Ireland and Empire

'A more relevant or better researched book would be difficult to find' -Irish Post'An academic page-turner' -Sunday Tribune, Dublin'sharp and perceptive study of idelology, history, culture and the matter of Ireland.' -Independent'should be read by anyone interested in understanding the ways in which historians, literary critics, political scientists, politicans and propagandists have perceived Ireland's past and present... a stimulating discussion.' -English Historical ReviewA growing number of historians, political commentators, and cultural critics have sought to analyse Ireland's past and present in colonial terms. For some, including Irish Republicans, it is the only proper framework for understanding Ireland. Others reject the very use of the colonial label for Ireland's history; while using the term for the present can arouse outrage, especially amongst Ulster Unionists. This book evaluates and analyses these controversies, which range from debates over the ancient and medieval past to those in current literary and postcolonial theory. Scholarly, at times polemical, it is the most comprehensive study of these themes ever to appear. It will undoubtedly arouse sharp controversy.