'An important contribution to the history of Belfast as well as to the broader subjects of Ulster liberalism and Presbyterianism. By stepping out of the usual historiographical constraints placed upon the period, Wright has produced a confident and enlightening first monograph, one that hopefully will help to steer future research into what is perhaps the most neglected period of modern ... Read moreUlster’s history.'
Reviews in History
'Informed by the most recent historiographical trends and research, Wright’s book demonstrates the numerous new avenues available to historians of Ulster. Smartly organized and engagingly written, it is an important work.'
Reviews in History
Reviews 'A rigorous, painstaking study by Jonathan Wright that authoritatively skewers myth after myth. It shines a revealing light on the political, cultural and social life of Belfast in the early 19th century.'
The Irish Times
'A fine book, a well-written and insightful study on early nineteenth-century Belfast politics. By focusing on the Tennent family and using a rich array of underutilized sources, Jonathan JeffreyWright has produced an important book that greatly adds to our understanding of this critical era. If the book raises as many questions as it answers, we are further indebted to the author’s work, particularly if this stimulating study leads other talented scholars to examine the rich and often ignored experience of early nineteenth-century Belfast.' Sean Farrell, Journal of British Studies, Volume 53 / Issue 01
Journal of British Studies, Volume 53 / Issue 01
'Jonathan Jeffrey Wright's assured and accomplished monograph uses a study of the remarkable Tennent family to reconstruct the world view of the liberal Presbyterian elite of Belfast in the decades after the Union.' Ian McBride, The American Historical Review Show Less