Overview

Full Product Details

Author:   Graham Spencer (University of Portsmouth)
Publisher:   Cambridge University Press
Imprint:   Cambridge University Press
Dimensions:   Width: 16.00cm , Height: 2.00cm , Length: 23.50cm
Weight:   0.720kg
ISBN:  

9781107042872

ISBN 10:   1107042879
Pages:   374
Publication Date:   12 March 2015
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.

Table of Contents

Introduction; 1. The terrain of discourse Sir Kenneth Bloomfield; 2. The Anglo-Irish Agreement: an interview with Sir David Goodall and Lord Armstrong of Ilminster; 3. The constitutional issue in Irish politics David Hill; 4. Negotiations and positions: an interview with Sir John Chilcot; 5. Resolving intercommunal conflict: some enabling factors Sir Quentin Thomas; 6. Tactics, strategy and space Chris Maccabe; 7. The Joint Declaration and memory David Cooke; 8. Movement and transition in 1997: Major to Blair Sir John Holmes; 9. The challenge of symmetry in dialogue: an interview with Sir Joseph Pilling; 10. Why was the Good Friday Agreement so hard to implement? Lessons from Groundhog Day, 1998–2002 Sir Bill Jeffrey; 11. Text and context: an interview with William Fittall; 12. The nature of dialogue: an interview with Sir Jonathan Phillips; 13. Managing the tensions of difference: an interview with Jonathan Powell; Conclusion.

Reviews

'This book is an invaluable addition to examining what happened 'behind the scenes' at governmental level in the peace process. Graham Spencer has done a great service in helping us to understand the decision-making processes that went on amongst senior British civil servants and officials and this combination of authored chapters and penetrating interviews provides a wide-ranging analysis of tensions and problems that had to be dealt with before political agreement could be reached. There are many lessons to be found about negotiation in this illuminating and important study and we should thank Graham Spencer for that.' Bertie Ahern, Taoiseach of Ireland, 1997-2008 'Until this unique book was written most people outside the peace process will not have been aware of the key role of senior British civil servants. Let me be quite clear, they were critical to its success. Many another peace process has failed because of the absence of such a remarkable cadre of people. Insiders to the Process know every one of the contributors and will immediately reach for their accounts of those times. Others who really want to know the story could not do better than follow their lead.' John, Lord Alderdice, FRCPsych 'In this valuable addition to the literature of conflict resolution we are brought right into the innards of the Northern Ireland peace process by people who grappled with it for most of their working lives. These are not the bland views from the bridge of the statesmen's memoirs, but tales told in the engine-room - of mess and dirt and doubt and compromise, of sharp changes in course, of mixed signals and messages misinterpreted, the very dynamics of conflict resolution as seen by the attendant mechanics. What we learn is that conflict resolution is a long-term business, requiring trust to be built between the most unlikely people, and a willingness, eventually, to talk to the people who are actually fighting.' Dr Maurice Hayes, former Independent Senator, Seanad Eireann, 1997-2007, Northern Ireland Ombudsman and Boundary Commissioner, and voted European Person of the Year in 2003 'The British and Peace in Northern Ireland is an indispensable book for any scholar examining how the peace process was constructed in the region. Graham Spencer has assembled the frank thoughts of a formidable cast of policy-makers to explain the evolution of British thinking on Northern Ireland and how this translated into the political frameworks which underpinned the onset of relative peace. Participants chronicle the 'treading on eggshells' and regular frustrations of dealing with rival unionist and national political actors in inching towards desired British goals. This is the authentic voice of those who shaped British and Irish history at a crucial time and is a 'must-read' volume.' Jon Tonge, University of Liverpool This book is an invaluable addition to examining what happened 'behind the scenes' at governmental level in the peace process. Graham Spencer has done a great service in helping us to understand the decision-making processes that went on amongst senior British civil servants and officials and this combination of authored chapters and penetrating interviews provides a wide-ranging analysis of tensions and problems that had to be dealt with before political agreement could be reached. There are many lessons to be found about negotiation in this illuminating and important study and we should thank Graham Spencer for that. Bertie Ahern, Taoiseach of Ireland, 1997-2008 Until this unique book was written most people outside the peace process will not have been aware of the key role of senior British civil servants. Let me be quite clear, they were critical to its success. Many another peace process has failed because of the absence of such a remarkable cadre of people. Insiders to the Process know every one of the contributors and will immediately reach for their accounts of those times. Others who really want to know the story could not do better than follow their lead. John, Lord Alderdice, FRCPsych In this valuable addition to the literature of conflict resolution we are brought right into the innards of the Northern Ireland peace process by people who grappled with it for most of their working lives. These are not the bland views from the bridge of the statesmen's memoirs, but tales told in the engine-room - of mess and dirt and doubt and compromise, of sharp changes in course, of mixed signals and messages misinterpreted, the very dynamics of conflict resolution as seen by the attendant mechanics. What we learn is that conflict resolution is a long-term business, requiring trust to be built between the most unlikely people, and a willingness, eventually, to talk to the people who are actually fighting. Dr Maurice Hayes, former Independent Senator, Seanad Eireann, 1997-2007, Northern Ireland Ombudsman and Boundary Commissioner, and voted European Person of the Year in 2003 The British and Peace in Northern Ireland is an indispensable book for any scholar examining how the peace process was constructed in the region. Graham Spencer has assembled the frank thoughts of a formidable cast of policy-makers to explain the evolution of British thinking on Northern Ireland and how this translated into the political frameworks which underpinned the onset of relative peace. Participants chronicle the treading on eggshells and regular frustrations of dealing with rival unionist and national political actors in inching towards desired British goals. This is the authentic voice of those who shaped British and Irish history at a crucial time and is a must-read volume. Jon Tonge, University of Liverpool

'This book is an invaluable addition to examining what happened 'behind the scenes' at governmental level in the peace process. Graham Spencer has done a great service in helping us to understand the decision-making processes that went on amongst senior British civil servants and officials and this combination of authored chapters and penetrating interviews provides a wide-ranging analysis of tensions and problems that had to be dealt with before political agreement could be reached. There are many lessons to be found about negotiation in this illuminating and important study and we should thank Graham Spencer for that.' Bertie Ahern, Taoiseach of Ireland, 1997-2008 'Until this unique book was written most people outside the peace process will not have been aware of the key role of senior British civil servants. Let me be quite clear, they were critical to its success. Many another peace process has failed because of the absence of such a remarkable cadre of people. Insiders to the Process know every one of the contributors and will immediately reach for their accounts of those times. Others who really want to know the story could not do better than follow their lead.' John, Lord Alderdice, FRCPsych 'In this valuable addition to the literature of conflict resolution we are brought right into the innards of the Northern Ireland peace process by people who grappled with it for most of their working lives. These are not the bland views from the bridge of the statesmen's memoirs, but tales told in the engine-room - of mess and dirt and doubt and compromise, of sharp changes in course, of mixed signals and messages misinterpreted, the very dynamics of conflict resolution as seen by the attendant mechanics. What we learn is that conflict resolution is a long-term business, requiring trust to be built between the most unlikely people, and a willingness, eventually, to talk to the people who are actually fighting.' Dr Maurice Hayes, former Independent Senator, Seanad Eireann, 1997-2007, Northern Ireland Ombudsman and Boundary Commissioner, and voted European Person of the Year in 2003 'The British and Peace in Northern Ireland is an indispensable book for any scholar examining how the peace process was constructed in the region. Graham Spencer has assembled the frank thoughts of a formidable cast of policy-makers to explain the evolution of British thinking on Northern Ireland and how this translated into the political frameworks which underpinned the onset of relative peace. Participants chronicle the 'treading on eggshells' and regular frustrations of dealing with rival unionist and national political actors in inching towards desired British goals. This is the authentic voice of those who shaped British and Irish history at a crucial time and is a 'must-read' volume.' Jon Tonge, University of Liverpool

Advance praise: 'This book is an invaluable addition to examining what happened 'behind the scenes' at governmental level in the peace process. Graham Spencer has done a great service in helping us to understand the decision-making processes that went on amongst senior British civil servants and officials and this combination of authored chapters and penetrating interviews provides a wide-ranging analysis of tensions and problems that had to be dealt with before political agreement could be reached. There are many lessons to be found about negotiation in this illuminating and important study and we should thank Graham Spencer for that.' Bertie Ahern, Taoiseach of Ireland, 1997-2008 Advance praise: 'Until this unique book was written most people outside the peace process will not have been aware of the key role of senior British civil servants. Let me be quite clear, they were critical to its success. Many another peace process has failed because of the absence of such a remarkable cadre of people. Insiders to the Process know every one of the contributors and will immediately reach for their accounts of those times. Others who really want to know the story could not do better than follow their lead.' John, Lord Alderdice, FRCPsych Advance praise: 'In this valuable addition to the literature of conflict resolution we are brought right into the innards of the Northern Ireland peace process by people who grappled with it for most of their working lives. These are not the bland views from the bridge of the statesmen's memoirs, but tales told in the engine-room - of mess and dirt and doubt and compromise, of sharp changes in course, of mixed signals and messages misinterpreted, the very dynamics of conflict resolution as seen by the attendant mechanics. What we learn is that conflict resolution is a long-term business, requiring trust to be built between the most unlikely people, and a willingness, eventually, to talk to the people who are actually fighting.' Dr Maurice Hayes, former Independent Senator, Seanad Eireann, 1997-2007, Northern Ireland Ombudsman and Boundary Commissioner, and voted European Person of the Year in 2003 Advance praise: 'The British and Peace in Northern Ireland is an indispensable book for any scholar examining how the peace process was constructed in the region. Graham Spencer has assembled the frank thoughts of a formidable cast of policy-makers to explain the evolution of British thinking on Northern Ireland and how this translated into the political frameworks which underpinned the onset of relative peace. Participants chronicle the 'treading on eggshells' and regular frustrations of dealing with rival unionist and national political actors in inching towards desired British goals. This is the authentic voice of those who shaped British and Irish history at a crucial time and is a 'must-read' volume.' Jon Tonge, University of Liverpool

'This book is an invaluable addition to examining what happened 'behind the scenes' at governmental level in the peace process. Graham Spencer has done a great service in helping us to understand the decision-making processes that went on amongst senior British civil servants and officials and this combination of authored chapters and penetrating interviews provides a wide-ranging analysis of tensions and problems that had to be dealt with before political agreement could be reached. There are many lessons to be found about negotiation in this illuminating and important study and we should thank Graham Spencer for that.' Bertie Ahern, Taoiseach of Ireland, 1997–2008 'Until this unique book was written most people outside the peace process will not have been aware of the key role of senior British civil servants. Let me be quite clear, they were critical to its success. Many another peace process has failed because of the absence of such a remarkable cadre of people. Insiders to the Process know every one of the contributors and will immediately reach for their accounts of those times. Others who really want to know the story could not do better than follow their lead.' John, Lord Alderdice, FRCPsych 'In this valuable addition to the literature of conflict resolution we are brought right into the innards of the Northern Ireland peace process by people who grappled with it for most of their working lives. These are not the bland views from the bridge of the statesmen's memoirs, but tales told in the engine-room - of mess and dirt and doubt and compromise, of sharp changes in course, of mixed signals and messages misinterpreted, the very dynamics of conflict resolution as seen by the attendant mechanics. What we learn is that conflict resolution is a long-term business, requiring trust to be built between the most unlikely people, and a willingness, eventually, to talk to the people who are actually fighting.' Dr Maurice Hayes, former Independent Senator, Seanad Eireann, 1997–2007, Northern Ireland Ombudsman and Boundary Commissioner, and voted European Person of the Year in 2003 'The British and Peace in Northern Ireland is an indispensable book for any scholar examining how the peace process was constructed in the region. Graham Spencer has assembled the frank thoughts of a formidable cast of policy-makers to explain the evolution of British thinking on Northern Ireland and how this translated into the political frameworks which underpinned the onset of relative peace. Participants chronicle the 'treading on eggshells' and regular frustrations of dealing with rival unionist and national political actors in inching towards desired British goals. This is the authentic voice of those who shaped British and Irish history at a crucial time and is a 'must-read' volume.' Jon Tonge, University of Liverpool

Author Information

Graham Spencer is Reader in Politics, Conflict and the Media at the University of Portsmouth, Distinguished Senior Research Fellow in the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for Conflict Intervention at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth and Honorary Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Politics at the University of Liverpool. His books include From Armed Struggle to Political Struggle: Republican Tradition and Transformation in Northern Ireland (2015), Protestant Identity and Peace in Northern Ireland (2012), The Media and Peace (2008), The State of Loyalism in Northern Ireland (2008), Omagh: Voices of Loss (2005), Ulster Loyalism After the Good Friday Agreement (editor with James W. McAuley, 2011) and Forgiving and Remembering in Northern Ireland (editor, 2011). He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. His research interests include conflict transformation, political negotiation and communication, identities in conflict and reconciliation.

Tab Content 6

Author Website:  

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

No review item found!

Add your own review!

Countries Available

All regions