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Carson: The Man Who Divided Ireland
The partition of Ireland in 1921, and the birth of Northern Ireland as a political entity, was the work of one man above all. Edward Carson, born in Dublin in 1854, was a brilliant lawyer whose cross-questioning of Oscar Wilde at his libel trial brought about Wilde's downfall. An inspiring orator and a political heavyweight at Westminster, his defence of Unionism in the years before the First World War, and of the rights of Ulster not to be swamped in an independent Ireland, made a united Ireland a political impossibility.
While some of his actions were denounced in England as close to treason, Carson's idealism and religious tolerance were untypical of the sectarian bigotry that marred the later history of Northern Ireland. Carson: The Man Who Divided Ireland is the first modern biography of a major figure in both British and Irish politics.
While some of his actions were denounced in England as close to treason, Carson's idealism and religious tolerance were untypical of the sectarian bigotry that marred the later history of Northern Ireland. Carson: The Man Who Divided Ireland is the first modern biography of a major figure in both British and Irish politics.
- GenresHistory
288 pages, Paperback
First published July 8, 2005
14 people want to read
About the author
Geoffrey Lewis
60 books12 followersGeoffrey Lewis was an English Turkologist and the first professor of Turkish at the University of Oxford. He is known as the author of Teach Yourself Turkish and academic books about Turkish and Turkey.
Lewis was born in London in 1920 and educated at University College School and St John's College, Oxford (MA 1945, DPhil 1950; James Mew Arabic Scholar, 1947).
At St John's College Lewis initially studied Classics. With the outbreak of the Second World War, he served from 1940 to 1945 as a radar operator in the Royal Air Force. Posted primarily in Libya and Egypt, he taught himself Turkish through local Turkish acquaintances, from the Turkish newspaper Yedi Gün available in Cairo, and from Turkish translations of English classics sent to him by his wife. He returned to Oxford in 1945 with his newly acquired interest in Turkish and on the advice of H. A. R. Gibb took a second BA degree in Arabic and Persian as groundwork for Ottoman Turkish, which he finished with first-class honours (not achieved in this double subject since Anthony Eden in 1922) in just two years. He spent six months in Turkey before pursuing his doctoral work on a medieval Arabic philosophical treatise at St John's College.
Turkish was not taught at Oxford before Lewis was appointed to his academic post in 1950; it was through his efforts that it became established in the Oxford syllabus of Oriental studies by 1964.
Lewis was born in London in 1920 and educated at University College School and St John's College, Oxford (MA 1945, DPhil 1950; James Mew Arabic Scholar, 1947).
At St John's College Lewis initially studied Classics. With the outbreak of the Second World War, he served from 1940 to 1945 as a radar operator in the Royal Air Force. Posted primarily in Libya and Egypt, he taught himself Turkish through local Turkish acquaintances, from the Turkish newspaper Yedi Gün available in Cairo, and from Turkish translations of English classics sent to him by his wife. He returned to Oxford in 1945 with his newly acquired interest in Turkish and on the advice of H. A. R. Gibb took a second BA degree in Arabic and Persian as groundwork for Ottoman Turkish, which he finished with first-class honours (not achieved in this double subject since Anthony Eden in 1922) in just two years. He spent six months in Turkey before pursuing his doctoral work on a medieval Arabic philosophical treatise at St John's College.
Turkish was not taught at Oxford before Lewis was appointed to his academic post in 1950; it was through his efforts that it became established in the Oxford syllabus of Oriental studies by 1964.
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July 27, 2012
A fair look at Edward Carson, in terms of his Legal and Political careers. IN particular, it illustrates that Carson was an Irish Unionist who had no desire to see Roman Catholics put down, but simply saw himself as British and Irish.
He was a Protestant of Course, and the book avoids the debate as to whether he was a Member of the Loyal Orange Institution, but states he certainly spoke on the platforms in Ulster (he was not an Ulsterman, nor a Presbyterian. But a Middle-Church Anglican)
The best observation made is that of the signing of the Covenant where Lewis points out that Carson, as a Southerner, has a shaven lip whereas all the Ulstermen do not.
A great Patriot of Ireland, of sincere Christian belief. Once you read of Carson, you will want to read of Ruth.
He was a Protestant of Course, and the book avoids the debate as to whether he was a Member of the Loyal Orange Institution, but states he certainly spoke on the platforms in Ulster (he was not an Ulsterman, nor a Presbyterian. But a Middle-Church Anglican)
The best observation made is that of the signing of the Covenant where Lewis points out that Carson, as a Southerner, has a shaven lip whereas all the Ulstermen do not.
A great Patriot of Ireland, of sincere Christian belief. Once you read of Carson, you will want to read of Ruth.
Displaying 1 of 1 review