But as John Hume: In His Own Words brilliantly demonstrates, Hume was always on the right side of history. Primarily though, the book concentrates on Hume's role working with the US Congress and the White House between 1972 and 1998. As Fitzpatrick argues with conviction here, after Bloody Sunday in 1972, Hume understood that Northern Ireland had essentially become a failed state. This book is an intriguing accompaniment to a documentary which Fitzpatrick has recently made called In the Name of Peace: John Hume in America. But his work is done, his historical legacy assured.

Source: Irish Independent January 22, 2018 02:26 UTC