Ferriter’s timely analysis puts border issues in perspective

The familiar story of modern Anglo-Irish relations is set against a rich backdrop of social perspectives, with quotes from authors, campaigners and victims of the Troubles making sure the human dimension is never lost

The Killeen checkpoint in Newry, Co Down: many such fortifications dotted the border during the Troubles Pic: Pacemaker

Non-fiction: The Border: The Legacy of a Century of Anglo-Irish Politics, By Diarmaid Ferriter, Profile Books, €14.95

Like so many of his successors, Winston Churchill could never quite get to grips with the Irish question. “The position of countries has been violently altered,” he famously quipped after World War I. “The modes of thought of men, the whole outlook on affairs, the grouping of parties, all have encountered violent and tremendous changes in ...