David George Boyce Books

The problems of modern Ireland have attracted the attention of many British political leaders from Gladstone to Major. Attempts to formulate a 'solution' have been governed by the British perception of what the problem is, and by the structures, as well as the ideas of British party politics and British political life: Ireland was never a laboratory in which dispassionate political experiments could be conducted. Modern Ireland has been shaped by British policy, and this has itself been influenced by British political habits and traditions, social and economic reforms, and new governmental institutions have been applied by politicians both of the left and the right. The 'Framework Documents' represent the latest attempt to achieve what Gladstone, David Lloyd George and Neville Chamberlain sought, and failed to achieve: a lasting settlement of the political divisions within Ireland, and between Ireland the Great Britain. This book places the Irish question in the wider context of the history of the British Isles, and thus seeks to explain its special place in British history as the 'Oldest Question', and as a question for contemporary Britain. Fully revised and with a new chapter to bring the analysis up to 1996, this new edition of Professor Boyce's work will be widely acclaimed.

In October 1968, a long-dormant issue resurfaced in British society as Irish questions regained prominence in the media, evoking familiar terms like "loyalist," "separatist," and "Irish Republican Army." This work examines British perspectives on the "Irish question" from 1918 to 1922, focusing on how public opinion influenced government policy during this critical period. It begins with the December 1918 general election, where Lloyd George's coalition sought a mandate for Irish self-government. The narrative follows the ensuing conflict up to June 1922, culminating in the British Government's acceptance of the Irish Free State's draft constitution, which sparked the Irish civil war. The author utilizes a diverse array of British newspapers, periodicals, pamphlets, and private papers of key figures to shed light on the complexities of British involvement in Ireland and the historical roots of the crisis that erupted in 1968. Additionally, the book offers a broader analysis of the interplay between public opinion and government policy in democratic contexts. D. G. Boyce, born in 1942, has a background in modern history and has taught politics and modern warfare at University College, Swansea, since 1971. His earlier works include notable publications on Irish history and British politics.