Nick Maxwell Subcommander Marcos: the man and the mask Nick Henck (Duke University Press, $25) ISBN 9780822339953On 1 January 1994 an indigenous rebel army occupied several towns in south-east Mexico, launching an uprising against the government. They came out of nowhere and announced their intention to advance towards Mexico City to overthrow the corrupt regime. The Zapatista … Read more
Contemporary Latin America Ronaldo Munck (Palgrave McMillan, £52.50) ISBN 9780230514942 Given the rapid changes taking place in the continent and wider developments in the global political economy, attempting to capture the reality of contemporary Latin America is a challenging task. The end of the Cold War and the rise of China have combined to create … Read more
As we approach the centenary of the War of Independence there is a growing interest in the period. To date this interest in County Clare has been focused on relatively well-known events, including ambushes, barracks attacks and the deaths of rebel leaders. This is unsurprising, as these events were commemorated annually from the 1940s onwards, … Read more
By late August 1969 Belfast had settled down to an uneasy calm, with several areas now patrolled by vigilantes and defence committees. The barricades thrown up during August were soon adorned with all manner of slogans: ‘This is Free Belfast’, ‘The Falls will never fall’, ‘SS-RUC’ and ‘B-Men child killers beware’ among them. But while … Read more
The last British soldier to be secretly buried in Clare was Private R.W. Williams (service no. 4179390). Williams, son of Mrs M. Williams of 3 Abbey Green, Chester, was a member of the 2nd Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers, stationed in Limerick. On 26 May 1921 the IRA had attempted to blow up the two-arched … Read more