Dead Man Running: The True Story of a Secret Agent's Escape from the IRA and Mi5

by Martin McGartland

Book Overview

This is the story of Martin McGartland who worked undercover as a British agent inside the Provisional IRA. Captured by the Provos, he escaped and re-settled on the mainland, but later discovered that... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1840181605
• ISBN13: 9781840181609
• Release Date: January 1999
• Publisher: Mainstream Publishing Company
• Length: 221 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Linda (A Scot In U.S.A)

A fo;;ow up to Martin McGartlands "Fifty Dead Men Walking" A must read , It tells of his story once he was relocated to mainland Britain . He finds out that he was sacrificed by MI5 and should have been dead , only his determination to live by jumping out a 4th storey window , head first, while still bound, is why he is here today to tell his story . This book is an account of him searching for the truth. He is being harrased almost daily by the local police , stopped for so called motor violations , and the superintendant, knowing who he was . The Police even giving his name out in open court, his new identity of "martin ashe" formely MARTIN MCGARTLAND this astounds me .. As the IRA would have no trouble now of TARGETING HIM! In search of the truth , he evn makes a trip back to Belfast ......... Martin MCGartland 's COURAGE astounds me ... He tries in vain to tell the authorities that he will always be a target as the IRA has a very long memory....READ THIS BOOK AND YOU WILL SEE HOW THEY HAVE REPAID HIM FOR ALL THE DANGEROUS WORK HE DID FOR THE SPECIAL BRANCH WHILE BEING AGENT CAROL... as he feared the ira did catch up with him and shot him several times....and if it wasnt for the quick thinking of his neighbors , he would be dead today ...... I WONDER HOW MARTIN IS GETTING ON TODAY? i just hope that he has been given the protection and finances that he deserves.... GOD BLESS.

Very good, it will leave you with him on your mind

This book is the true story of Marty McGartland who successfully infiltrated the IRA and escaped with his life only to find out that his would-be murder was set up by MI5 and the IRA jointly.This book is almost heartbreaking to hear of the treatment he has recieved since his ordeal, being harassed by the local police force, being pulled over 3 times a day and being brought to court on trumped up charges. In this sequel to 50 Dead Men Walking he tries to discover who exactly was behind his betrayal.****UPDATE ON MARTY*****This is for those who have read the book and are wondering what else has been happening since the end of the book...Since his assasination attempt, instead of the authorities finally giving him the protection he needs, they blame his assasination attempt on drug dealers! Ridiculous, this is just typical of the type of treatment he has recieved, after having served his country and a foreign one for 4 years risking his life, inevetably giving up all that he holds dear.So, in conclusion, he still hasn't made much progress, unfortunately.This is a man you will want to keep in your prayers, he has done nothing but good and deserves to be rewarded, not cast out as some sort of nuisance.

Don't listen to these other reviews

I can't believe what these other reviews are saying about this book. To my mind Martin McGartland is a man who was responsible for saving a lot of inoccent peoples lives. Anyone who undertakes infiltration of the IRA purely to gather intelligence for the British government deserves the Victoria cross. This guy sacrificed his life and family for what he saw was the greater good, at times he is naive in his actions, but he is forthright and honest enough to admit this. He was not 'apparently a supergrass' as a previous reviewer wrote, he was a British agent, a supergrass is an out and out IRA member who sings like a sparrow to save his own skin,whilst pointing the finger at all his associates, He/they are not someone who tries to save lives and prevent bombings,shootings etc. I don't see this book as a money making excercise either, it is a remarkable story and since being uncovered as a British agent and sent into a life of false names and various addresses the story has become more intriguing. The way the Northumbria police force treat him is shocking, trying to expose him at every turn and so on, for some strange reason. If you had an organisation like the IRA after you, I'm sure if you caught sight of a car tailing you, you would put the foot to the floor to get away. Ask Salman Rushdie for his opinion on this, or even Sean O'Callaghan (someone in a similar boat).Also I would like to say that McGartlands hatred for Belfast has nothing to do with the people but everything to do with the IRA and sinn fein. His hatred was not borne out of a punishment beating his brother got either, that happened long after he had been rumbled (His brother was beaten for being a relation of a so called 'IRA Traitor'). The man's life is not about self-promotion, it's about self preservation. Pure and simple. His book is a fascinating insight into the IRA and the special branch, who have really scored an own goal for any future spies out there, You need only look at how they abandoned the author when he needed them most, think twice before you consider that career path. This is not a tiresome read from a tiresome man but an intriguing read ...God bless Martin McGartland and those like him who put the survival of others before their own safety. A great, honest and forthright read.

A Riveting Sequel to Fifty Dead Men Walking

In the latest sequel to his first work, Fifty Dead Men Walking, the author details his attempts to find the truth after he learns that his capture by the IRA (discussed in harrowing detail at the end of the first book) had been jointly arranged - McGartland had been deliberately sacrificed by the MI5 and the British Secret Service. The plot unfolds as McGartland attempts to deal with the news both emotionally and objectively that he has been sold down the river by those he was once so loyal too. The plot culminates in a daring personal fact-finding mission to Belfast and a final meeting/separation with his Belfast born wife and family. The book provides real insight into the harrowing lifestyle of the informers in this cause and the risks and sacrafices they made to further the peace process