"Teams of researchers from three areas with longlasting conflicts--Israel, South Africa, and Northern Ireland--report on the role peace and conflict resolution organizations have played in the promotion of peace. The authors provide not only a considerate account of an era of initiatives to resolve a protracted conflict, but they have also successfully integrated for the first time literatures on social movements, non-governmental organizations, and civil society. A groundbreaking and unique project."

Bert Klandermans, Dept. of Socio-Cultural Sciences, Free University, Amsterdam

"Peace making is a virtuous circle. Ending intransigent conflict requires successful political negotiations, a continual commitment to non-violence, and the demonstration of new ways of living together. Professors Gidron, Katz and Hasenfeld provide the ground breaking analysis of how peace and conflict resolution organizations show conflict-torn societies how to reimagine their futures. Examining Northern Ireland, South Africa, and Israel/Palestine, these scholars and their colleagues demonstrate the organizational structure of hope-and the whole world owes them a debt of gratitude for it."

Barbara J. Nelson, Dean, UCLA School of Public Policy and Social Research

"Gidron, Katz and Hasenfeld have edited a volume of extraordinary reach, an extensive and complex series of case studies of peace and conflict resolution organizations in three national arenas. Carefully contexualizing the nature of ethno-racial and socio-political conflict in Northern Ireland, South Africa and Israel-Palestine, they examine the networks among peace advocates and the role of voluntary sector organizations in seeking peace and justice. They grapple in exemplary fashion with cross-national problems of coming to consensus about definitions, research methods, theoretical schemes and the resultant politicization of findings. A major work with enormous implications for students of national and international conflict and for policy-makers and public advocates concerned with conflict resolution and peace-making."

Mark Chesler, Professor of Sociology, University of Michigan

Colonial America : Essays in Politics and Social Development is a collection of essays concerning the British colonies in North America. The essays present the latest research from colonial historians working on a broad range of topics, from Cornelia Hughes Dayton's examination of abortion and gender roles in colonial Connecticut to Alfred Crosby's analysis of the impact of introduced Europan diseases on Native Americans.

This is not an easy read. The articles are dense, heavily footnoted, and packed with very specific information. Most of the authors assume that the reader comes to this volume already knowing a good deal about colonial history. For example, an article on the Bayard Treason Trial in New York takes it for granted that we already know about the Dutch history of New York, Leisler's rebellion, and the colonial court system.

MAny of the articles are brilliant, and this volume is a great example of the very latest historical scholarship in the field. But these essays are by historians writing for other historians. This is not an introduction to colonial history for the general reading public.