“Most now know the sorry tale of how suppression of civil rights led to disorder on the streets, how British troops moved from protectors to aggressors, how Bloody Sunday, the hunger strikes, the Anglo-Irish Agreement, and then the Good Friday Agreement sent major convulsions then grudging acceptance through large sections of our society. All this Christine Kinealy covers with clarity and energy, and with a quiet authority that’s rare . . . If you know someone whose mind needs opening and/or who’s in need of an absorbing Christmas read, buy this book. They don’t come much better than this.”

South Belfast News

“Kinealy provides a comprehensive examination of the effects of the Troubles in the evolution of the recent history of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Writing from a perspective that focuses on the civil rights aspects of the conflict, the author explores the narrative of events in a well-researched, well-written manner. It is especially enriching to learn from her how the cultural, literary, and musical fields influenced and responded (or sometimes did not respond) to the Troubles. . . . Highly recommended.”

Choice