John Hume: A Biography - Softcover

Routledge, Paul

4.12

8 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 000638739X ISBN 13: 9780006387398

Publisher: HarperCollins, 1998

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‘A brilliant biography’ LORD GREY GOWRIE, Daily Telegraph

From humble beginnings in the terraced streets of Londonderry, John Hume emerged as the only true statesman of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Written independently but with Hume’s full cooperation, this biography charts his rise through the civil rights movements of the late 1960s and shows how his philosophy of non-violence became a guiding principle as he endured tragedy in the pursuit of his vision – a new Ireland, where both communities could live and work together in peace.

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Review:

‘The most impressive life of Hume so far’
Paul Bew, TLS

‘A clear, well-written and fair-minded narrative of 30 years of violence and political failure’
Fintan O’Toole, Guardian

‘Excellent’
Mervyn Pauley, Ulster News Letter

‘A thorougly researched and well-written biography of one of the most significant Irishmen of this century’
Owen Kelly, Irish News

From the Back Cover:

From humble beginnings in the terraced streets of Londonderry, John Hume emerged as the only true statesman of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. The undisputed leader of the nationalist community, he is as much at home in the White House as he is in the Bogside, calming a tense people.

This new biography, written with Hume's full co-operation but entirely independent, explores his origins and charts his rise to influence through the civil rights movements in the late 1960s. John Hume's philosophy of non-violence became a key guiding influence in the minds of his people, and brought many reforms despite the terrorism that has disrupted life in Northern Ireland for nearly thirty years.

Hume showed that power-sharing could work, but had to endure the tragedy of his government being wrecked by extremists. He refused to allow setbacks to divert him from the pursuit of his vision – a new Ireland, where both communities could live and work together in peace, and co-exist with the Irish Republic.

This is the story of a man who rejected the politics of violence, who founded a modern, outward-looking Social Democratic Party with strong European links. A man who went the extra mile to persuade the IRA to lay down their guns, who gave his people the longest period of peace most of them have ever known, and who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts. A man who still fights for what he believes in, because he is convinced he is right.

Paul Routledge is political correspondent for the 'Independent on Sunday' and has covered the events in Northern Ireland since the late 1960s, for 'The Times', the 'Observer' and the 'Independent on Sunday'. He is author of acclaimed biographies of Arthur Scargilll and Betty Boothroyd.

PRAISE FOR 'Scargill':

"Remarkable...as fine a biography as any produced in the last 25 years"
KIM HOWELLS, 'Independent on Sunday'

"Absorbing. Fascinating. This is an unputdownable story"
PAUL BARKER, 'The Times'

"Painstakingly written...compelling"
NORMAN TEBBIT, 'Sunday Telegraph'

PRAISE FOR 'Madam Speaker':

"Routledge is too good a journalist to leave stones unturned"
MALCOLM RUTHERFORD, 'Financial Times'

"An exhaustive investigation"
CHARLES POWELL, 'Sunday Telegraph'

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