Trimble

"David Trimble's ascent to the post of First Minister of the new Northern Ireland Assembly has been a political journey from the hardline fringes of Unionism to the moderate centre-ground." "Henry McDonald tells the story from Trimble's childhood in Bangor, County Down, a town 'as British as Finchley', through his years studying and teaching law at Queen's University, Belfast. He traces Trimble's political career from his early involvement with extreme Unionism, and his role as advisor to loyalist paramilitary leaders, to his rise in the Unionist Party and his maturing into a politician seeking reconciliation with Irish nationalists and republicans. McDonald has been granted many exclusive interviews with David Trimble over the years. He describes his relationships with world leaders, including his close friendship with Tony Blair and his dealings with Bill Clinton. In order to understand the man, McDonald examines his two marriages and his life outside Ulster politics. Trimble also describes the final tortuous negotiations towards the devolution of power from London to Belfast on 1 December 1999. As Northern Ireland's new government stands on a knife-edge between political failure or survival, Thimble is a book for all who seek to understand Ireland's troubled past and its hopes for the future."--Jacket.

Prologue : No celebrations in Ulster's Hebron -- A state of siege, a sense of service -- Vanguard days -- From out of the wilderness -- The road to Westminster -- A man for all factions -- Towards a long good Friday -- A longer hot summer -- Nobel, no guns, no government -- Epilogue : A last leap of faith.