No conflicts have captured the consciousness and the conscience of the international community in quite the same sustained and dramatic way as the struggle against apartheid in South Africa, the "troubles" in Northern Ireland, and the battle between Jews and Arabs for possession of the Holy Land. This book provides an in-depth comparative analysis of these conflicts and presents the views of seventeen acknowledged authorities. It examines key themes--dominant group values, the role of the security forces, armed struggle, reform and revolution--and explores problematic concepts such as nationalism, ethno-nationalism, and the mythology of struggle. It also presents case studies of the three societies in question.