Feargal Cochrane is professor emeritus and senior research fellow at the Conflict Analysis Research Centre, University of Kent. He is the author of twelve books including Northern Ireland: The Fragile Peace and Breaking Peace: Brexit and Northern Ireland.
“Excellent. . . . Like Belfast, [Cochrane’s] book is a complex and
energetic success.”—Crawford Gribben, Wall Street Journal
“To read Feargal Cochrane’s wide-ranging account of the city,
therefore, is to ricochet pleasurably between recognition and
surprise.”—Jenny McCartney, The Spectator
“A wonderfully crafted narrative history of Belfast. Feargal
Cochrane has managed to convey a sense of history and hope within
this book.”—Belfast Telegraph
Named a Best Nonfiction Book of 2023 by Marginal Revolution
(blog)
“Belfast tells the rich and complex history of the city, the
qualities of which are often overlooked amid a focus on
sectarianism and violence.”—John Manley, The Irish News
“A wonderful book on this most underrated city, the best overall
general introduction to Belfast.”—Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution
(blog)
“Written by someone who can combine the insights of being
Belfast-born with the perspective of living and working as an
academic in England. . . . It’s an engaging read, balanced and
personalised.”—John Goodall, Country Life
“Cochrane provides . . . a full account of modern Belfast.”—Brenda
Collins, Familia: Ulster Genealogical Review
“Feargal Cochrane’s deep love of Belfast shines out from this book…
this love poem to Belfast [is] deeply moving and impressively
well-written.” —Marianne Elliot, Fortnight@51
“Feargal Cochrane has produced a masterful love-letter to his home
city of Belfast. He delves beyond sectarian division and
international stereotypes, to reveal the real heart of a city that
is steeped in cultural creativity, intellectual advancement,
architectural innovation and economic progress. Reflecting his very
personal journey, as someone who grew up in the shadow of Harland
and Wolff, Cochrane brings to life the magic of Belfast, against a
dark and troubled backdrop. This work is a heartfelt and thorough
testament to the fact that Belfast is more than the violence which
has taken place within. An exciting and inspirational read which
made me fall in love again with my home city.”—Marisa McGlinchey,
author of Unfinished Business
“Feargal Cochrane with his wry, relaxed narrative style, tells the
intriguing story of Belfast’s fascinating, contradictory and
conflict-ridden history. It is still a long haul to that new
Belfast, with the vexed question of Partition still to be addressed
in a future referendum. But in this book there is more than a vague
hope that Belfast can be the intellectual and cultural powerhouse
that drives respectful, democratic debate and guides a love-filled
future.”—Mary McAleese, president of Ireland, 1997–2011
“Cochrane has produced a fine piece of work. His book reaches back
to a personal, social and political history of Belfast but also
looks around and ahead to encapsulate the rich cultural heritage
and the hopes and dreams of the city.”—Joanne Murphy, author of
Management and War
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