'Ireland Since the Famine' is a full-scale study of the political and social history of Ireland from 1850 to the 1970s. The political evolution of the Irish nation forms the basis of the book: the state of the Union, the demands for Home Rule, the violence and the compromises ending in a divided Ireland, and the separate evolutions of Eire and Ulster. But professor Lyons's study of Irish society also examines the conflicting forces of social change: the deep routes of religious division and its tragic consequences; the cultural climate that produced the nationalism of Pearse and the bitterness of Joyce; and the all-important economic factors, often overlooked by more traditional Irish historians. "This monumental synthesis…will stimulate every serious student of Irish History"ROBERT KEE, 'Observer' "Will remain for many years an essential standby for every student of the subject"ROBERT BLAKE, 'Sunday Times' "An incomparable survey of modern Irish history and historiography. It is comprehensive in its sympathy, just in its judgements, unwearyingly wise, and often witty…It will give the intelligent layman a much deeper grasp of Irish reality than any other single book, and professional historians an overview of many fields."IRISH TIMES