However, its worth finding a copy as its one of the best books about the troubles and the stories of South Armagh are incredibly interesting. Drawing on secret documents and interviews on South Armagh’s recent history, Harnden told the inside story of how the IRA came close to bringing the British state to its knees. To the army, South Armagh is 'Bandit Country', 200 square miles of the most dangerous and hostile terrain in Northern Ireland which has claimed the lives of 115 soldiers since 1969. He had been arrested following an IRA mortar attack on the RUC barracks in Newry, which spectacularly wiped out nine of the paramilitary police force's members.

And the author has a bit of an obsession with thomas murphy and it goes through out the entire book. I'll never forget the night Stephen Restorick was shot just round the corner from me or hearing the bomb explosion that killed Lord Justice Gibson and his wife.It is also written in an accessible way, aimed not just at the Northern Ireland aficionado but also at the general reader who wants to find out what the IRA is about.

Speaking of the RPs, the murder of RUC Superintendent Robert Buchanan, a ruling elder in an RP Church, is discussed in this book. But there are also details of how loyalist paramilitaries were assisted by RUC members - I want this book to be read by both 'sides' in the conflict rather than seen as a polemical work pushing a particular political agenda. He became an outspoken, quite unhinged critic of Republicanism in general, and was courted by the British media for his scathing critique of the Provisionals in particular. If you have any interest in the troubles, the IRA, or just unconventional warfare this is a remarkable read. My own copy, a birthday present from a life long friend, is literally falling to pieces it has been thumbed through so many times by numerous people.At times the chapters are alternately chronological or thematic with the discussion skipping forward or back in time. You should take care when trying on items to ensure that clothing is not stained with fake tan, make-up deodorant etc. includes references and comments from British army officials, sínn feín officials and members of the provisional IRA. The detail here is incredible, and I really appreciate the care and attention that Harnden has gone through to provide context for what it is like for people within the situation, why it is that people have to approach the situation as they do, which is completely different to what conclusions can be drawn living outside of that environment.

Miriam Daly grew up in Dublin in the South-East of Ireland, attended University College Dublin (UCD) as both an undergraduate and then a postgraduate student, and subsequently became a member of the academic staff, lecturing in Economic History. This book purports to be critical reading for anyone wanting to “understand Northern Ireland and the knife-edge stumble along the precipice to peace. Which is a fair enough scorecard for any national liberation organization, combined with the media-generated, notoriety of South Armagh.

The author provides numerous accounts from former serving members of the British Army and RUC confirming that, due to the level of threat from the Provisional IRA in South Armagh, they only left the likes of the heavily fortified Crossmaglen barracks by helicopter and even the garbage bins had to be emptied by the same method.

The grudgng respect Britsh Army figures express for the PIRA will surprise, and the descriptions of operations are fascinating even for those generally more interested in politics than in military history. While I was aware of the conflict at the time, this book presented a much richer tapestry than I was expecting. Many commentators and authors, (although in fairness, probably not Harnden) fail to really comprehend why the 'Queen's Writ' is not warmly received, in much of Ireland, for very real historical reasons. At 15 years old I was finally deemed old enough and mature enough to be able to read the book with its context and not just the "up the 'RA" kind of attitude that I had been exposed to in school, and since I came into possession of this book I must have read it maybe 10-12 times.That makes me all the more aware of how much care has been taken to really explain certain things that I don't think would make sense otherwise, apart from a perspective. In reality, it’s a sort of pulp crime paperback detailing the many horrific events that have taken place in South Armagh, the characters who perpetrated them, and the regional cultural backdrop that made South Armagh particularly ungovernable for the British. This book presents a relatively balanced view of the situation in the north of Ireland throughout the 1970's to the 1990's and the role that the South Armagh IRA played in the conflict with the British Army and the RUC.