Mairead Corrigan And Betty Williams: Partners for Peace in Northern Ireland (Modern Peacemakers)

This dual biography, part of the new Modern Peacemakers series, which profiles the recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize, focuses on two Irish women who founded the Community for Peace People. Darraj takes the political history back to twelfth-century Britain before focusing on the recent conflict and violent struggle. The politics is fair to all sides, and Darraj treats each woman's personal conflicts with directness: Corrigan's questioning of her faith and her growing support for nonviolence; Williams' initial support for the IRA, then her turnaround after witnessing the murder of innocents. Occasional photos and boxed insets enhance both the content (Corrigan's "Open Letter to the IRA") and the design. The back matter is extensive, with carefully documented chapter notes, a bibliography, Web sites, and the text of the acceptance speech for the prize. Hazel Rochman
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