the Troubles

by Brian Feeney

From the first symptoms of serious unrest - the Divis Street riots of 1964 - to the tortuous political manoeuvrings culminating in the 2003 Assembly elections, the book traces the reality of life in Northern Ireland during the Troubles.

It details the motivation behind the IRA 'armed struggle', the Civil Rights movement, the murder campaigns of various loyalist terror groups, the major incidents of violence and the response of the British security forces and the justice system.

It describes what it was like to live with bombs, army searches in the dead of night, death threats to politicians, activists and others. A detailed account of the political and personal toll of the Northern Ireland conflict.

Genres: Ireland, History

182 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 28, 2014

About the author

Brian Feeney, a political columnist with the Irish News, is a leading nationalist commentator and frequent broadcaster on Northern Ireland affairs. He was an SDLP councillor for sixteen years. He is co-author of Lost Lives: the story of the men, women and children killed in the Northern Ireland troubles. In 2001 the book won the Christopher Ewart-Biggs award for its contribution to reconciliation in Ireland and Europe. A historian by profession, he is Head of History at St Mary's University College, Belfast.

Reviews

[Betsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book regarding The Troubles in Ireland beginning in the 60’s regarding the divide between Northern Ireland and Ireland. Although only about 150 pages, it took me a while to finish it. There were so many political parties constantly evolving and an untold # of leaders involved over the years. The book literally needed a flow chart as to which parties were on which side, which groups were in power when, and which side they were fighting for. There was a great index for all this at the end, which I had to stop & refer to numerous times. Although cumbersome, the author does a good job of covering the reasons for the entire struggle.

[Erin Kafka · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been trying to read this for YEARS finally locked in and did it in one sitting all to reach my 2025 Goodreads Goal

[Kendall Williams-Zetina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book from a bookstore in Belfast that was suggested as a great place to find literature about the troubles era in Northern Ireland as told from the perspective of the Irish who lived through it. It’s a really dense read and you’ll find yourself referencing the guide in the back constantly to keep all the various political parties and players straight but it is a great read. There are so many interesting parallels to the conflict in Gaza and the IRA/Hamas and of the consequences of British colonialism in general. Wish we were taught history like this in the US 🫠

[Angelique · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dense and fast paced. A fairly unbiased (to my limited knowledge) re-telling of The Troubles.

[Gwen Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thankful for the Glossary of terms and additional information in the appendices. I think I understand a little more about this complicated history.

[Mark Hourston · Rating 4 out of 5]

A concise history of the Troubles, detailing the devastating impact of years of violence, on both sides of the divide. If you want a concise history of the Troubles, this is the book for you.