Book Description
He’s been imprisoned, shot at, denounced, shunned, and banned, yet Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams remains resolute in his belief that peace is the only viable option for the Irish people. Adams led the oldest revolutionary movement in Ireland on an extraordinary journey from armed insurrection to active participation in government. Now he tells the story of the tumultuous series of events that led to the historic Good Friday Agreement as only he can: with a tireless crusader’s conviction and an insider’s penetrating insight.
In vivid detail, Adams describes the harrowing attack on his life, and he offers new details about the peace process. We learn of previously undisclosed talks between republicans and the British government, and of conflicts and surprising alliances between key players. Adams reveals details of his discussions with the IRA leadership and tells how republicans differed, “dissidents” emerged, and the first IRA cessation of violence broke down. He recounts meetings in the Clinton White House, tells what roles Irish-Americans and South Africans played in the process, and describes the secret involvement of those within the Catholic Church. Then—triumphantly—this inspiring story climaxes with the Good Friday Agreement: what was agreed and what was promised.
Gerry Adams brings a sense of immediacy to this story of hope in what was long considered an intractable conflict. He conveys the acute tensions of the peace process and the ever-present sense of teetering on the brink of both joyous accomplishment and continued despair. With a sharp eye and sensitive ear for the more humorous foibles of political allies and enemies alike, Adams offers illuminating portraits of the leading characters through cease-fires and standoffs, discussions and confrontations. Among the featured players are John Major, Tony Blair, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Jean Kennedy Smith, and Nelson Mandela.
As the preeminent republican strategist of his generation, Gerry Adams provides the first comprehensive account of the principles and tactics underpinning modern Irish republicanism. And in a world where peace processes are needed more urgently than ever,
A Farther Shore provides a template for conflict resolution.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
Recommended Reading.......2007-09-06
Gerry Adams is a native of "northern Ireland" and he is a politician and head of Sinn Fein party which means in translation "ourselves". As a nationalist he has worked for many years for the cause on Irish unity. He has had many ups and downs including being shot, serving jail time and being elected an MP to Westminster, etc. The book covers the period from approximately 1970 to 1998.
I would like to quote one passage from the book that says a lot about his thinking. This was during negotiations with all the parties in London at Lancaster House, the building of prior historical negotiations. Here 150 years after the great famine he describes the setting for the negotiations..." It was here-amid the grandeur and the Lousi XIV interiors and the other fine furnishings, undoubtedly stolen from around the world or purchased with other ill gotten gains...". So his Irish nationalism and his annoyance with the colonial English rulers are abundantly clear even in the late 1990's. People that understand colonialism certainly can empathize with Mr Adams.
Gerry Adams has written approximately eight other books so he is not new to books. This is a substantial book about 400 pages long, small font, lots of details. He is not a professional writer and sometimes the writing is a bit cumbersome. Having said that this is simply an excellent read both entertaining and engrossing.
He professes to be a politician (only) and explains many of his meetings, discussions, jail time, etc. He describes his meeting with Clinton and Blair in great detail, often hour by hour, and often explains the actions of many people working with him on various negotiations. Beyond that I think you should read the book. It is his view of a complicated subject whether you agree with him or not, and it is an excellent book.
Adams's path towards a political solution, as opposed to more of the same, has been a key ingredient to peace in Northern Ireland.
Good book: 5 stars.
More hope;less history........2004-10-23
The last few years have seen the end of a campaign of violence in Ireland that claimed nearly 4000 lives. Few can claim more credit for this achievement than the author of this work. The book makes clear that he remains totally committed to the peace process as he has been ever since he decided to start calling it that, and to dealing with the challenges and difficulties which the British present. Most remarkably what comes across is the frank acceptance of past mistakes and of the hurt and pain they have caused, and of those mistakes he may regrettably have to make in the future and for which he will be no less sorry. In spite of the horrors of the past 30 years, Adams is a man ready to forgive.
Lies,Lies. Lies.......2004-03-01
How could anyone possibly read any of this and believe that it is a work a literature, its nothing but propaganda full of mind altering lies. He wants you to believe that he is revolutionary aiming for a United Ireland, free from war. Heres the truth Jerry Adams is IRA, responsible for countless needless deaths of police officers, politicians and civillians both protestant and catholic. He has other members of IRA in his so called "political" party, murderers in goverment. Terrorisim is terrorisim, be it Palistine, Al-Qaeda or the widely believed "romantic" IRA. DO NOT GET THIS BOOK BY GIVING JERRY ADAMS YOUR MONEY, unless the price of toilet paper had suddenly rose!!!!!
Sinn Fein's gamble on the peace process.......2003-12-15
This book begins with the hunger strikes of 1980-1981 and ends with the Good Friday Agreement of 1992, as seen by Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams. It also goes over events during that period - the beginnings of secret negotiations with the British, the Anglo-Irish Agreement, the Gibraltar executions, the initial ceasefire, support for the peace process from the USA as well as a country that had just had a peaceful settlement after years of fighting, South Africa, bad faith from the British, and finally the Good Friday Agreement.
Aside from going over the history, he details the negotation back-and-forth minutiae - sometimes going into too much detail about tactical political maneuvering by the various parties. He also includes humorous anecdotes like how during the Good Friday agreement negotiations, the Sinn Fein representatives went out of their way to be extra nice to the unionist representatives, who wouldn't speak to them, always holding open doors, smiling, saying hello in such a "lovefest" of niceness that the unionists eventually complained.
What I found particularly interesting was his discussion of the RTE and BBC censorship of Sinn Fein, and the effect that this had on people in England and the 26 counties perception. He discusses the gap between republicans and loyalists throughout, his earlier work has some insightful reflections on this as well. Gone is the young idealistic man of "Before the Dawn", in this book he is an older man, a tactically sharp politician who was smart enough to get rid of some of the harmful archaic dogmatic blockades of republicanism (like not running candidates in the 26 counties), and who is at the vanguard of a new republican strategic gamble - success via peaceful politics.
Lies from beginning to end.......2003-12-15
A compendium of lies. A wholly mendacious and self-serving account of recent Irish history. Adams's leadership position in the terrorist IRA is not admitted, nor are the many bombings and murders he ordered, nor the beatings, nor the torture, nor the IRA's formal commitment to socialism. Atrociously written too, with a cliché in every paragraph. A disgusting work of propaganda from the smiler with the knife.
Customer Reviews:
Decent book, a wee bit repetitive.......2003-06-19
I think Bobby Sands was a very interesting person and decent writer, especially considering that he had no formal education to speak of. He shows a veriety of writing styles, prose and poetry. However, I think he becomes incredibly repditive! I understand that this is all he has to write about, but I think he obsesses over certain issues and becomes rather self-indulges on hiss own suffering. He seems to leave out many things, such as what the "screws" would taunt them with, perhaps this was because they would say how the IRA killed innocent people! He also leaves out the fact that he abondoned his own child and wife, though she divirced him because of his decision to hold the IRA above his own family. I admire his endurance and unwavering belief in hos cause, something which too many people lack today. Conviction!
Bobby Sands R.I.P........2000-08-15
For anyone who has any interest in Republican politics this is a must read. It is because of Bobby Sands and his other nine comrades that Republican politics is able to be as vibrant as it is today. At the start of the book there is a Preface by both Sean MacBride and Gerry Adams, from then on it is all Bobby Sands. In the section "A Day in my life", Bobby tells us about the routine harrassment that the Republican prisoners would have to endure, the sheer brutality and naked harshness of their oppressors who in their cruelty and naivety could not possibly understand what it was that the prisoners were going through. For a man who is imprisoned, his poetry betrays the mind of a man who is free. Refusing to live in a country that sees him as a second class citizen, Bobby decided to fight and it was because of this taht he ended up in prison. Bobby often touched on this in his poetry. His Trilogy about life in jail is a work of art, a poem that deserves much more recognition than it actually got. Two of his poems have been turned into songs by Christy Moore, these are McIlhatton and The Voyage (I wish i was back home in Derry). The book concludes wuth a section that he wrote in the first 16 days of hunger strike before lack of strength robbed him from writing anymore. All in all a superb read, buy it and understand. Tiocfaidh ar la.
Lest we forget.......2000-06-08
This is an incredible book. Although I lived in Ireland during the Hunger Strike, I still have a hard time remembering that this book is not a work of fiction. I have to continually remind myself that Bobby and so many others died, and lived tormented lives, for the sake of my freedom. Bobby was a beautiful thinker and writer. This book should be read by every person in Ireland and Britain. RIP Bobby.
An Important Book for Our Generation.......2000-02-16
Bobby Sands, equipped with only a contraband ballpoint pen refill cartridge and toilet paper, wrote some of the most affecting and powerful poetry of this century. His prison diaries give poignant insight into the soul of a man who was willing to die for his beliefs. In this case, the right to be treated as a human being. Regardless of your political perspective, this is a book that should be experienced to gain a greater understanding of the complex politics that led to 10 men dying on hunger strike.
There is a good reason that Nobel Peace Laureate Sean MacBride wrote the introduction to this book. It deserves to be read by anyone who cares about the Troubles in the North of Ireland. Indeed, it deserves to be read by anyone with a love of the indomitable human spirit, of which Bobby Sands was one.
Rest in Peace, Bobby.
A Hero In My View.......1999-09-24
Although this will not go down as a classic it is nevertheless fascinating, compelling and informative. My favorite poem is "I Wish I Was Back in Derry", which was put to music by Gordon Lightfoot. Some may call him a thug, but most people would be hardpressed to find many thugs who are willing to die for their beliefs.This book shows in detail the horrible treatment these political prisoners received at the hands of their captors and reminds one of the general mistreatment of Catholics and Nationalists which is an everyday occurence in Northern Ireland. It also makes one wonder if terrorist organizations such as the Ulster Defense Association would have the same courage if the British army wasn't there to back them up. If you're not sure what opinion to draw then add to your reading list, The Committee: Political Assassination in Northern Ireland. Enjoy the read, it's a good one for both books.
Amazon.com
Closing in 1981 with the deaths of ten Irish Republican Army hunger strikers in Long Kesh prison, the author chronicles the years before he became president of Sinn Fein, the I.R.A.'s political wing. Wrenching accounts of the hunger strike and of the 1969 riots in Northern Ireland that turned a 20-year-old bartender into an activist are counterbalanced by the warmth with which Adams portrays his family and comrades, the atmospheric precision with which he evokes the sights and sounds of his West Belfast community. Not the whole truth by any means, but a compelling partisan document.
Book Description
Gerry Adams has been at the forefront of Northern Ireland's struggle for nearly three decades, taking leadership positions and guiding his country in negotiating peace talks with England for the first time in their tumultuous history. Now, in Before the Dawn, Adams recounts his years growing up in the Irish countryside and, with startling detail, his early involvement in the IRA.Adams includes engaging stories of his boyhood and never-before-told family tales. His description of his critical role in Northern Ireland's violent and dramatic revolutionary period will haunt and intrigue readers. Ireland instills the strongest of emotions in her offspring, and Adams is no exception. Lyrical and riveting, Before the Dawn, explores the origins of one of this century's most compelling men.
Customer Reviews:
Artist of Peace.......2003-11-03
Much is known of Gerry Adams, statesman, man of peace, friend of the stars. Less well known perhaps is Adams the artist. Adams is perhaps best known for not being a member of the IRA, and yet so vivid are his descriptions of the IRA's struggle against violence, that it is almost as if he were there in the room as they deliberated. The book comes at a crucial juncture, and reminds us that all that peace does not just happen, but must be seized. No man is better placed to truly take that peace.
An honest,brave writer........2001-11-16
The beginning of this book is a magical tale of childhood,where his and his brothers biggest worry was how to get past mother with a scraped knee!
The book however then develops in to the true tragedy that befalls every Irish Catholic living in the facist unionists power that refuse to be labelled "dirty Irish" or second class.
Accounts of a struggle like this are almost always biased but this is a fair,real account of what HAPPENED.It's always been hard for English or unionists or anti-republicans to swallow the fact that their beloved beliefs caused the violation of almost every human right there is.England and it's people have always been classed or rather classed themselves as a civilised people even though history shows a story of a power grabbing,colonising, nation raping race.They have always stolen land so it's not just a plight of the Irish here making up stories.
(...) Well done Gerry.A truly fantastic read,whether a follower of any politics.
Justifying terrorism and murder.......2001-01-01
I find the argument set forth in this book extremely offensive. The author was himself intrinsically involved in organising and carrying out a campaign of murder during the early 1970s, and here he attempts its justification through an exaggerated description of past grievances.
Firstly, that part of Ireland, which seeks freedom, has had independence for the past 80 years. 58% of those living in N.Ireland want to remain part of the UK. For all his talk of freedom Mr. Adams (a convicted terrorist himself) refuses to recognise the most fundamental principle of democracy: majority rule.
Also, the human rights issues at the heart of the argument, have now been dealt with: all UK citizens now have equal rights and opportunities. History does not justify murder. Rather than having a keen sense of history, Adams has a keen sense of sectarian hatred, which he christens history, in order to make legitimate a terrorist organisation, of which he is now leader. If stories concerning falling out of helecopters arouse your sympathy, compare the authors injuries to those of his many victims.
The sufferings of those involved in the 1980 hunger strikes, although tragic, was entirely self-inflicted. A man commits murder. So he is sentenced to life imprisonment. Fair? Of course. Adams makes use of their plight and this semi-achedemic text to arouse sympathy from oversees, to generate funds (from the US in particular), to further his cause. Suffice to say, many of Adam's heroes would have been executed had they been tried under US law.
Good History Lesson.......2000-04-20
Gerry Adams has set out to write an autobiography. In the process, he has accomplished also writing a history book. This book demonstrates and details the life of a man who questions the systems justices and dares to speak out against those who would oppress his people. The life he has described (being on the run, being locked up in the Kesh, etc) could be used to describe the lives of the countless dissidents who take a stand for nationalism everyday. As an Irishman who does not support Sinn Fein (Adams' Political Party) or the so called Belfast Agreement, I still have respect for the accomplishments Adams made to the movement in the important 1969-1996 years. To those who would label the likes of Adams a terrorist, I remind them that he is no more a terrorist than George Washington or Thomas Jefferson would have been during the American Revolution for Independence. It has been said, "One man's terrorist, is another man's freedom fighter." Only history will show which he will be remembered for.
Biased? Of course. A good read? Definitely........1999-10-26
It's hard to write a review of this book without taking sides. When I got back from a trip to Ireland this past August (I stayed in County Tyrone in the North with relatives of my mom's), I started to read a lot about the politics of the North. This was one of the books I read. "Before the Dawn" is a relatively quick read, but it will not provide one with the overall historical background behind the Troubles (the conflict goes back hundreds of years starting with the Potato Famine of 1845-49, and even earlier than that). However, Adams does describe in great detail the British Army raids during times of Internment, the torture that internees had to endure (how would you like it if someone blindfolded you, made you walk across glass and nails and such while beating you and then put you on a helicopter, and then pushed you off, not knowing if you were a mere 8 feet off the ground or several hundered?). For a more balanced view of the Troubles, try reading John Conroy's "Belfast Diary". Conroy is an American journalist who spent 1977-82 in West Belfast. It's also a very gritty, steet-level account. As for the IRA's kneecappings, it should be noted that most locals did approve of them, because Catholics felt they couln't go to the British RUC.
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Hope And History: Making Peace in Ireland
Gerry Adams
Manufacturer: Brandon Books
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A Farther Shore: Ireland's Long Road to Peace
ASIN: 0863223303 |
Customer Reviews:
Artist of Peace.......2003-11-03
Much is known of Gerry Adams, statesman, man of peace, friend of the stars. Less well known perhaps is Adams the artist. Adams is perhaps best known for not being a member of the IRA, and yet so vivid are his descriptions of the IRA's struggle against violence, that it is almost as if he were there in the room as they deliberated. The book comes at a crucial juncture, and reminds us that all that peace does not just happen, but must be seized. No man is better placed to truly take that peace.
Customer Reviews:
Personal Opinion.......2005-10-10
The historical information in this book is fascinating. I loved the style of writing. I would recommend this book to any one interested in Irish history.
Memoir of a Vanishing Place.......1996-12-07
Falls Memories is really more of a collection of short pieces on
life in the Western corner of Belfast than a novel or history with
any coehsive theme. It is literally things Gerry Adams, President
of the political party Sinn Fein, remembers about the neighborhood
in which he grew up, or memories of those who lived in the area.
There is some attempt to give a brief history and political context
for the memories, but these sections are poorly integrated into the
narratives about his boyhood adventures, the characters in the area,
and the traditions of the Falls. The context pieces sound driven
(perhaps appropriately) by anger and frustration while the narratives,
even when describing violence or sectarian harassment, have a softer
feel to them.
Falls Memories is a valuable book, despite these shortcomings.
First of all, it chronicles life in an area that has literally
been obliterated in the last 25 years. As the Northern Ireland
government has torn down unfit housing and replaced it with more
sanitary and comfortable abodes they have erased many streets
from the map, replacing them with new layouts which meet new
security standards and are less emotionally charged with history.
Secondly, much of the book deals with day to day occurances which
might happen anywhere in the world - young boys sneaking into
movies, girls playing jump rope, adults telling stories abuot the
"good old days." Falls Memories serves as a reminder that the
people affected by the Troubles are not so much different than the
rest of us.
Book Description
Each of these true-life stories gives a unique insight into the inhumanity of a system that jails people without charge or trial.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent book.......2004-12-16
This is a great book written from prison...anyone who comments on anything but the book neither has the judgement nor credibility to review this book....ignore the liberals who comment!!!!
Hypocrisy and lies.......2001-02-09
A warning to all interested readers: take this book with a HUGE grain of salt. Gerry Adams helped organise a widespread campaign of bombings, kneecapping, and mass murders as leader of a group of terrorists, before he was justifiably sent to prison. Here, he uses the hardship of prison life in an attempt to arouse sympathy. Are we really supposed to feel sorry for someone responsible for such horrific crimes? The stories of prison torture are rediculous. I don't believe a terrorist, with a hatred of all things British will give a honest account of the UK justice system.
Excellent Book From an Excellent Man.......2000-03-02
If you want a reason why to support the Irish Republican cause, then pick up this excellent fast paced read. Gerry Adams is a hero to the men, women and children of NI. He knows what the people want, and that is freedom from the rude, ignorant, and selfish English.
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Liam Mellows and the Irish Revolution
C. Desmond Greaves
Manufacturer: Lawrence And Wishart Ltd
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ASIN: 1905007019 |
Book Description
Regarded as a key source for understanding the turbulent years during the partition of Ireland, and with a new introduction by Gerry Adams, this fascinating biography examines the period of modern Irish History from 1916 to 1922 in this account of the life of Liam Mellows. One of the most radical and intellectually questioning of the political leaders at the time, Mellows was the personification of the realism and romance of the Irish struggle. The story of the Easter uprising and the partition of Ireland are seen through the lens of this charismatic figure, encapsulating many of the key themes of the times. This biography illustrates the ways in which class and nationalism intersect in Irish politics, both then and now.
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Man of War, Man of Peace: The Unauthorised Biography of Gerry Adams
David Sharrock , and
Mark Devenport
Manufacturer: Trans-Atlantic Publications
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ASIN: 0330353969 |
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BEFORE THE DAWN: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY
GERRY ADAMS
Manufacturer: MANDARIN
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ASIN: 0749323175 |
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Gerry Adams: A Biography
Colm Keena
Manufacturer: Irish Amer Book Co
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ASIN: 0853429065 |
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