Michael Hopkinson

Date of Birth:

7 July 1944

Writer and historian Dr Michael Hopkinson (July 7th, 1944-September 1st, 2016) served on the history faculties of several universities, including the University of Kent at Canterbury, the University of Belfast, and the University of Stirling in Scotland. Hopkinson's primary areas of research included Irish and Irish-American history of the twentieth century, and he has written several volumes on the subject, including Green against Green: The Irish Civil War, which was a best seller in Ireland. In The Irish War of Independence, Hopkinson offered a detailed account of the war, including issues of military, diplomatic, and political importance. He carefully analyzed the effects of the war on each region of the country, noting that violence was far more prevalent in certain areas than in others. In addition, Hopkinson illustrated the British and American involvement and reactions to the war, noting that the United States provided funding for the Irish and that the British were ultimately responsible for the escalation of the war, which started mostly as a skirmish between the IRA and local police. A reviewer for Publishers Weekly opined that "the book's strongest point is its exploration of the behind-the-scenes shifts in British policy." Paul A. Townsend, writing for Albion, called the book an "informative and well-researched narrative," and "a very useful overview of the conflict in Ireland." Source: Commons