Customer Reviews

Bloody Sunday in Derry: What Really Happened

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There has been a lot of rubbish written over the last 22 years about the events of Bloody Sunday. This book tells the story of the victims, from the point of view of their loved ones, and in doing so, demolishes the lies that have been circulating about the Civil Rights March. This is a deeply angry and sorrowful book about an event for which we have never recieved any explanations or apologies from the British Government. Essential reading about the Northern Irish Troubles.

As the author relates, IRA sentiment in Derry was not widespread before the Civil Rights March and the subsequent killing of 14 individuals. The British placed one of their front line units to contain the march and were surprised when the Paras opened fire with live bullets. Then to compound the problem, they detailed their head Judge to whitewash the actions of the Army. As the author relates, if there had been some condemnation and punishment of the soldiers, things in Northern Ireland would not have gotten so bad. However, they whitewashed what happened and even gave some soldiers promotion. This is not the fair tolerant British one has come to understand as allies in WWII. They did something destructive, and never apologized for their actions.

The author is a left wing Irish nationalist. I thought this book would be prejudiced along certain lines, but he does a thorough job of debumking the myth that the soldiers were in harm's way. They were using live ammunition on peaceful demonstrators. The British have never fully justified their actions and the subsequent whitewash. Book has a short biography of each of the 14 victims.