By far the clearest account of what happened in the Northern Ireland conflict - and why. The troubles rolled grimly on for almost thirty years from the late '60s until the onset of the current shaky peace process. In that time they never strayed far off the news schedules of the world's media. But behind the wall of information and opinion there was a straightforward and gripping story, demanding to be told in an accessible way. Award-winning Ireland correspondent for the Independent David McKittrick and historian David McVea at last tell that story - clearly, concisely and above all fairly.