The Irish War: The Hidden Conflict between the IRA and British Intelligence [Paperback]

Tony Geraghty (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 12, 2002

In The Irish War military veteran and historian Tony Geraghty reveals the sinister patterns of action and reaction in this generations-old domestic conflict. Drawing on public and covert sources, as well as interviews with members of British Intelligence, the security forces, and the Irish Republican Army, he brings to light the disturbing inner workings of an organized terrorist group and its military opposition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The book's strengths are its attention to detail and its direct, potent writing... A compelling introduction to a painful struggle." -- Publishers Weekly

"The role of British Intelligence in Ulster has never been so deeply explored... He writes clearly and knowledgeably about the impact on the IRA of the use of forensics by British Intelligence. He describes in detail the IRA's success in modifying and developing its own weapons, particularly mortars, and writes of the SAS's often lethal operations in Ulster with a kind of righteous anger not seen since American journalists inveighed against our role in Vietnam... Clearly well researched." -- Library Journal

"An easy to read and well written narrative." -- Adrian Guelke, Terrorism and Political Violence

"Geraghty has produced a book both readable and alarming. The first third is a well-observed account of a largely visible British war machine coping with the horrors of the Northern Ireland Troubles. The last third is devoted to militarism in Ireland up to 1921. But it is the middle third, the covert war, that astonishes. We learn that [British Intelligence] had a habit of enticing suspects away from home with lavish 'dodgy' holidays in the sun by faking breakfast-food competitions. While the target was away, the Security Service would plant a host of listening devices, which might include a miniaturized video camera inside a domestic light switch." -- Herald (Glasgow)

"Anyone interested in the 'war that isn't,' should find this book enlightening." -- Larry S. Sterrett, New Gun Week

About the Author

Tony Geraghty is a British subject and an Irish citizen. He is a veteran of the British Red Berets and served as a military liaison officer with U.S. forces during the Gulf War, for which he was awarded the Joint Service Commendation Medal for Military Merit with a citation signed by General H. Norman Schwarzkopf. Geraghty has also worked in the United States as a writer for the Boston Globe.

Product Details

• Paperback: 472 pages
• Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press (November 12, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801871174
• ISBN-13: 978-0801871177
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #120,530 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Short-term view of a long war, December 22, 2004

By 

Celtic Warrior "DEM" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Irish War: The Hidden Conflict between the IRA and British Intelligence (Paperback)

I think this books deserves to be labeled "good" only if you take the bare tactical or military approach.
I red a lot of NI conflict stuff in the past, and I see this one as the best source both in terms of tactics (from all sides) and warfare analysis (the most completed I ever found about the republican war machine). There are at least four whole chapters dedicated to describe the PIRA weaponry, its making, its smuggling an its use (or misuse)by the organisation. I also reccomend chapter IX, where Mr. Gherarty makes a reflexion about the survellaince and intelligence sistems developed by the British State during the "Troubles" and the aftermath and consequences to the British people such a "Big Brother" policy could have. I also should mention part III of the book, an interesting pre-independence historic account.
Put the rest to rest.
Erratic writing and typos (at least in the edition I have) match a biased and short-term vision. As an example, at some point the author states that in 1979 there were just 13 (¿?) trouble-related deaths in Ulster and that this reflected a sharp decline of violence in the province. Anybody who has ever red the basics about the NI conflict knows that August 27 1979 was one of its bloodiest days, with the killing of 23 people,18 soldiers plus 5 civilians, including Lord Mountbatten.There were almost 50 fatalities just among the security forces that year. Another biased statistic management appears in the 1972 death account: for Gherarty, ALL the civilians killed in NI this year (323) were victims of the PIRA. Indeed, as it was for the entire war, loyalist paramilitaries killed more innocent people (106) than the republican ones (88) in 1972.
Some conclusions also show the wishfull thinking judgment of Mr. Gherarty. His quotes about the PIRA as a "defeated army", regarding all the concessions they won throughout the conflict, are laughable. Yes, you can say that NI is still a part of the UK; but a part whose political system, policing, security and justice were negotiated with another country (namely the Irish Republic). Had the PIRA been effectively vanquished, all this would prove to be unthinkable. Republicans certainly failed to meet the unrealistic goal of an United Ireland under their own terms, but through the GFA, they gained full access to a non less certain road to a de facto integration between North and South. I believe the troubles were, from the military point of view, a stalemate, as acknowledges Mr. Gherarty in other chapters of his book. But a real stalemate is produced by the parity of strength between two contestants; when this parity doesn't exist, and there is still a no-winner situation; should you call that an stalemate, or a defeat of the stronger force?

4.0 out of 5 stars One of the better books on "The Troubles", May 27, 2010

By 

R. Hughes "33 Lima" (UK) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Irish War: The Hidden Conflict between the IRA and British Intelligence (Paperback)

First, it's necessary to point out that those reviewers who proclaim that this book shows how the "IRA fought the Brits to a standstill" are completely misrepresenting the book, and probably reflecting their own assessments (some will say, prejudices).

In fact, the author's clearly stated conlusion - and the underlying theme of the book, citing the previous erruptions of "the Irish War" which he describes - is that a resort to terrorism/armed struggle actually set back, rather than accelerated, progress towards reform. One can understand why Tony Gerraghty's real conclusion is one that many will be unable or unwilling to accept. But to misrepresent his stated conclusions will not do.

For me, what makes this stand out as one of the better books on "the Troubles" is that it doesn't just provide an interesting narrative, backed up with fascinating detail, on the deadly, see-saw battle of wits that went on between security forces and terrorists/insurgents/call them what you will (I saw their handiwork first hand, and to me they will always be terrorists, however perversely clever they were at times - I will never think anything else of people whose stock-in-trade was shooting people dead on their doorsteps or planting bombs under their cars). The highlight of this book is that the author is able to illuminate his narrative at key points with forcefully-argued but informed and insightful assessements, which often challenge and cut through the more common received wisdoms infuenced by politicial expediency, over-simplification, prejudice or propaganda.

And it's worth repeating this book's central conclusion - that all the blood-letting was counterproductive to the cause(s) for which it was supposedly shed, the repetition of a largely ingrained response which had failed before, and failed again. A lesson for all sides to the conflict in NI, and for conflicts elsewhere. Sometimes, a resort to violence happens. Sometimes, it may indeed be a distasteful necessity, if carried out with restraint. But most times, it just doesn't pay. There are not merely less bloody ways of resolving disputes, usually, they are are smarter and more effective ones. Sweat saves blood; brains saves sweat and blood. If shooting people dead on their doorstep, or blowing them up, is the best way we can come up with to influence events, then we are really not being very clever, are we?

4.0 out of 5 stars TRUE STALEMATE, June 26, 2009

By 

Severin Olson (Hyattsville, Maryland United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Irish War: The Hidden Conflict between the IRA and British Intelligence (Paperback)

Northern Ireland presents one of the oldest conflicts as well as perhaps the first urban insurgency. Between 1969 and at least 1997 the IRA has carried out a campaign of bombings, assassinations and shootings in Ireland and elsewhere, while British authorities have responded with arrests and covert military operations. The author's focus here is the war of intelligence conducted by both sides. Knowledge is power, and in a war like this more than any other, it is a key to victory. The book's first half describes events after 1969, and lists key weapons used by the IRA. Part two is an Irish history lesson up to partition in 1922.

If ever a war was 'unwinnable' in military terms, this is it. Geraghty makes it clear the situation is something of a true stalemate. The British can not stop the rebels from disrupting civilization as bombs can be made easier and easier to hide over time, and killed or imprisoned terrorists can be replaced. But the Irish also face a dilemma. Not only can they not defeat the British army, government surveillance is now so effective it is almost impossible for IRA agents to communicate over any distance.

Geraghty displays no special bias toward either side. He condems the IRA, responsible for most of the killing, including a case of a woman targeted for comforting a wounded soldier. The insurgency clearly cannot be thought of as a just war. But the Loyalist side is far from clean as well, having committed many senseless murders of innocent Catholic civilians, guilty only of being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

While IRA fighters may be quite fierce and courageous, they are also quite naive in a way. Were they to win a complete victory, reunifying Ireland and driving Britain out, they would still face over a million angry Protestant Loyalists, capable of creating incredible mayhem of their own. What, one wonders, would Ireland do then?