"Breaking up Britain": Mark Perryman

I must admit I know Mark Perryman better for his work with the Football Supporters Association (if I remember correctly he, along with Uncle Jim Rainey, helped organise a match between England and Northern Ireland supporters before that fateful night in September 4 years ago) and his odd article in "When Saturday Comes"; but he does also "do politics":

Breaking Up Britain is a unique collection of English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish contributors, featuring key political activists from the nationalist parties, commentators and campaigners, academics and journalists. Each writer explores the change that the break-up demands in their own nation, but also discusses its impact upon the whole.

This dialogue of differences is essential reading for anyone interested in the shape of politics and culture after a Union.

I think the reviewer is getting a bit ahead of him or herself there- from where I'm standing, I think the old Union's got more than a few years left in it yet, but despite the understandable, heavy bias in favour of nationalist contributors (Arthur Aughey being one of the few exceptions), it still promises to be a decent enough read.

As a side-note, Northern Irish readers will be no doubt quietly chuckling upon discovering a Gerry Adams' piece squatting rent-free in "The models of civic nationalism" section!

Anyway.....

Publishing details here:

Breaking up Britain: Four nations after a Union - Mark Perryman (editor)

ISBN 978 1905007 967 256 pages £16.99 May 2009

Lawrence and Wishart, 99a Wallis Road, London E9 5LN
www.lwbooks.co.uk
tel 020 8533 2506 fax 020 8533 7369
email promo@lwbooks.co.uk.

Available for pre-order from Amazon