The origins of the present troubles in Northern Ireland

The roots of the Northern Ireland situation stretch back to the sixteenth century and beyond. Caroline Kennedy-Pipe's book is, however, concerned with the modern conflict: with the reasons for the resurgence of the Troubles in the late 1960s, and in particular the causes and consequences of the decision to bring in the British Army in 1969.

For over a quarter of a century now the British Army has been involved in the bloody and protracted struggle in the province. It has been caught between - and in turn impacted upon - the tensions and suspicions of the two communities, the ambitions of their leaders and activists, and the political manipulations and limitations of the decision-makers in London, Belfast, Dublin and, increasingly, the world beyond.

Dr Kennedy-Pipe examines how this came about; what the involvement of the Army has been; and how that role has changed over time, according to the fluctuations of the political situation. Above all, she analyses what the involvement of the Army has done to change the character of the political situation itself.

This study places the present Troubles, and the use of the Army in Northern Ireland, within the context of the wider British experience of dealing with political violence; and it addresses the still broader issue of how democratic states have responded to ethnic conflict and the threat of "internal" disorder.