Northern Ireland's '68 : Civil Rights, Global Revolt and the Origins of the Troubles

The Troubles may have developed into a sectarian conflict, but the violence was sparked by a small band of leftists who wanted Derry in October 1968 to be a repeat of Paris in May 1968.

Like their French comrades, Northern Ireland's '68ers had assumed that street fighting would lead to political struggle.

The struggle that followed, however, was between communities rather than classes.

In the divided society of Northern Ireland, the interaction of the global and the local that was the hallmark of '68 had tragic consequences.Drawing upon a wealth of new sources and scholarship, Simon Prince offers a fresh and compelling interpretation of the civil rights movement, of the origins of The Troubles, and of '68.

The authoritative and enthralling narrative weaves together accounts of high politics and grassroots protests, mass movements and individuals, and international trends and historic divisions.

Prince shows how events in Northern Ireland and around the world were interlinked during this period.