Every year on 11 September, Catalonia celebrates its Diada, its National Day. But the Diada of 2012 was like none other, as an enormous crowd calling for Catalan independence took over the heart of Barcelona. Despite the carnival-like atmosphere that day, the people were very serious about their demands. On the back of this show of force, Catalonia's governing politicians turned secessionist claims into a new headache for a government in Madrid that had only just survived a near-meltdown o...

Western Balkans, and specifically Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, are lagging significantly on the path to EU integration. Even twenty years after the conflict, these countries are burdened by ethnic and post conflict issues which hinder their progress on the path to EU integration.There is no alternative to this path, and it is one of the primary generators of reforms in the region.The most important parts of the reform which must be implemented are the fight agai...

Dublin was the cockpit of the Irish Revolution. It was in the capital that Dáil Éireann convened and built an alternative government to challenge the authority of Dublin Castle; it was where the munitions strike that crippled the British war effort in 1920 began and it was where rival intelligence organisations played out their deadly game of cat and mouse. But it was also a city where ambushes became a daily occurrence and ordinary civilians were caught in the deadly crossfire. Restrictio...

Old Europe’s new crisis.Europe, the charming continent of windmills and gondolas. But lately, Europe has become the continent of endless strikes and demonstrations, bombs on the trains and subways, radical Islamic cells in every city, and ghettos so hopeless and violent even the police won’t enter them. In Spain, a terrorist attack prompts instant capitulation to the terrorists’ demands. In France, the suburbs go up in flames every night. In Holland, politicians and artists are mur...

WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF BRITAIN LEAVES THE EU - AND HOW WILL IT AFFECT YOU?Europe: vital for Britain's economy and global standing or a bureaucratic monster hell-bent on destroying our national sovereignty? And why is no one talking about what leaving the European Union would actually mean?Addressing the real issues surrounding a potential EU exit - including jobs, travel, immigration, investment, sovereignty and justice - this fully updated and revised edition of David Charter's...

Firebrand conservative columnist, commentator, Internet entrepreneur, and #1 New York Times bestselling author Michelle Malkin tells the fascinating, little-known stories of the inventors who have contributed to American exceptionalism and technological progress.Call them America’s “tinkerpreneurs”—unsung innovators who commercialized their “little” ideas to create products, companies, wealth, and opportunities that thrive today. Tireless, self-made, and l...

In September 2014, a referendum will be held in Scotland to decide whether or not Scotland should become independent and cease to be part of the United Kingdom. In this book, two of the nation's leading political commentators will address both sides of this historic debate. George Kerevan will put forward the case for voting Yes, and Alan Cochrane will make the case for voting No. In this volume, the first title in this Great Debate series, the authors will present the dis...

On 23rd June 2016 the United Kingdom shocked the world by voting to leave the European Union. In this clear and concise book, Graham Taylor argues that the result is the most visible tip of an iceberg of social change that has been decades in the making. Hidden from view are a matrix of economic, socio-cultural and political dynamics that have wrought fundamental changes to the British state and society and the relationship between the UK and the rest of the world. These dynamics include t...

This foundational text now features a new introduction by Rashid Khalidi reflecting on the significance of his work over the past decade and its relationship to the struggle for Palestinian nationhood. Khalidi also casts an eye to the future, noting the strength of Palestinian identity and social solidarity yet wondering whether current trends will lead to Palestinian statehood and independence.

Dramatic and immersive, Redmond is a provocative reassessment of John Redmond, Home Rule campaigner and one of Ireland's most brilliant political minds.'A vivid portrayal of one of the great political campaigns in Irish history.' Stephen Collins, Political Editor, The Irish TimesRedmond brings to life seven pivotal years in Irish history, when the campaign for Home Rule seized the imagination of a nation and brought Ireland to the brink of a negotiated settlement with Britain. The architec...

Based on an award-winning thesis, this volume is a pioneering study of musical theatre and popular culture and its relation to the production of identity in Lebanon in the second half of the twentieth century.In the aftermath of the departure of the French from Lebanon and the civil violence of 1958, the Rahbani brothers (Asi and Mansour) staged a series of folkloric musical theatrical extravaganzas at the annual Ba‘labakk festival which highlighted the talents of Asi’s wife, the L...

The Europeanisation of Contested Statehood: The EU in northern Cyprus acts as a case study of the impact of the EU on institutions, political parties and civil society in 'contested states', self-declared states which remain unrecognised in world politics. Research drawn from qualitative analysis of official documents, public discourse and interviews with various officials and political and social elites within the EU and at a local level provides new insights as to the impact of the EU on...