Sir Edward Carson

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Description
Edward Carson was indeed a most remarkable mart. Often called the father of Northern Ireland; possibly the finest orator of his day, and he was regarded with devotion by many of his followers - he was also a brilliant practitioner at the Bar (both in Ireland and in England), In this book the development of Carson's career is shown in some detail, and gives more than a flavour of the lawyer Carson, from being an intrepid advocate to a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary, as well as his political involvement in the affairs of the Province.
His high profile cases are evoked, such as the defence of cadet Archer Shee which he conducted without fee: and his earlier cross-examination of Oscar wilde - patient and merciless - which will be sure to keep his memory green. He entered the House of Commons and ultimately became a member of the Lloyd George War Cabinet as First Lord of the Admiralty, after declining the Woolsack. Yet, whether as a lawyer or as a politician, his interests were always subordinate to the dream of continued union of Ireland and Britain.
Hostettler's study examines afresh Carson's powerful impact upon the politics and law of his time, and how, ultimately, his dream would not be realized. His colourful life comes alive in this book - John Hostettler is indeed able to study his subject impartially and with objectivity, and to give many new twists to the life story of someone who so dominated the Irish scene at the beginning of the last century. His dream was of the continued union of Ireland and Britain, and his fight was against Home Rule which was then set to destroy the then existing union. In a number of respects, it constitutes a valuable and timely re-evaluation of Carson after the earlier biographies by Majoribanks and Montgomery-Hyde.
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Contents
Chapter 1 - Sowing the Dragon's Teeth
•    Two Classes
•    Famine
•    The Scene is Set
Chapter 2 - Carson's Early Years
•    Protestant Culture
•    Schoolboy
•    University
•    The Historical Society
•    Bar Student
•    Fledgling Barrister
Chapter 3 - The Bar of Ireland
•    Marriage
•    Rural Violence
•    Making a Living
•    The Lady Litigant
•    Murder Trials
•    Making a Name
Chapter 4 - The Attorney's Devil
•    Parnell's Balance of Power
•    Opposition to Home Rule
•    The Orange Card
•    Orange Response
•    The Bill Defeated
Chapter 5 - Unionists in Power
•    "Politics are Ireland"
•    A Draconian Crimes Act
•    Crown Prosecutor
•    Queen's Counsel
•    A Battered Skull
•    Courtroom on Fire
Chapter 6 - Member of Parliament
•    Election to the House of Commons
•    Evicted Tenants' Commission
•    Maiden Speech
•    Uproar in the House
Chapter 7 - The English Bar
•    Havelock Wilson
•    Oscar Wilde
•    Trial and Reading Gaol
•    Ben Tillett
•    W.S. Gilbert
•    The Jameson Raid
•    At Home
Chapter 8 - Unionists again in Office
•    Carson's Revolt
•    A Catholic University
•    Prisoners' Evidence
•    Solicitor-General
•    "Colonel" Lynch
•    Treason Trial
Chapter 9 - Further Cases as Solicitor-General
•    Murder by Poison
•    Dead Bodies
•    The Alaska Boundary Dispute
•    Klondyke Gold Rush
•    Slater's Detective Agency
•    Intimidation
•    Judgeship Declined
Chapter 10 - Trade Unions and Litigation
•    Liberal Triumph
•    "A Privileged Proletariat"
•    Private Practice Again
•    Gaiety Girl Divorce Case
•    Lever Libel Action
•    Relatives Killed
Chapter 11 - House of Lords Turmoil and Cadbury Anguish
•    Asquith Takes Over
•    Lloyd George's Libel Action
•    Lloyd George's "People's Budget"
•    Home Rule Revived
•    The Cadbury Libel Case
•    Slave Labour
•    Cross-Examination
•    Slavery the Issue
•    Death of the King
Chapter 12 - The Archer-Shee Case
•    Injured Innocence
•    Approach to Carson
•    Hole-in-the-Corner Inquiry
•    Proceedings
•    "A Thief and a Forger"
•    Jury Excitement
Chapter 13 - Constitutional Change and Carson Turns to Ulster
•    Devolution
•    Coalition?
•    End of the House of Lords Veto
•    Ulster's "Strong Man"
•    A New Conservative Leader
•    Bluster or Resolution?
Chapter 14 - Ulster Protestants Defiant
•    Birth of the Ulster Volunteer Force
•    Bonar Law in Belfast
•    The Third Home Rule Bill
•    The Covenant Death of Annette
Chapter 15 - Perfidy
•    The Marconi Scandal
•    The "Million Pound Lawsuit"
•    A Lady of High Mettle
•    Meeting with the Kaiser
Chapter 16 - Looming Civil War
•    A New Initiative
•    "General Carson" and "Galloper Smith"
•    Southern Unionists Betrayed?
•    Army Defiance
•    Illegal Gun-Running
•    Churchill Intervenes
•    Response in the South
•    Buckingham Palace Conference
•    Patriotic Duty
Chapter 17 - Politics in Wartime
•    Carson's Offer
•    Distrust
•    Facing the Music
•    Asquith Retreats
•    Wedding
•    Coalition
•    Attorney-General
•    Dardanelles and Serbia
•    Resigning the Cabinet
•    Illness
Chapter 18 - The Easter Rising
•    The "Terrible Beauty"
•    Redmond's Decline
•    Sir Roger Casement
Chapter 19 - Asquith Thrown Over
•    Possibility of Partition
•    Kitchener Drowned
•    Clash with Bonar Law
•    Lloyd George Makes His Move
Chapter 20 - A New Pilot
•    First Lord of the Admiralty
•    U-Boat Offensive
•    Lloyd George Speaks Out
•    Irish Convention
•    Leaving the War Cabinet
•    Carson's Army
•    Treason "Plot"
Chapter 21 - Aftermath of War
•    Belfast M.P.
•    Dual Power
•    Return to the Bar
•    The Amritsar Massacre
Chapter 22 - The Treaty
•    Anglo-Irish War
•    Black-and-Tans
•    The Government of Ireland Act
•    A New Ned
•    The Archdeacon's Folly
•    Lord of Appeal
•    The Truce
Chapter 23 - Carson's Defeat and a Divided Ireland
•    Bitterness
•    Oblivion
•    Civil War
Chapter 24 - Disillusionment
•    A New Conservative Leader
•    Judicial Work
•    The Birth Control Case
•    Leaving the Law Lords
•    Recollections
•    Churchill in Belfast
•    Eire
•    Stormont Castle
•    Towards the End
•    A Dream too Far
Select Biography
Index
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Author Details
John Hostettler is one of the best known of legal biographers and historians of his generation - his past subjects have included Thomas Wakley, Thomas Erskine, Fitzjames Stephen, Lord Halsbury, Other books include "The Politics of Punishment" and "The Politics of Criminal Law". He is a Solicitor (retired) and has served on the Bench as a Magistrate.
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