Customer Reviews

The Dirty War: Covert Strategies and Tactics Used in Political Conflicts

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There are many reasons to buy and admire Martin Dillon's 'The Dirty War,' which is nothing less than a monumental achievement in investigative journalism. Dillon peels the lid off a very large can of worms--two decades of undercover conflict between the IRA (Official and Provisional), British Army, RUC, Loyalists and assorted other players in Northern Ireland from 1969 to 1990. The author's painstaking research (including many first-hand interviews with participants) and scrupulous objectivity should make this book required reading in newsrooms and journalism schools everywhere. But it's not some dry exercise. A lot of 'The Dirty War' rivals the best non-fiction crime and detective writing. Dillon knows how to tell a story. He also has a knack of involving the reader in his exhaustive analysis of individual incidents and themes. When answers aren't evident, his not afraid to admit it; rather, he asks questions and draws us in. This book is an absolute must for anyone interested in the modern British Army and its counterterrorist tactics. But it's not an anti-British book and it's not an anti-IRA book. It IS continually fascinating and, refreshingly, has a strong moral compass in the author's value set to help the reader through the unpleasantness.

Having just read 'The Dirty War', I realised the charachter of the conflict in Ireland which was fought away from the headlines. Martin Dillon presents an account which is now proving correct. He objectively reveals the practice of secret burials, a story in the headlines currently, with families demanding the whereabouts of the bodies of the "disappeared". Dillon also -- without predjudice -- shows how all the combatants fought this dirty war. In particular, it is interesting that his revelations are part of the on-going discussions in the British media, especially pertaining to the role of the British intelligence agencies. Consequently, I was astounded by the review written here by Phil306@aol.com. Apart from the fact that he confused two of Dillon's books - The Dirty War and The Shankill Butchers -- it appears that he did not have a sufficeint grasp of the material. In response then why should we believe Phil306 about Sgt. Oram and not Mr. Dillon, who does not hide behind an e-mail address? Significantly, the author's revelations in both books are such that when he does not name people for legal reasons, those reasons are obvious to the intelligent reader. In his comments, Phil306 offers us a seminal awareness of a national trait which is something that Dillon clearly rejects in his balanced portrayal of all the players in both books. If phil 306 had fully digested the material in The Shankill Butchers, he would have understood that Messers. A and B were never charged with their crimes. In that context, the law in the United Kingdom would not have permitted their names to be published. Did Phil306 recognise the obvious risks to the authors' life in even giving us the insights in the facts that A & B existed? Since Phil306 appears to be the oracle in these matters, let him name A & B publicly in the British Isles, and explain his 'closeness' to Sgt. Oram. The Dirty War is an excellent book on the undercover war, and The Shankill Butchers is a stunning account of mass murder. If Phil 306 had properly read the Post Sript to the Shankill Butchers, even he could have made reasonable deductions about the identities of A and B. Perhaps, he should re-read both books and next time, avoid confusing the facts when writing a review. I am an Englishman living in the United States, and Mr. Dillon enabled me to grasp the complexities of a conflict which found its way onto my shores. I applaud Mr. Dillon for his investigative skills and his unbiased approach in his writings.

A good book by Dillon. He covers all parts of the Northern Irish Troubles, including British Army and security forces undercover actions and the way in which the IRA use devious "honeytraps" to tempt British Army men to their deaths. It also gives a section on the little known Loyalist paramilitary forces. I Liked this book as it was easy to read and gives a good insight into the past 30 years of the troubles. Anyone who is just getting into Irish history and is unsure about what to read, The Dirty War is an excellent starting point as, from the start, it gives you no illusions, even the title tells the truth.

While it may seem strange for a book to leave one feeling both depressed and exhilarated, experiencing such paradoxical emotions is the norm with one of Martin Dillon's books. I have read three of his nonfiction works in the past year, most recently The Dirty War, and have come to the conclusion that I am not likely to find another writer/journalist who can get so close to the players in Northern Ireland's Troubles, elicit as much information from them, provide more complete complementary information from a vast array of written source material, and make it all coherent to the average reader. I had only sketchy knowledge of the Troubles before I started reading Dillon's works--I now find myself following his detailed accounts of events and trains of thought as though I had known them all my life. How exhilarating to be in commune with an author of such abilities!

And how depressing! It makes one weep to see the depths to which individuals and governments can sink to push their agendas, which range from the pursuit of profit to revenge to the perpetuation of a cynically unfair set of policies over a population. The last motive applies equally to illegal British interference in the internal affairs of Northern Ireland and to IRA paramilitaries who condemn the British justice system while pursuing their own perverse notion of justice that usually ends in the addition of another name to the "Disappeared" list. In the end, the Irish people are the pawns in a chess game without clear motive or end.

Maybe peace will come to Ireland some day. In The Dirty War and his other books, Martin Dillon reveals how high the odds are stacked against it--yet how to hope and work for it still.

In this `whose to blame' world the paradox portrayed by this work are the responsibilities involved in peacekeeping. The conflict in Northern Ireland has been a huge burden for the British, who have little real sympathy for either side.

However, the main thesis of Martin Dillon's The Dirty War surrounds the notion that covert intelligence procedures and operations, which require a greater intimacy between the hunter and the hunted, are sinister by nature. Somehow, to the uninitiated there seems to be a cleansing process associated by not knowing the enemy.

The `dirty' part of The Dirty War centers on the concept of assassination. Because, in an unconventional war much of the fighting and dying is done in the shadows, ambushes and small-unit actions dominate the battlefield. The problem then, seems to be that if the attacker did not know the identify of those killed it was war; if they did, it was assassination. The difference is arbitrary, in as much, as every soldier who responds to the will of those who make policy, and war understands the ugliness and reality of combat.

Herein lies the nexus between the historical struggle between the British and Northern Ireland, and the American forces in modern low intensity conflict. Operating in a democracy, controlled by the rule of law, the overriding principal that governs counterinsurgency warfare tactics is that of minimum force. This self-imposed code of ethics often appears to offer the insurgents an unfair advantage. However, as is the case in Northern Ireland so it is in Afghanistan, Iraq, and future conflicts to come...responsibility comes with power, and the United States and Great Britain, if they want to be treated with global respect, must exercise one with the other.

Martin Dillon is the premier historian of the Troubles, and The Dirty War is his masterpiece. He plunges the reader into the Stygian undercover war that raged for nearly thirty years between the IRA, the various Protestant paramilitaries, and the security services of the crown. Through his myriad sources among all the combatants he illuminates the labyrinthine world of the 'game' which made use of agents and double agents and where the war was decided. The Dirty War is required reading for all students of the Troubles.

This book is very well researched and gives a difinitive account of the British Government role in operating a dirty war against the INLA and IRA in Ireland. Specific instances of "Shoot-to-kill", survailance and covert operations are covered in-depth. The book's author obviously has a very detailed knowledge and insight into the inner workings of the SAS and E4A(RUC covert squad) in the North of Ireland.

"The Dirty War" is the best overall account of The Troubles I have read. Martin Dillon has gained access to confidential sources on all sides - the IRA, the Irish Republic, the Loyalist Paramilitaries, and the British security forces - which make his account of the guerrilla war in Northern Ireland unique and informative. Dillon has successfully uncovered many of the covert, unconventional tactics used by all parties in the conflict, which some of the warring factions probably only found out about when they read this book.

"The Dirty War" is a really a case study of modern unconventional warfare and how both state and non-government actors fit into this ugly equation. From Britain's secret, botched attempts to assassinate suspected IRA members and the manipulation and execution of informants, to the IRA's own murder campaign, Dillon unlocks the mysteries of terror and those who commit it. A gripping, gritty account, with all the unpleasant details, of a fascinating conflict which still simmers to this day.

Very good book detailing the three way secret war and the tactics used by the British military and law enforcement, the Ulster Paramilitaries and the IRA. It details the beginning of the modern Irish conflict in the late 1960's, it goes through the social conditions that started it off and it keeps going into the chaos that kept it going for years.

This Veteran Irish Investigative Reporter doesn't pull and punches and spells out the abuses of power and atrocites on all three sides in great detail, so it isn't like he picks favorites in this. All three sides are equally guilty of murdering innocent people at some point during the conflict and then trying to cover it up.

Interesting read if you want to know what's going on behind the headlines regarding the conflict in Northern Ireland and what drives the Ulster Paramilitaries, the IRA, the British Army and the Northern Irish Police.

Martin Dillon describes Sgt Oram, in one chapter, as a member of the SAS killed in the line of duty. However, the true facts are Sgt Oram was never a member of the SAS. Dillon states, throughout this book, his information is solid and he, has doubt to believe his sources. However, if he is wrong about Sgt Oram (and believe me he is) is he wrong about other information?

He constantly states, "For legal reasons I cannot name _____." Usually Mr A, etc. Is this true, or a cop out? There is at least one person in his book which point out people who were "publically arrested." This information would be in newspapers, etc. However, he still refuses to name this person. Why?

Dillon's book is captivating and opens your mind to the troubles in Northern Ireland. I have also read his book The Shankill Butchers. However, I keep asking myself the same question, "Can I trust the information he has?"

Again, several times in his book he says, "Let us suppose." Let us not suppose and let us have hard evidence, facts, and names of people/informantants. Not, "For legal reasons I cannot name the source."