The conflict in Northern Ireland since 1969 has cost over 3,600 lives and about 100,000 people in Northern Ireland live in a household where someone has been injured in a troubles-related incident. This has been a key issue in British and Irish politics and the recent peace process in Northern Ireland and the current 'War on Terrorism' has stimulated international involvement and a desire to 'learn the lessons' of 'the troubles'.

Although Northern Ireland has a population of just 1.5 million people it is one of the most researched territories of the world. There is considerable...

The Unification of Italy in the nineteenth century was the unlikely result of a lengthy and complex process of Italian 'revival' ('Risorgimento'). Few Italians supported Unification and the new rulers of Italy were unable to resolve their disputes with the Catholic Church, the local power-holders in the South and the peasantry. In this fascinating account, Martin Clark examines these problems and considers:

- The economic, social and religious contexts of Unification, as well as the diplomatic and military aspects

- The roles of Cavour and Garibaldi and also...

Covering the Maoist era through the Reform period to the present day, this book addresses subjects such as China s position as a world economic power, the Chinese Communist Party s treatment of ethnic minorities, women s experiences under the Communist regime, and China s human rights record. Fully updated throughout, the third edition includes:

• a new chapter...

Independent India is an exploration of India s national history from independence in 1947 to the end of the twentieth century. Wendy Singer charts the rapid development of this emerging world power by following a series of different narratives crucial to the history of post-independence India: national integrations, the ongoing development of arts and culture, social movements, and political change.

In telling the broader history of political movements and cultural transformations from different perspectives, this book provides key examples that demonstrate the experiences...

Covers the momentous reforms in the British electoral system during the period from the Great Reform Act of 1832 to 1918 when women were given the vote. The study charts the series of Reform Acts right through the period, involving rather more attention to those important changes in the 1880s which are often underplayed.

The American Civil War caused upheaval and massive private bereavement, but the years 1861-1865 also defined a great nation.
This book provides a concise introduction to events from the secession to the end of the war. It focuses on

• the military progress of the war
• Union and Confederate politics
• social change - particularly the emancipation of North American slaves

The social history associated with the war is dealt with alongside the familiar military and political events. This inclusive approach allows the reader to consider equally the...

Why did the Soviet Union collapse in 1991?

The collapse of the Soviet Union has widely been seen as the result of the arms race and Cold War, and the failure of the Soviet side to keep pace with new technology. This book argues that the disintegration was mainly a result of two interrelated factors: the rise of the Soviet national republics, and the manipulation of the new Russian presidency by Boris Yeltsin in what became a direct power struggle between Yeltsin and the Soviet leader, Gorbachev.

Written in a clear and accessible manner, the book provides:

• an...

Family and Kinship in England 1450-1800 guides the reader through the changing relationships that made up the nature of family life from the late medieval period to the beginnings of industrialisation. It gives a clear introduction to many of the intriguing areas of interest that this field of history has opened up, including childhood, youth, marriage, sexuality and death.

This book introduces the elements that made up family life at different stages of its development, from creation to dissolution, and traces the degree to which family life in England changed throughout the early...

The Inter-War Crisis is a concise yet analytical overview of the rapidly-changing world between 1918 and 1939, covering the political, economic and social instability that resulted from the First World War and the eventual descent towards the fresh upheaval of the Second World War.

Revised throughout and containing a new range of illustrations, this third edition covers topics such as the Russian Revolution, the Wall Street Crash of 1929, the concepts of the end of civilization and the decline of the West, cultural and scientific responses to an age of anxiety and fear, and the ways in...