O'Brien Pocket History of the IRA: From 1916 Onwards

by Brendan O'Brien and Brendan O'Brien

Book Overview

An accessible account of the IRA from beginnings to the present day. It covers the origins and history of the organization, its aims, the political and military thinking which has driven its... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0862788552
• ISBN13: 9780862788551
• Release Date: April 2004
• Publisher: O'Brien Press
• Length: 190 Pages
• Weight: 0.58 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 4.4" x 7.0"

Customer Reviews

Just What The Doctor Ordered-Short, Concise, Easy to Follow

This book does exactly what the title says-it provides a short history of the IRA in around 170 pages in a small, pocket-sized format. The history is very concise and filters through many events ranging from the Easter Uprising in 1916 to the re-establishment of Direct Rule in 2000. While some important events are glossed over, in particular the ramifications of the SAS "shoot-to-kill" operation in Gibraltar, examinations of the internal factionalism that have occurred are looked at in detail, as well as their prominent role in the peace talks and their association with Sinn Fein. The only fault I found was in the captioning of one of the photos of an IRA patrol with "Libyan weaponry"- only one of the three weapons on display is of Eastern Bloc origin. A worthy addition to any collection on the Northern Ireland conflict. If you happen to be the author Tom Clancy-please read this book before you make any comments on Northern Ireland again!

A Pocket History of the IRA; useful and concise

The aforementioned title is one of the best, most comprehensive, and yet concise histories of a group who's exploits could fill libraries. It clearly addresses all of the major campaigns of the IRA and with equal quality, remains an unbiased viewpoint. This book is by all means deserving of its five stars.