Prof. Alvin Jackson – The Two Unions: Ireland, Scotland, and the Survival of the United Kingdom, 1707-2007

• Books & Literature
• History

Much has been written about the decline of the United Kingdom. The Two Unions: Ireland, Scotland, and the Survival of the United Kingdom, 1707-2007 looks instead at the lengthy survival of the Union, examining the institutions, structures, and individuals that have contributed to its longevity.

In order to understand the United Kingdom’s survival, Prof. Alvin Jackson, one of the foremost historians of modern Ireland and of the British-Irish relationship, sustains a comparison between the Irish and Scots Unions, their respective origins and subsequent development. He provides a detailed examination of the two interlinked Unionist movements in Scotland and Ireland. Prof. Jackson illuminates not only the history and varied health of the United Kingdom over the past 300 years, but also its present condition and prospects.

Alvin Jackson is Richard Lodge Professor of History at the University of Edinburgh. He was educated at Corpus Christi College and Nuffield College, Oxford, and has held a British Academy Senior Research Fellowship as well as a British Academy Research Readership.

Introduction by Joe Lee, Glucksman Chair of Irish Studies, Professor of History, and Director of Glucksman Ireland House NYU.