Books by Peter Neville

A full and accurate portrait of Ireland from its prehistory right up to the present. The story opens with early Celtic Ireland, through Saint Patrick''s mission which began the process of making it ''an island of saints,'' to the high King Brian Boru and his struggle with Viking and Irish enemies alike. It moves on through the arrival of the Norman ''Strongbow'' in the twelfth century, and the beginnings of the difficult and tragic Anglo-Irish relationship, right through to modern times. The book ends with a description of modern Ireland.

After the appalling experiences of the First World War, no one in Britain wished to be in another war. Stigmatised as 'Appeasement', this has often been held to be a bankrupt policy, epitomised by Chamberlain's Munich Agreement in 1938, handing over the Sudetenland. This title shows that many of the government's policies were reasonable.

British foreign policy has always been based on distinctive principles since the setting up of the Foreign Office in 1782 as one of the two original offices of state, the other being the Home Office. As a small island nation, Britain was historically fearful of over mighty continental powers, which might seek to menace its trade routes, and naval primacy was essential. Britain must dominate at sea while avoiding, involvement in major continental wars and Britain accomplished this successfully until the end of the 19th century. After World War II and the Cold War Britain was no longer the global naval super power and they had to adapt to a secondary, supportive role. This was to be based on its membership of regional defense and economic organizations in Europe.The Historical Dictionary of British Foreign Policy provides an overview of the conduct of British diplomacy since the setting up of the Foreign Office in 1782. This is done through a chronology, an introductory essay, appendixes, an extensive bibliography, and over 300 cross-referenced dictionary entries on British prime ministers, foreign secretaries, foreign office staff and leading diplomats, but also on related military and political-economic aspects. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about British foreign policy.

Tomas Masaryk, a Czech professor of philosophy and a future leader of his people, was hard at work within a month of the outbreak of war lobbying in Paris and London for an independent Bohemia, still a major component of the Austrian Empire within the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, which would incorporate the predominantly Slovak regions.

A study of the circumstances leading to British intervention in Vietnam in 1945, and the course and consequences of this intervention. It links French colonialism with the native communist insurgency, while examining British and Foreign Office attitudes towards French Indochina.