I'll try to be as in depth as possible with Northern Ireland: The Reluctant Peace because I think it's important I justify why I gave it 3 stars.

Coming in not knowing a ton about Northern Ireland's history, I wish I had some kind of knowledge prior to reading this. I think watching a Youtube series, or if I had listened to a podcast would have benefited me tremendously because I found this to be a challenging read, both on a literary level and an emotional level.

The book is obviously well researched, meticulously so. Cochrane knows what he's talking about, and writes from an unbiased standpoint, as far as I can tell. I THINK history fans, or buffs of Irish/Northern Irish history would welcome this book with open arms.

However.

I found the pacing quite slow. Cochrane covers a TON of material, but I think if I had gone in with the mindset of this being a textbook, I would have appreciated it more. Perhaps a historical fiction novel, or something in the vein of Studs Terkel would have led me to enjoying it more.

The good stuff is REALLY good, however - I really enjoyed the quotes from primary sources. When Cochrane dips into his own childhood experiences, the book came alive - I wish he had done more of that, but it's likely that he didn't want to rely on this too much since he's covering hundreds of years of insanely complicated, bloody history of a country that's experienced seemingly nothing but trauma on a political scale since its inception, not a memoir.

On an emotional level, it's so heartbreaking to learn about how many bombs destroyed buildings, cars, people, lives, communities every single day. To read about the horrific mismanagement from the English, the murderous tactics by the IRA, the pressure from both the Catholic and Protestant communities to become more inwardly focused, walls built (even in graveyards!)...it's overwhelming and you feel just awful for everybody involved. Halfway through the book, I kept thinking ok SURELY now they're going to sit down, admit faults and talk? But no.

So, 3 stars for it's excellent content, first hand accounts and author's authenticity. I can't rate it any higher because it's a difficult read and too slowly paced for my liking. ( )

A methodical, well-organized history of Northern Ireland and its turbulent 20th century experience. It begins somewhere around the Plantation of Ulster and traces the development of sectarian divides over the years, culminating in the Troubles and the long, rocky path to something resembling peace.

The author himself grew up in Belfast but uses his personal experiences only sparingly to illustrate the history he presents. The book as a whole is very well structured and feels (at least to this ill-informed Canadian) even-handed in its presentation of the Protestant and Catholic viewpoints. I would recommend it to those looking for a solid introduction to the history of Northern Ireland, but it is a big book so it would be better read at home. ( )