Redrawing the Map

While many students recognize that Ireland is divided into two jurisdictions, Ireland and Northern Ireland, few know the history behind the split and how it affected the region as a whole, as well as the rest of Europe and the world. With plenty of photographs, maps, fast facts, and sidebars, this book traces the history of conflict in Ireland, the geography of the two jurisdictions, and the cultural divides that existed before the split and that have resulted from it.

In ancient times, Jews were exiled from their homeland in the Middle East. Starting in the 1800s, the Zionist movement sought to return Jews to the region and reestablish Jewish rule there. In 1948, the creation of the state of Israel made this vision a reality. It also triggered an ongoing series of conflicts between Israel and its Arab neighbors, as well as between Jews and Palestinians within Israel. This essential book tells the story of the formation of Israel, examines calls for a separate Palestinian state, and details the impact of the region's border disputes on the Jews and Arabs who live there.

The geography of Germany and the way it has been governed have changed many times since the 1800s. This book explores Otto von Bismarck's role in the formation of the modern German state, the partition of Germany following World War II, and the events surrounding the decline of European communism, including the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the reunification of East and West Germany in 1990. With photographs, maps, sidebars, and fast facts, readers will evaluate the country's numerous border changes and the massive impact they have had on the people who live there.

From 1858 to 1947, the British ruled India. In the aftermath of World War II, Britain agreed not just to grant India's independence, but to carve from India a separate country, Pakistan, for its Muslim population. This partition sparked one of the largest mass migrations in history. It also sparked terrible violence, particularly along the new border. Indeed, historians estimate that between 250,000 and 500,000 people were killed in the conflict. This necessary book tells the story of India's partition and of the people affected by it.