- Unknown Binding: 49 pages
- Publisher: Ruby Gerontology Center, California State University, Fullerton (1991)
- Language English
- ASIN: B0006DIHJM
- Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
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First Sentence
At the time I became one of Her Majesty's customs officers I was about to become one of Her official enemies-a member of the Provisional IRA. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
At the time I became one of Her Majesty's customs officers I was about to become one of Her official enemies-a member of the Provisional IRA. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Collins was born in 1954 and joined the IRA in late 70s. Not a dry history but a very exciting book from the inside. It contains a number of nicknames of leading IRA men scap,hardbap,mooch,hawk etc in the area who have since been named in other books and publications. Collins became part of an intelligence unit as well as an internal security unit in his native newry area. He was arrested in 1985 and became an informer however he quickly changed his mind but stayed on remand in prison for 2 years. The IRA exiled him as he didn't testify against them. He lived in Southern Ireland for 3 years,returning to Belfast for 2 years to work quietley in a college,then to Edinburgh,Scotland as a community worker.Finally in 1994 he returned to his home area thinking he was safe. He made a tv programme in 95 talking about his life which was critical of the IRA then in 97 this book was published,a devastating critique of the provos. After regularly receiving death threats he was brutally beaten to death.
One of the ironies of the case is a number of the IRA men who were his former colleagues and were critical of him,were themselves later revealed to be informers including stakeknife/scap. It has to be said ALL autobiographies are prone to be one sided and to minimize wrong doing but this is a great book revealing operations ,methodology and IRA /Sinn Fein tensions at that time.
One of the ironies of the case is a number of the IRA men who were his former colleagues and were critical of him,were themselves later revealed to be informers including stakeknife/scap. It has to be said ALL autobiographies are prone to be one sided and to minimize wrong doing but this is a great book revealing operations ,methodology and IRA /Sinn Fein tensions at that time.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Collins was killed in 1999,probably by republicans disgusted by his break with the IRA and his subsequent public denunciations of republicanism,especially the paramilitary variety.
This is a narrative of his coming of age,his involvement with the IRA,up to and including murder,his subsequeny arrest,confession and retraction,his break with republicanism and a short account of life in exile in the Irish Republic and scotland,with musings about life after armed republicanism.
He freely admits to becoming something close to non-human,someone purely obsessed with eliminating his enemies,and he has the grace to say sorry to all of his victims.
Problem is that his account of republican politics seems projected backwards from after his break with the IRA.He claims his disillusionment set in long before the break,but he had no problems continuing in an organisation he says he detested,and he also states he could have left the IRA with few or no problems.
Still,a good insight into the banality of evil,Northern Ireland-style.
This is a narrative of his coming of age,his involvement with the IRA,up to and including murder,his subsequeny arrest,confession and retraction,his break with republicanism and a short account of life in exile in the Irish Republic and scotland,with musings about life after armed republicanism.
He freely admits to becoming something close to non-human,someone purely obsessed with eliminating his enemies,and he has the grace to say sorry to all of his victims.
Problem is that his account of republican politics seems projected backwards from after his break with the IRA.He claims his disillusionment set in long before the break,but he had no problems continuing in an organisation he says he detested,and he also states he could have left the IRA with few or no problems.
Still,a good insight into the banality of evil,Northern Ireland-style.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Collins comments in his introduction that none of the "endless books and films" about Northern Ireland "had touched the heart of the true horror". Collins' autobiography of a deeply disillusioned IRA volunteer contains a variety of dimensions that capture a lot of that horror. This book is a mix of terrorist action, pettiness and incompetence, some good sociological insights and critical analyses, together with a pretty frank and honest inner psychological narrative.
It starts with a very readable account of Collins' family and upbringing and then the factors that lead to his joining the IRA. These are interesting, because, besides his arrest together with his father and brother at the age of 18, and the brutal treatment received at the hands of the British army, we find the crucial influence of the small but (at universities) ubiquitous and ever-pernicious Revolutionary Communists. Absurd as it may seem, an Irishman from republican border territory is led towards the IRA by a middle-class English member of the revolutionary communists, and Collins' account of the brainwashing effect of repeated marches and meetings is most interesting. We then get a fascinating in-depth and detailed story of his ambivalent thoughts and feelings towards, and accumulating disillusionment with the republican movement. This account includes detailed descriptions of IRA operations and also a diverse array of IRA volunteers. Collins' roles within the IRA included planning, intelligence, recruiting and de-briefing and he doesn't hold back on any of the details. His story shows an IRA devoid of glamour, peopled by a range of characters whose psychology and personalities Collins manages to bring alive. He is deeply conscious of the suffering in which he played a key role and there is none of the mechanical 'people get killed in war' type of cop-out in his description of death. Such incidents range from the anguished reaction of a UDR man's wife and child as they witness his death, to the IRA man who incinerates himself in a fire-bomb attack and, abandoned by his colleagues, runs three miles home, naked and charred. (He dies of his injuries several weeks later.) The latter part of the book contains a graphic account of Collins' interrogation by police, including the psychological dimension, and his subsequent collaboration with the state. Although he eventually retracts, there are some fascinating glimpses into a rather quirky social grouping which crosses sectarian divides - the supergrass community! This is thus a wide-ranging book which gives innumerable insights into the world which Collins inhabited.
It starts with a very readable account of Collins' family and upbringing and then the factors that lead to his joining the IRA. These are interesting, because, besides his arrest together with his father and brother at the age of 18, and the brutal treatment received at the hands of the British army, we find the crucial influence of the small but (at universities) ubiquitous and ever-pernicious Revolutionary Communists. Absurd as it may seem, an Irishman from republican border territory is led towards the IRA by a middle-class English member of the revolutionary communists, and Collins' account of the brainwashing effect of repeated marches and meetings is most interesting. We then get a fascinating in-depth and detailed story of his ambivalent thoughts and feelings towards, and accumulating disillusionment with the republican movement. This account includes detailed descriptions of IRA operations and also a diverse array of IRA volunteers. Collins' roles within the IRA included planning, intelligence, recruiting and de-briefing and he doesn't hold back on any of the details. His story shows an IRA devoid of glamour, peopled by a range of characters whose psychology and personalities Collins manages to bring alive. He is deeply conscious of the suffering in which he played a key role and there is none of the mechanical 'people get killed in war' type of cop-out in his description of death. Such incidents range from the anguished reaction of a UDR man's wife and child as they witness his death, to the IRA man who incinerates himself in a fire-bomb attack and, abandoned by his colleagues, runs three miles home, naked and charred. (He dies of his injuries several weeks later.) The latter part of the book contains a graphic account of Collins' interrogation by police, including the psychological dimension, and his subsequent collaboration with the state. Although he eventually retracts, there are some fascinating glimpses into a rather quirky social grouping which crosses sectarian divides - the supergrass community! This is thus a wide-ranging book which gives innumerable insights into the world which Collins inhabited.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Another Great Book
Another great book. in grave detail it gives u a day to day account what went on during the troubles in south Armagh.An excellent read would reccomend to anyone
Published 14 months ago by Miss Keady
Troubles
A very interesting and factual book. Highly recommended and very well told. As an "outsider" made very interesting reading covering the troubles.
Published on 26 Jan 2010 by Mr. Alan L. Theobald
An insight into the IRA
Having travelled around Northern Ireland visiting relatives and hearing stories of events during the 'troubles', I wanted to learn more. Read more
Published on 4 Sep 2009 by Mr. M. B. Hill
The best advertisement against pointless sectarianism
Thank goodness this type of behaviour has stopped in Northern Ireland. But with the mentalities of those that have perpetrated pointless sectarian violence for decades in Ireland... Read more
Published on 19 May 2007 by N. DAVIES
Simply astounding
At first, Collins shops his Customs and Excise colleagues to the IRA. People die.But he thinks this is okay, as he's an IRA man, although an intellectual one. Read more
Published on 10 Mar 2007 by helen
A gruesome but unique book on the NI conflict
I have read probably too many books on NI but this is the one I would recommend above all others since it is an amazing insight into how a terrorist(there is no other word that... Read more
Published on 21 Mar 2004 by Siriam
A real eye-opener on what really goes on.
After reading many books about the troubles in Northern Ireland I thought that this would be the same as the rest but Eammon has done what no other person has done and given me a... Read more
Published on 10 Dec 2001
Interesting insight - but to be taken with a pinch of salt
Extremely interesting book. I live in the Newry area (the area where Collins was an IRA member) and it is fascinating to read details of local operations I remember seeing and... Read more
Published on 2 Sep 2001
An amazing insight into the IRA.
As an ex member of the armed forces I was very dismissive of this book until I actually read it. The story of Eamon Collins is fascinating and I would recommend it to anyone who... Read more
Published on 21 May 2001
Thought-provoking and real
I sat down to read the book with only a vague understanding of the Troubles. Living on the other side of the world and only quite young throughout most of the violence, I only had... Read more
Published on 27 Mar 2001
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