--- product_id: 301203033 title: "Making Sense of the Troubles: A History of the Northern Ireland Conflict" price: "€ 51.20" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 5 url: https://www.desertcart.hr/products/301203033-making-sense-of-the-troubles-a-history-of-the-northern store_origin: HR region: Croatia --- # Comprehensive 90+ years history Balanced, even-handed narrative Updated with peace process insights Making Sense of the Troubles: A History of the Northern Ireland Conflict **Price:** € 51.20 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Summary > 📖 Unlock the untold story of the Troubles — because understanding history is the ultimate power move. ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Making Sense of the Troubles: A History of the Northern Ireland Conflict - **How much does it cost?** € 51.20 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.hr](https://www.desertcart.hr/products/301203033-making-sense-of-the-troubles-a-history-of-the-northern) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Key Features - • **Decades of Insight:** Explore 90+ years of Northern Ireland's complex history from 1921 to 2012. - • **Essential for Context:** Perfect for professionals seeking a well-rounded understanding of a pivotal European conflict. - • **Peace Process Included:** Fully revised edition covers key events like IRA disbandment and power-sharing breakthroughs. - • **Highly Rated & Respected:** 4.6-star average from 700+ reviews, a trusted resource in history and education circles. - • **Unbiased & Authoritative:** Written by expert historians delivering a clear, balanced, and compassionate account. ## Overview Making Sense of the Troubles is a critically acclaimed, fully updated history book that chronicles the Northern Ireland conflict from its roots in 1921 through the peace process up to 2012. Authored by respected historians, it offers a balanced, comprehensive, and accessible overview of the political, social, and military dimensions of the Troubles, making it an essential read for anyone seeking to grasp the complexities behind one of Europe's most enduring conflicts. ## Description COMPLETELY REVISED AND UPDATED EDITION -- THE ESSENTIAL HISTORY OF THE TROUBLES 'Compellingly written and very even-handed. By far the clearest account of what happened in the Northern Ireland conflict and more importantly why it happened' Irish News 'Extraordinarily well-balanced, sane, comprehensive and rich in sober understatement' Glasgow Herald __________________________ First published two decades ago, Making Sense of the Troubles is widely regarded as the most 'comprehensive, considered and compassionate' ( Irish Times) history of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Written by a distinguished journalist and a teacher of history in Northern Ireland, it surveys the roots of the problems from 1921 onwards, the descent into violence in the late 60s, and the three terrible decades that followed. In this fully revised and updated version, McKittrick and McVea take into account the momentous events of the ten years that followed their first publication, including the disbanding of the IRA, Ian Paisley's deal with the Republicans and the historic power-sharing government in Belfast. __________________________ 'An updated reissue of a collaborative study published 12 years ago to rave reviews as a frank, accurate and authoritative narrative of events which should be required reading for anyone hoping to understand what had been going on in the North' Irish Independent 'I would strongly advocate that it be made compulsory reading for everyone in Northern Ireland because for the first time it is our history, all of it warts and all, presented in a clear and understandable way' Irish News Review: Quick and engaging overview - I became interested in this conflict after watching the 2002 movie Bloody Sunday with James Nesbitt. I found myself embarrassed that I had so little knowledge related to what had been occurring in Northern Ireland for most of my life. To think that there is a conflict that has simultaneously been characterized as 1) A war for independence, 2) a civil war, 3) a war on terrorism, 4) a war for Civil Rights, and 5) a war supporting a colonial possession and state ally; occurring in a 20th century industrialized nation was fascinating to me. I was a little worried that this book might be a little skewed one way or the other; but was extremely pleased to find it to be a very even handed and balanced reference. This book does go through over 30+ years of the conflict's history; so don't expect a deep dive into any particular event or person. That being said, I was very impressed with the breadth and width of the information the authors were able to put into a book that took me a 4 day weekend to get through. From the background history leading up to Operation Banner, through the military activities of the different parties, to the politics, to the personalities involved, it was easy to follow, and an easy read. I would highly recommend this book for those, like me, who are coming into the Northern Ireland Troubles cold, and want a comprehensive overview of the conflict. This book is probably not the one for anyone wanting to get deep into any specific event or personality. Review: Überragende und überzeugende Darstellung und Analyse der "Troubles" - Mit „Making Sense of the Troubles“ ist David McKittrick und David McVea eine gut lesbare und umfassende Darstellung und Analyse über die Jahrzehnte der „Troubles“ und dadurch auch ein absolutes Standardwerk zum Nordirlandkonflikt gelungen. Das chronologisch konzipierte Buch beginnt seine Darstellung mit dem von den 1920er Jahren bis weit in die 1960er Jahre hinein zementierten politischen und gesellschaftlichen System der absoluten Dominanz der Unionisten und den deshalb vielfältig unter der Oberfläche schwelenden Konflikten. Es folgt eine Darstellung und Analyse der Gründe, die zum Ausbruch der „Troubles“ geführt haben und eine völlige Eskalation der Gewalt Anfang der 1970er Jahre herbeigeführt und/oder begünstigt haben (Internierungen, Bloody Sunday). Im Anschluss folgt eine weitere chronologische Abhandlung und Analyse der wichtigsten Ereignisse auf politischer, gesellschaftlicher und militärischer Ebene, die den Verlauf der „Troubles“ geprägt und beeinflusst haben – von den Streiks der Unionisten und den Hungerstreik der Republikaner über die wichtigsten Attentate der Militanten und Operationen der Sicherheitskräfte bis hin zu politischen Initiativen und dem langsam in den 1980er Jahren einsetzenden Friedensprozess. Die Darstellung reicht hierbei bis ins Jahr 2012 und ist somit weitgehend aktuell. Dabei wird die Rolle aller wichtigen Akteure dargestellt und deren Handlungen auf ihre Motive, Ziele, Strategien und Taktiken untersucht. Dazu zählen neben Großbritannien und der Republik Irland natürlich auch die Nationalisten und Republikaner auf der einen und die Unionisten und Loyalisten auf der anderen Seite des politischen, gesellschaftlichen und (para-)militärischen Spektrums in Nordirland. Ebenso wird die Rolle von prägenden Persönlichkeiten der Zeit der „Troubles“ untersucht, beispielsweise Hume, Trimble, Adams, McGuinness oder Paisley. So entsteht im Lauf des Buches ein sehr fundiertes, umfassendes und facettenreiches Bild, das sehr gut zum Verständnis der Komplexität der Thematik und des Konfliktes beiträgt und so wohltuend von den oft vereinfachenden kurzen Darstellungen in Nachrichtensendungen abweicht, soweit das Thema Nordirland dort überhaupt noch Beachtung findet. Meiner Meinung nach somit eine vollends überzeugende und Darstellung und Analyse des Nordirlandkonfliktes, die eine komplexe Thematik kompakt, fundiert, überragend recherchiert und gut lesbar aufbereitet. Volle Empfehlung und 5 Sterne. ## Features - PENGUIN GROUP ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #68,033 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #567 in History of Europe #13,804 in Higher & Continuing Education Textbooks | | Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 737 Reviews | ## Images ![Making Sense of the Troubles: A History of the Northern Ireland Conflict - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91OG+G3rlIL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Quick and engaging overview *by D***X on 15 April 2019* I became interested in this conflict after watching the 2002 movie Bloody Sunday with James Nesbitt. I found myself embarrassed that I had so little knowledge related to what had been occurring in Northern Ireland for most of my life. To think that there is a conflict that has simultaneously been characterized as 1) A war for independence, 2) a civil war, 3) a war on terrorism, 4) a war for Civil Rights, and 5) a war supporting a colonial possession and state ally; occurring in a 20th century industrialized nation was fascinating to me. I was a little worried that this book might be a little skewed one way or the other; but was extremely pleased to find it to be a very even handed and balanced reference. This book does go through over 30+ years of the conflict's history; so don't expect a deep dive into any particular event or person. That being said, I was very impressed with the breadth and width of the information the authors were able to put into a book that took me a 4 day weekend to get through. From the background history leading up to Operation Banner, through the military activities of the different parties, to the politics, to the personalities involved, it was easy to follow, and an easy read. I would highly recommend this book for those, like me, who are coming into the Northern Ireland Troubles cold, and want a comprehensive overview of the conflict. This book is probably not the one for anyone wanting to get deep into any specific event or personality. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Überragende und überzeugende Darstellung und Analyse der "Troubles" *by H***R on 7 August 2017* Mit „Making Sense of the Troubles“ ist David McKittrick und David McVea eine gut lesbare und umfassende Darstellung und Analyse über die Jahrzehnte der „Troubles“ und dadurch auch ein absolutes Standardwerk zum Nordirlandkonflikt gelungen. Das chronologisch konzipierte Buch beginnt seine Darstellung mit dem von den 1920er Jahren bis weit in die 1960er Jahre hinein zementierten politischen und gesellschaftlichen System der absoluten Dominanz der Unionisten und den deshalb vielfältig unter der Oberfläche schwelenden Konflikten. Es folgt eine Darstellung und Analyse der Gründe, die zum Ausbruch der „Troubles“ geführt haben und eine völlige Eskalation der Gewalt Anfang der 1970er Jahre herbeigeführt und/oder begünstigt haben (Internierungen, Bloody Sunday). Im Anschluss folgt eine weitere chronologische Abhandlung und Analyse der wichtigsten Ereignisse auf politischer, gesellschaftlicher und militärischer Ebene, die den Verlauf der „Troubles“ geprägt und beeinflusst haben – von den Streiks der Unionisten und den Hungerstreik der Republikaner über die wichtigsten Attentate der Militanten und Operationen der Sicherheitskräfte bis hin zu politischen Initiativen und dem langsam in den 1980er Jahren einsetzenden Friedensprozess. Die Darstellung reicht hierbei bis ins Jahr 2012 und ist somit weitgehend aktuell. Dabei wird die Rolle aller wichtigen Akteure dargestellt und deren Handlungen auf ihre Motive, Ziele, Strategien und Taktiken untersucht. Dazu zählen neben Großbritannien und der Republik Irland natürlich auch die Nationalisten und Republikaner auf der einen und die Unionisten und Loyalisten auf der anderen Seite des politischen, gesellschaftlichen und (para-)militärischen Spektrums in Nordirland. Ebenso wird die Rolle von prägenden Persönlichkeiten der Zeit der „Troubles“ untersucht, beispielsweise Hume, Trimble, Adams, McGuinness oder Paisley. So entsteht im Lauf des Buches ein sehr fundiertes, umfassendes und facettenreiches Bild, das sehr gut zum Verständnis der Komplexität der Thematik und des Konfliktes beiträgt und so wohltuend von den oft vereinfachenden kurzen Darstellungen in Nachrichtensendungen abweicht, soweit das Thema Nordirland dort überhaupt noch Beachtung findet. Meiner Meinung nach somit eine vollends überzeugende und Darstellung und Analyse des Nordirlandkonfliktes, die eine komplexe Thematik kompakt, fundiert, überragend recherchiert und gut lesbar aufbereitet. Volle Empfehlung und 5 Sterne. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent and balanced account of "The Troubles" *by P***L on 16 June 2020* I grew up during the troubles, living in a mainly loyalist public housing estate which bordered a the large nationalist West Belfast area. I was around 8 or 9 years of age when the recent Troubles began, and never had any sense of Catholics, Protestants, Nationalists or Loyalists. Like many, I lived through the events described in so much factual detail in this book, sometimes experiencing them first hand, and other times on the news. I was really impressed with how well this book is put together. The chronology is right on, as are the political and other details. I feel that it is a very neutral account of events - none of them stood out for me as being inaccurate, overblown, biased, and the detail level is just right. This book will certainly help others outside of Northern Ireland understand the difficulties experienced by all sides in the conflict, including victims, perpetrators, families, security forces, and political leaders. It's even a great read for folks in Northern Ireland, to remind them how much things have improved there. In my opinion this is the best account of the recent troubles on the market today - a must read for anyone wanting to understand what went on during those very dark days in Northern Irish history. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.hr/products/301203033-making-sense-of-the-troubles-a-history-of-the-northern](https://www.desertcart.hr/products/301203033-making-sense-of-the-troubles-a-history-of-the-northern) --- *Product available on Desertcart Croatia* *Store origin: HR* *Last updated: 2026-08-01*