Customer Reviews

Big Boys' Rules: The Sas and the Secret Struggle Against the IRA

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Having served a number of times as an officer in Northern Ireland, this book filled in a number of gaps in my own knowledge. The reading of this book should be compulsory for anyone wishing to comment on the fight against Irish terrorism and the methods employed by each opposing side.

The subtitle of this book "The SAS and the secret struggle against the IRA," is slightly misleading because it is about more than the SAS's struggle against the IRA. But how all covert units and agencies of the British and even allied nations such as the American FBI were employed in this fight. It describes how the British apparatus for fighting the IRA was structured, how this buerocratic machine deployed various units, and finally how these units executed tasks in the field. However, I caution the reader to do so warily some disinformation does crop up. For example this volume attributes the SAS's foreknowledge which led to the ambush at Loughgall to informant intelligence when in fact it is now understood to have been generated by an electronic bug.

An overview of the SAS fight against the IRA, it appears that a shoot to kill policy may have been in place as the SAS killed many IRA terrorists during their covert operations.Great insight into the skill and sophistication of the IRA and the SAS.

The title of this book is misleading. This book spends a minimal amount of time discussing the SAS's operations and a great deal of time discussing the relationship between the RUC and the military. If you are interested in the strategic significance of the actions taken in Northern Ireland this is the book for you. If you are looking for a book similar to Urban's most recent book, "Task Force Black" this is not it. Despite that I did enjoy the book and would still recommend it to those interested in Northern Ireland.

Urban's book is written is a newspaper style reporting facts without military or political content. The two reasons it is one of his early books and the current war on terrorists hadn't started. He could easily update book increase it value by going back adding comparison to current conflicts.

If one buys this book expecting an account of 22SAS's fight against the Provos during the 'Troubles' in Ulster as I did, you'll be unhappy.
It's basically a recounting of 'ALL' (oh suuure!) the secret agencies activities in Ulster from the late 70's onwards but only a portion is focused on the 'ice cream boys' and even that is heavily, heavily tinged with the author's prejudices of whether one is permitted to shoot a terrorist or not.
(After all, killers have feelings too).
As an academic exercise - two out of five stars (Additional to the obvious pro-gunman sympathy of the author there were several large inaccuracies presented as factual. Hint to writer - for their own reasons not everybody tells you the truth, and you might find other texts on this conflict very instructive if you care to read them carefully. Of course research isn't everyone's strong suit....even when they claim otherwise)
At the moment, this household has an adequate supply of toilet tissue, but if and when we fall short we shall have this book to put behind us.
Shame the sheets aren't perforated.JMHO. Avoid.
PS Author borrows from Michael Asher's 'Shoot to Kill' bio......to the point that if you've read that, you've basically read this from an SAS involvement discussion, anyway.