'any serious student of Irish history will want this book, which is carefully neutral and meticulous as to fact'
Brian Fallon, Irish Times
List of abbreviations; Acknowledgements; I. The Background: The economic and social structure; Administration and politics; Intellectual and religious life; II. Constitutional Conflict: A restive Parliament; The American War and the volunteers; An Anglo-Irish Settlement; Parliamentary reform and protection; Pitt and Ireland; III. The Revolutionary Era: The French Revolution and Ireland; The radical revival; The Catholic agitation; Radicalism and reaction;
Fitzwilliam's Viceroyalty; Agrarian trouble and militant radicalism; Ireland and the Great French War; The maintenance of law and order; Insurrection; Aftermath; The Union; Bibliography; Index