Crimes of Loyalty
A History of the UDA
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Edinburgh University Press
Published:19th May '06
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
This book details the UDA's violent struggle during Ireland's Troubles, exploring its impact on the nationalist community and broader political landscape in Northern Ireland.
In Crimes of Loyalty, Ian S. Wood leverages his extensive expertise and numerous interviews to provide an in-depth examination of the complex events surrounding Ireland's Troubles. He focuses particularly on the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) and its violent campaign against the nationalist community. Through gripping narratives, Wood captures the essence of sectarian violence, including murder, torture, and the power struggles that characterized this turbulent period. The UDA emerged as a significant force in the early 1970s, boasting a large membership dedicated to defending Loyalist neighborhoods from the IRA while simultaneously striving to maintain the Union with Britain.
As the conflict escalated, the UDA's influence grew, allowing it to challenge the authority of elected officials by 1974. Wood delves into how the organization not only resorted to criminal activities but also engaged in political maneuvering to represent working-class Loyalist interests. The book sheds light on the UDA's intricate relationships with British undercover services and the broader implications of its actions within the context of one of Europe's most devastating political and ethnic conflicts.
Crimes of Loyalty is a compelling exploration of the UDA's role in shaping the narrative of Northern Ireland's Troubles. Wood's meticulous research and insightful analysis provide readers with a nuanced understanding of the challenges and consequences faced by communities embroiled in this violent struggle, making it an essential read for anyone interested in the complexities of this historical period.
Ian Wood's book Crimes of Loyalty: A History of the UDA, while at times overly sympathetic to loyalist figures, fully captures, from a Protestant perspective, the final deterioration of Irish politics and its slide towards full-blown ethnic hatred from 1969 onwards -- Neil Mackay
The most substantial study yet made of the attitudes of those whose (in their own favoured phrase) 'only crime was loyalty'... this book provides a mass of original material on which other analysts will gratefully draw. -- Charles Townshend, Keele University * American Historical Review *
Ian Wood's book Crimes of Loyalty: A History of the UDA, fully captures, from a Protestant perspective, the final deterioration of Irish politics and its slide towards full-blown ethnic hatred from 1969 onwards. -- Neil Mackay * Scottish Review of Books *
A blockbuster new book on the UDA. * The Sunday World *
I would judge this book to be the best scholarly treatment of the subject to date, a study which blends revealing research (particularly in respect of interviews conducted with key figures) and dispassionate and illuminating analysis. -- Graham Walker, School of Politics, Queen’s University of Belfast
Ian Wood's book Crimes of Loyalty: A History of the UDA, fully captures, from a Protestant perspective, the final deterioration of Irish politics and its slide towards full-blown ethnic hatred from 1969 onwards. -- Neil Mackay
The book makes an outstanding contribution to one of the greatest challenges currently faced by the United Kingdom: the bringing of peace to Northern Ireland…Wood is a historian who looks profoundly into motivation of all kinds, avoiding the mindless cliché of so much outside comment, knowing the force of moral judgment lies in the scarcity with which it is used. -- Owen Dudley Edwards, Honorary Fellow, Edinburgh University
The book makes an outstanding contribution to one of the greatest challenges currently faced by the United Kingdom: the bringing of peace to Northern Ireland…Wood is a historian who looks profoundly into motivation of all kinds, avoiding the mindless cliché of so much outside comment, knowing the force of moral judgment lies in the scarcity with which it is used. -- Owen Dudley Edwards, Honorary Fellow, Edinburgh University
ISBN: 9780748624263
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: 770g
320 pages