This major work of synthesis presents an up-to-date assessment of the issues at the very root of the troubles in Northern Ireland. Framed against the background of Ulster history since the early 17th century, the major factors in the development of the Ulster question since 1945 are examined. These include:

- The evolution of Ulster Unionism and the Nationalist and Republican traditions
- The role of Britain
- The increasingly important part played by external actors, especially the USA.

Since the outbreak of the present troubles in August 1969, a thriving academic literature on Ulster and its history has emerged. Based on the most authoritative texts, this thoroughly revised and updated edition includes new materials on the period as a whole, and an assessment of the developments since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.