Defenders of the Union is a concise and readable overview of the history and contentious politics of Unionism and the affect it has had on Anglo-Irish relations over the last two hundred years. It is an essential guide to this confusing topic and covers key areas such as:
* definition of unionism
* establishment of the union
* Unionist literature
* loyalists since 1972.

Chapter 1 The Union, D. George Boyce, Alan O'Day; Part 1 Purposes, establishment and definition of the Union; Chapter 2 Weary patriots, D. George Boyce; Chapter 3 The Chief Secretary, Brian Jenkins; Chapter 4 Isaac Butt, Irish nationality and the conditional defence of the Union, 1833-70, Joseph Spence; Chapter 5 Defending the Union, Alan O'Day; Part 2 Modification of the Union; Chapter 6 Irish unionism, 1870-1922, Alvin Jackson; Chapter 7 Defenders of the Union, Carla King; Chapter 8 'God will defend the right', Alan Megahey; Chapter 9 The problems of unionist literature, Norman Vance; Chapter 10 Scientists against home rule, Greta Jones; Part 3 After-effects and entrenchment of the Union; Chapter 11 A Protestant state, Patrick Buckland; Chapter 12 The destructiveness of constructive unionism, Andrew Gailey; Chapter 13 Loyalists since 1972, Gordon Gillespie; Chapter 14 Bigots in bowler hats?, Alan Parkinson; Chapter 15 Unionism, Conservatism and the Anglo-Irish Agreement, Arthur Aughey; Chapter 16 The Union, Paul Bewbio1a Appendix, D. George Boyce, Alan O'Day;

D. George Boyce is Professor of Politics at the University of Wales, Swansea. His previous publications include Nationalism in Ireland (Routledge, 1995) and The Irish Question and British Politics 1868-1996 (Macmillan, 1996). Alan O'Day is Senior Lecturer in History at the University of North London. His previous publications include Irish Home Rule 1867-1921 (Manchester University Press, 1998) and Charles Stewart Parnell (Dundalgan Press, 1998). D. George Boyce and Alan O'Day have also co-edited two books for Routledge, Parnell in Perspective (1991) and The Making of Modern Irish History (1996).