This short history of Ireland since the 1790s is concise, comprehensive and challenging. Written with the general reader in mind, it assumes no previous knowledge of the subject.

Modern history starts with the French Revolution. Nationalism was one of the new forces it unleashed: nowhere was its impact felt more than in Ireland. From 1798 on, there were constant demands for a change in the relations between Ireland and Britain. These ranged from calls for limited autonomy within the UK to outright independence. Killeen traces these different strands within Irish nationalism and also the growing resistance to nationalism in Ulster.

The book also deals with industrialisation, especially in Ulster; railways, cars and the transport revolution; urban growth; the decline of the Irish language and the rise of English; the trauma of the Great Famine; the Irish diaspora; the chronic instability of Northern Ireland.

A Short History of Modern Ireland combines strong narrative drive with explanation and interpretation. It locates Ireland in a comparative European context but also stresses the country's growing cultural engagement with the larger Anglo-American world. It is a perfect introduction to the subject.