‘David Trimble : Peacemaker’ is a fascinating account of the life of the most significant unionist leader since the creation of Northern Ireland in 1921.
Including key contributions from David Trimble’s family and senior figures such as Sir Tony Blair, Bertie Ahern, Senator George Mitchell, Mary McAleese, Baroness Foster and Gerry Adams, Stephen Walker’s biography offers a ringside view of history and shows how David Trimble helped to change Northern Ireland.
‘David Trimble : Peacemaker’ is a dramatic narrative of power and principle involving prime ministers, presidents and paramilitaries. An inside account of high wire diplomacy’ which often required leadership, courage and fine judgements.
What people are saying
“Stephen Walker has captured the remarkable story of David Trimble perfectly. He has spent hours talking to those who knew the Nobel Laureate best, to create a revealing, nuanced account of a complex man who took risks for peace and who made his mark on history. A political page turner from start to finish.”
Freya McClements, Northern Editor, Irish Times.
“The fascinating story of one of unionism's most compellingly consequential leaders, and its most complex. Stephen Walker's hallmark is his fairness - he allows the reader to settle for themselves many of the biggest questions about Trimble, based on the accounts of those who were with him at key junctures.”
Sam McBride, Northern Ireland Editor, Belfast Telegraph.
“The story of a complex, sometimes brittle, man who staked his leadership on a risky peace deal. Stephen Walker’s intimate portrait benefits greatly from the insights of those who knew him best, particularly the Trimble family who reveal what the Nobel Prize winner was like away from the political spotlight.”
Mark Devenport, Former BBC Ireland Correspondent and former Political Editor at BBC Northern Ireland.
“This overdue assessment charts David Trimble’s fascinating journey from academia, to a lengthy hiatus on the also-ran fringes of unionism and onto his legacy as the most consequential Unionist leader of his generation; without whom the 1998 peace agreement would probably not have been possible. This is thorough, detailed and well measured: the perfect companion piece to Walker’s biography of John Hume.”
Alex Kane, Writer and Columnist, Irish News and Belfast Telegraph.
Previous Books
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![John Hume : The Persuader]()
John Hume : The Persuader
John Hume received the Nobel Peace Prize for helping to end decades of conflict in Northern Ireland.
Described by the Irish Times as the ‘definitive biography‘ of John Hume, this book offers a critical analysis of a peacemaker and politician who was one of the key architects of the Good Friday Agreement.
Published by Gill Books in 2023 this is an intimate portrait of a titan of Irish political history.
As MP, MEP, SDLP party leader and a Nobel Laureate John Hume dominated Irish public life for decades. With candid contributions from family and friends, Stephen Walker’s detailed narrative is insightful and revealing. It is based on 100 interviews including 25 previously unpublished conversations with John Hume.
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![Forgotten Soldiers : The Irishmen Shot at Dawn]()
Forgotten Soldiers : The Irishmen Shot at Dawn
Stephen Walker’s career as an author began in 2007 with the publication of ‘Forgotten Soldiers : The Irishmen Shot at Dawn’. Published by Gill and Macmillan, it was an Irish Times best seller and was short-listed for Irish Non- Fiction Book of the Year.
Critically acclaimed in the press, it told the story of twenty-eight Irish soldiers who were executed by the British Army during the Great War. It also reported on the successful modern day campaign to have the men posthumously pardoned.
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![Hide & Seek]()
Hide & Seek
Hide and Seek tells a remarkable and true story of war, peace and friendship between a Nazi colonel and an Irish priest in wartime Rome.
The book chronicles the activities of Kerry priest Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty who hid allied escapees in Rome during World War Two and charts how SS officer Herbert Kappler tried to stop him. It is a gripping tale of how an Irish priest defied the Nazi command. Published by Harper Collins in 2011, ‘Hide and Seek ’ was an Irish Times Best Seller and the Daily Mail Book of The Week who described it as ‘ a heartening story’.
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![Ireland’s Call]()
Ireland’s Call
Ireland’s Call details the fascinating and poignant stories of Irish sporting heroes who died in the Great War. It chronicles the careers of footballers, rugby players, cricketers, athletes and GAA stars who swapped the sports field for the battle field during the years 1914 -18.
Based on archive material and war diaries it was published by Merrion Press in 2015. A remarkable and ground breaking insight into the lives and deaths of some of the greatest sporting stars Ireland has ever produced.
