Hope Against History

August 1999 marks the 30th anniversary of the introduction of British troops onto the streets of Northern Ireland in response to widespread civil disturbances--the watershed event that marked the start of the Troubles. Holland, a journalist, writer (The American Connection, etc.) and Belfast native of both Protestant and Catholic descent, provides a broad analysis of the history of the conflict. Drawing on his contacts among all parties (in Republican and Loyalist paramilitary organizations and in the British security forces), he guides readers through what he describes as the Twilight War--the shadowy realm in which the IRA, the loyalist paramilitary groups and the British security forces conducted their low-intensity, but often brutal, war. His claim that, before the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, the IRA was losing the armed struggle and had been effectively neutralized by the Royal Ulster Constabulatory in many areas of Northern Ireland will be hotly disputed. He also downplays the impact of the IRA's bombing campaign in England in the early 1990s--a campaign that, in the opinion of many observers, compelled the British government to launch secret talks with the IRA. While the book will profit those with little knowledge of Northern Ireland, it is not an ideal introductory text. For more knowledgeable readers, however, this volume will be invaluable. Few other works, if any, provide as many insights into the strategies, tactics and operations of the paramilitaries and the British security forces. (Aug.)