This book is based on the Wiles Lectures which I had the honour to give at The Queen's University of Belfast in May 1996. I have first to thank the Vice-Chancellor and the Wiles Trustees, in particular Professor David Hempton, head of the Queen's School of History, Professor Terence Ranger, Professor Ian Kershaw and Trevor Boyd for the invitation to deliver them. It is the particular attraction of the Wiles Lectures that a group of distinguished historians from other universities are invited to Belfast for the week in which they are given, to discuss each lecture after dinner that evening with the Trustees and selected members of Queen's academic staff. The guests for 1996 were Professor Tom Bartlett, Dr Kim Knott, Professor Hugh McLeod, Professor John Peel, Dr Eamon Duffy, Dr Scott Thomas, Professor Sean Connolly and Professor Mark Noll. Discussing nationalism in Belfast, especially if one is an Englishman, might be compared, I remarked at the beginning of my second lecture, with the situation of Daniel in the den of lions, but, as I added, the point of the Daniel story was that the lions proved wonderfully friendly and so did the academics of Belfast. Their discussion was no less stimulating for that.

I am most grateful to Dr Ian Green and Professor Peel for subsequently letting me read chapters from forthcoming works. I must also express my most sincere thanks for comments, advice and information provided by Branka Magas, Noel Malcolm, Tudor Griffiths, Brigid Allen, Lesley Johnson, Frank Felsenstein and Martin Butler.