Ireland in the 1990s

The Path to Peace

De: Ed Lengel, The Great Courses

Narrado por: Ed Lengel

The period between Bloody Sunday in 1972 and Good Friday in 1998 was one of the most troubled, turbulent, and triumphant periods for the Irish. The island went from financial depression to quietly becoming an economic powerhouse, while at the same time, bridging the violent divide between past and present, Catholic and Protestant, Unionist and Republicans, North and South.

Join famed historian and master storyteller Edward Lengel to trace the roots and evolution of the Irish Troubles. Dipping into the start of the unrest in the early 20th century, Professor Lengel spends 10 eye-opening lectures focusing primarily on the pivotal decade of the 1990s, highlighting important insurrections, brutal battles, and acts of terror.

Through this illuminating journey, you’ll come to better understand the goals behind the disruptive and violent actions of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and its various forms, as well as the role of Sinn Féin, the Social Democratic and Labor Party (SDLP), and the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC). You’ll also meet key players in history, such as Ian Paisley, Gerry Adams, Martin McGuinness, Mary Robinson, John Hume, and Bertie Ahern, in order to see how it took efforts from around the world to establish peace in a troubled land.

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I liked it.

The topic was very interesting. The narrator seemed to be unbiased and thoughtful. I enjoyed the fact that the course went through to modern day.

Very good brief history

Very good job giving a brief and unbiased account of the troubles in Northern Ireland

Surprising number of mispronunciations

Content very good but hard to appreciate at times due to the number of words pronounced incorrectly.

Interesting

A brief but interesting overview of this era in time in Ireland. I’m not very educated on the subject so appreciated this introduction.

Engaging discussion of interesting topic

I thought this was quite good for one of the "included" Great Courses - probably one of the best ones for that category. If you are buying it, you might want to consider one of the longer and more traditional offerings.

Pricing aside, I enjoyed the lecturer and the topic was fascinating - it is always interesting to hear a scholarly take on something I remember as current events. I thought he was even-handed in his approach.

I will listen again with my family on an upcoming trip to Ireland. I think it will have broad appeal even to those of my family who aren't quite the Great Courses nerd I am.