Michael Kenny

Life's Illusions

The origin of Fenianism may be traced to Wolfe Tone and the United Irishmen of the 1790s and to the Young Irelanders of the 1840s. The official title of the organisation whose members became known as 'Fenians' was the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB), founded in 1858. The term derived from the name of its twin organisation in America, the Fenian Brotherhood. The spread of the two organisations ushered in a new era in the growth of Irish politics and had a profound influence on subsequent political developments. The Fenians did not confine their activites to Ireland. From the United States they launched raids on Canada, and formed an influential interest lobby in American politics. In Britain, they became involved in the emerging trade union movement and acted as a catalyst upon contemporary radicals and reformers. At home they were simultaneously a revolutionary society, a political movement and a militant socio-cultural pressure group, involved in land agitation, sport and Gaelic language revival. In The Fenians, Michael Kenny gives us a glimpse of one of the most intriguing periods in Irish history. His clear and concise text is complemented by artefacts and memorabilia from th

Photographs and Memorabilia from the National Museum of Ireland

The Fenians

Iain McLean

Akash Paun

Governing England examines the state of England's governance, identity and relationship with the other nations of the UK. It brings together academic experts on constitutional change, territorial politics, nationalism, political parties, public opinion, and local government both to explain thecurrent place of England within a changing United Kingdom, and to consider how the "English constitution" is likely to develop over the coming years.At a time when questions of territory and identity have grown increasingly politicised, Governing England offers a deeper academic analysis of how England and Englishness are changing. The central questions it addresses are whether, why, and with what consequences there has been a disentangling ofEngland from Britain within the institutions of the UK state, and of Englishness from Britishness at the level of culture and national identity.This volume includes competing interpretations of what has changed in terms of English nationhood.

English Identity and Institutions in a Changing United Kingdom

Governing England

Robert Eccleshall

Professor of Politics Michael Kenny

This is a guide to the vast amount of literature on the history of political thought which has appeared in English since 1945. The editors provide an annotation of the content of many entries and, where appropriate, indicate their significance, controversial nature and readability.

A Bibliographical Guide to Post-war Research

Western Political Thought

Nick Pearce

The idea of an alliance between Britain and its old Commonwealth colonies has recently made a remarkable comeback in the context of Brexit. Based on belief in a special bond between the English-speaking peoples of the UK, the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, it has been dubbed the 'Anglosphere' by supporters and 'Empire 2.0' by critics. In this book, leading commentators Michael Kenny and Nick Pearce trace the historical origins of this idea back to the shadow cast by the British Empire in the late Victorian era. They show how leading British political figures, from Churchill to Thatcher, consistently reworked it and how it was revived by a group of right-wing politicians, historians and pamphleteers to support the case for Brexit. They argue that, while the contemporary idea of the Anglosphere as an alternative to European Union membership is seriously flawed, it nonetheless represents an enduring account of Britain’s role in the world that runs through the heart of political life over the last century. Shadows of Empire will be essential reading for everyone interested in British politics and post-Brexit foreign policy.

Michael Kenny

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