[ni'k]

Originally Posted by demonrail666

I'm really interested in locating contemporary problems within unresolved conflicts that took place in the past. As such I found Hill's book about the English Civil War and Winstanley's writings during that period especially enlightening in the way that they both seemed to provide some light on contemporary issues.

In the case of Peter Taylor's two books (especially The Loyalists), it was a way of understanding (without necessarily sympathising with) a lot of what was talked about within my family (which had stong Loyalist leanings) regarding the whole Northern Ireland issue. Throughout much of my childhood I was expected not to understand but merely to accept their view and for years I reacted by simply rejecting all of it and not paying any interest in either side. So it was a big step for me to finally read those books and so, yes, I suppose in that small way they were quite life-changing.

i live in portadown. i was born and for the first few months of my life lived in a housing estate, but then moved 5 mins up the road to a middle class area on the outskirts of the town. Had i not moved and stayed in the estate both my accent and views on relegion would have been different. as it was i grew up with little to no conception of what the troubles were about. i was friends with a catholic boy and we didn't even realise there was a difference until i invited him to a summer school. People forget that class is and always was the most crucial factor in northern ireland. I'm assuming you grew up somewhere here too?

[Toilet & Bowels]