The British and Peace in Northern Ireland: The Process and Practice of Reaching Agreement - Softcover

Spencer, Graham

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1107617502 ISBN 13: 9781107617506

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2015

Synopsis

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About this title

Review:

'This book is an invaluable addition to examining what happened 'behind the scenes' at governmental level in the peace process. Graham Spencer has done a great service in helping us to understand the decision-making processes that went on amongst senior British civil servants and officials and this combination of authored chapters and penetrating interviews provides a wide-ranging analysis of tensions and problems that had to be dealt with before political agreement could be reached. There are many lessons to be found about negotiation in this illuminating and important study and we should thank Graham Spencer for that.' Bertie Ahern, Taoiseach of Ireland, 1997–2008

'Until this unique book was written most people outside the peace process will not have been aware of the key role of senior British civil servants. Let me be quite clear, they were critical to its success. Many another peace process has failed because of the absence of such a remarkable cadre of people. Insiders to the Process know every one of the contributors and will immediately reach for their accounts of those times. Others who really want to know the story could not do better than follow their lead.' John, Lord Alderdice, FRCPsych

'In this valuable addition to the literature of conflict resolution we are brought right into the innards of the Northern Ireland peace process by people who grappled with it for most of their working lives. These are not the bland views from the bridge of the statesmen's memoirs, but tales told in the engine-room - of mess and dirt and doubt and compromise, of sharp changes in course, of mixed signals and messages misinterpreted, the very dynamics of conflict resolution as seen by the attendant mechanics. What we learn is that conflict resolution is a long-term business, requiring trust to be built between the most unlikely people, and a willingness, eventually, to talk to the people who are actually fighting.' Dr Maurice Hayes, former Independent Senator, Seanad Eireann, 1997–2007, Northern Ireland Ombudsman and Boundary Commissioner, and voted European Person of the Year in 2003

'The British and Peace in Northern Ireland is an indispensable book for any scholar examining how the peace process was constructed in the region. Graham Spencer has assembled the frank thoughts of a formidable cast of policy-makers to explain the evolution of British thinking on Northern Ireland and how this translated into the political frameworks which underpinned the onset of relative peace. Participants chronicle the 'treading on eggshells' and regular frustrations of dealing with rival unionist and national political actors in inching towards desired British goals. This is the authentic voice of those who shaped British and Irish history at a crucial time and is a 'must-read' volume.' Jon Tonge, University of Liverpool

Book Description:

A compelling inside account of how senior government officials and civil servants shaped the Northern Ireland peace process. Key figures talk openly about their roles and how pragmatism, inclusivity and cohesion enabled the transition from war to peace in Northern Ireland.

About this edition

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1107617502
• ISBN 13: 9781107617506
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 378