Cautious by Elizabeth Nelson (1 results)

blue hardbound 8vo. dustwrapper in protective plastic cover. fine cond. nice clean copy. binding square & tight. covers clean. top edge has a few spots, other edges clean. contents free of all markings. dustwr. near fine cond., 4~1" tears, small spot on front, crease on front (see photo). first edition. first printing ( # 1 in # line). ix+283p. index. world history. history of ireland. ancient history. medieval history. history of christianity. british empire. history of england. history of scotland. viking history. protestant reformation. ~"Ireland's turbulent past and her current political conflicts converge in this concise yet remarkably complete study. For the student of history and others dismayed by the seemingly insoluble dilemma in Ulster, Professor Landon explores the past as a key to understanding today's problems. From the first arrivals in Ireland at around 6000 B.C., the author traces the nation's development as new groups expanded the population: fishermen~farmers of Mediterranean descent, Gaelic Celts, marauding Norwegian Vikings and Danish pirates who came to pillage and stayed on as successful tradesmen and Christians, and the English who crossed the channel to found the great Anglo~Irish houses. The shifting relationships of these peoples with their neighbors in England, Scotland and Wales came to a crisis in the late twelfth century. Encouraged by Pope Adrian IV, Henry II of England and his army of thousands in 400 ships invaded Ireland to introduce seven and one half centuries of British rule~a rule that was continually threatened by rebellion, insurrection and bloody religious strife but never completely overthrown. Religious conflicts in England affected the Irish as succeeding sovereigns applied the weapons of religious repression and economic deprivation on Catholics and Protestants in turn. The frequent seizure and reallocation of lands and titles evolved into a form of absentee landlordism that was to rankle for years to come. In 1690 the defeat of James II on Irish soil preceded a century of relative peace under Protestant domination. However, the old religious differences resurfaced in 1795 when a bloody clash at Armagh gave birth to the Orange Order, named in honor of James' Protestant conqueror, William III. The movement spread and retaliation was inevitable. The resulting chaos was described in the famous couplet: 'She's the most distressful country that ever yet was seen. They are hanging men and women for the wearing of the green. 'Presenting the complex conflicts of the modern period with remarkable clarity, the author outlines the movement for Home Rule, the Easter Rebellion, the notorious 'Troubles' between the IRA and the government's Black and Tans, and the ultimate formation in 1920 of two separate countries. His analysis of today' s situation in Northern Ireland is cautious but not altogether pessimistic: If Catholics, Protestants, Unionists, and Republicans in Ireland can one day achieve an amicable settlement of their differences and cooperate in suppressing the tiny minority who are irrevocably dedicated to terrorism, there may be hope for us all. The dark texture of Irish history is relieved by the colorful heroes and antiheroes who flash across its pages. Here we meet them all in lively biographical sketches: soldiers, churchmen, and political leaders from the legendary O'Neil chieftains to Oliver Cromwell, from Saint Patrick to Jonathan Swift, from Elizabeth I to Davitt, Pearse and Parnell.".