"During the Northern Irish Troubles of the past thirty years, a war of words has accompanied and interpenetrated with the actual conduct of violence in highly complex ways. This book considers how literature of the period engages with the participates in this war of words.".

"The book places the Northern Ireland conflict within a broad European debate about the legitimate use of force, deriving from a dialogue between ancient ideals of Roman civic virtue (exemplified by Vergil's Aeneid) and Christian teachings about the kingdom (as depicted in the gospels)."--BOOK JACKET.