Customer Reviews

Michael Collins: The Secret File

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Simple copies of the secret files that were kept on Michael Collins would have been wonderful enough, but A.T.Q. Stewart's articulate introduction to the material makes for a truly outstanding reading experience. The introduction is well decorated with a number of black-and-white photos, some that will probably be familiar (e.g.- the uniformed General Collins and Collins posing with Arthur Griffith before the Treaty negotiations) and some that will be new to the eye. The actual text of this book consists of just over 100 copies of documents regarding Collins. A particularly telling document speaks of Collins as "a young man of fair complexion, clean shaven, strong jaws and features" who "belongs to a family of `brainy' people." Stewart mentions this passage in his introduction and relates the astonishing story of how Collins was smuggled into the G-division of Dublin's Metropolitan Police HQs to read the files kept there. He narrowly missed being discovered and was able to read that amusing statement about himself.

This book reveals as much about the Irish struggle for independence and the bloody civil war that followed as it does about the life of Collins. The fact that reading this text is tantamount to reading pieces of history makes the adventure take on a very real dimension; the names you encounter are names of actual people rather than fictional characters. I believe this book to be a great investment for anyone interested in the Irish pursuit of independence, the Troubles, and/or the life of Michael Collins. If, however, you are looking for an introduction to the life and times of Collins, I would suggest that you pick up a traditional biography of him (see the works of Frank O'Connor or Tim Pat Coogan) rather than this title simply because the names, dates and places will mean much more to you if you are already acquainted with the basic story before you dig in.