A history of the Ulster Unionist Party : Protest, pragmatism and pessimism.

Walker (Queen Univ., Belfast) fills a niche with this history of the main Unionist/Loyalist political party in Northern Ireland. This is a balanced, fair account, with only a slight leaning toward the Unionist tie to the UK over the Irish Nationalist opposition. The subtitle reflects the negativist atmosphere of Unionist politics, summed up in the slogans "Never surrender" and "Not an inch." The work is well documented, with endnotes following each chapter. An appendix presents brief biographies of party leaders from the 1880s to the present. The text is densely written and assumes more knowledge than most Americans have. ^BSumming Up: Optional. Appropriate only for graduate students and faculty. J. W. Auld emeritus, California State University, Dominguez Hills