The Irish Crisis: Being a Narrative of the Measures for the Relief of the Distress caused by the Great Irish Famine of 1846-7. London: Macmillan & Co., 1880. Reprinted from the Edinburgh Review (No 175, Jun. 1848). Pp x, 148.quarter cloth, over red wrappers, lettered in black. A very good copy.

A controversial yet historically significant account of the British government’s response to the Great Famine (1845–1852). As a senior British official overseeing relief efforts, Trevelyan provides a first-hand perspective on the policies and ideologies that shaped the crisis. The book defends the government’s laissez-faire approach, emphasising economic principles over humanitarian intervention.

Trevelyan argues that the famine was an inevitable “divine judgment” to correct Ireland’s over-reliance on the potato and spur long-term modernisation. His detached tone and justification of inadequate relief measures have drawn criticism for downplaying the suffering of millions.

The Irish Crisis is often read today as a case study in colonial mismanagement. Modern historians widely condemn the policies Trevelyan championed, which exacerbated starvation and mass emigration.