Bandit Country (Paperback)

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Product Description
'Tremendous ... If you are to read only one book about the modern IRA, this should be it’
Irish Times
South Armagh was described as ‘Bandit Country’ by Merlyn Rees when he was Northern Ireland Secretary and for nearly three decades it has been the most dangerous posting in the world for a British soldier.
Toby Harnden has stripped away the myth and propaganda associated with South Armagh to produce one of the most compelling and important books of the Troubles. Drawing on secret documents and interviews in South Armagh’s recent history, he tells the inside story of how the IRA came close to bringing the British state to its knees. For the first time, the identities of the men behind the South Quay and Manchester bombings are revealed. Packed with new information, 'BANDIT COUNTRY' penetrates the IRA and the security forces in South Armagh.

From the Author
A terrifying and intimate portrait of the IRA's heartland
I have attempted to strip away the myth and propaganda of both sides to produce what I hope will be recognised as one of the most compelling and important books of the Troubles. During four years as a journalist working in Northern Ireland, I carried out interviews with members of the IRA, RUC, Irish police and British Army (including SAS), building up an intimate picture of the IRA in South Armagh from the protagonists themselves. I also had access to secret Army and RUC documents which contained previously-undisclosed details of undercover operations. The book links the IRA's success during the Troubles to the history of lawlessness and rebellion in the area - which is referred to by republican's as "God's Country". The reader will find out the identities of the IRA men who bombed England in the 1990s (the Docklands, Baltic Exchange, Bishopsgate and Manchester bombs were all mixed in barns in South Armagh before being transported across the Irish Sea on ferries of by freight). My aim was to provide answers to a series of questions: Why is South Armagh such a place apart? What sort of people have joined the IRA and how do they live their lives? What has driven these men to the point where the end will justify any means? What has it been like for the outsider to be pitted against such men? Why has the South Armagh Brigade been consistently more effective than the IRA in any other area? What has been the human cost of this fight for Irish freedom? Very few books about the Troubles focus on an area and bring the conflict down to the level of families, farmhouses and fields. I have not spared the reader the horrors of what has happened and there are pictures of bodies and the aftermath of incidents that some people might find distressing.The full story of the death of Captain Robert Nairac, an undercover Army officer, is told. There is also an account of how the SAS captured the IRA's elite sniper unit in April 1997. There are chapters on arms buying in America, the interrogations of informers, sniper attacks, bombs in England, Thomas 'Slab' Murphy. Among the important new stories contained in the book is the tale of how an Irish police officer working for the IRA betrayed the most senior RUC officer to be killed during the Troubles. But there are also details of how loyalist paramilitaries were assisted by RUC members - I want this book to be read by both 'sides' in the conflict rather than seen as a polemical work pushing a particular political agenda. I believe that on of its overall strengths is the amount of new detail contained throughout - the book is not just a collection of what is already in the public domain. It is also written in an accessible way, aimed not just at the Northern Ireland aficionado but also at the general reader who wants to find out what the IRA is about. What more can I say? If you buy this book (which is 400 pages plus and 16 pages of pictures for just £9.99 - £7.99 from Amazon)then I can say with my hand on my heart that you will not be disappointed. I welcome communication by email from any readers or potential readers. I now work in Washington DC. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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25 Reviews 5 star:  (23) 4 star:  (2) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.9 out of 5 stars (25 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   9 of 9 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars EXCELLENTLY RESEARCHED, 26 Jun 2003 By  "andi9999" - See all my reviews This review is from: Bandit Country: The IRA and South Armagh (Paperback) Having read alot of books about the troubles in Northern Ireland, never have I come across one as good as this. The raeson for this being how well it has been researched, Toby Harnden obviously devoted so much effort in trying to find out what went on South Armagh over the 25 year period this book spans. Yet he has included only the neccasery details to keep the reader interested unlike some others books which can bore you with such detailed accounts of dates, times and places etc. This book gets across the facts you need to know to be able to understand how the most efficient and ruthless brigade of the I.R.A operated and was organised. I would definately reccomend this book to anyone, even somebody who is not interested Northern Ireland terrorism, because this book is so interesting you will be afterwards. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   14 of 15 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars A well researched and fascinating book, 11 Oct 2003 By  Darren Simons (Middlesex, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)       For a long time I’ve looked for a book that gives a fair description of the history of the IRA and the “Troubles” – this book described itself as that and is certainly not far off the mark. The subject area is not the whole history of the IRA but instead is focussed on South Armagh, the home of the IRA’s South Armagh Brigade. Famous for being the toughest posting for a soldier from the British Army, South Armagh sits on the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, the forefront of the modern-day Troubles. The book is incredibly well-researched with extensive quotes from members of the IRA, British Army, politicians from both Ireland and Britain, as well as locals who have lived throughout events that have so often led the news. I strongly recommend this book to anyone looking to get an insight into the roots of what has happened in South Armagh in the past 30 years, without being overburderned with the author’s political opinion – the author Toby Harnden does an excellent job in my view in remaining completely impartial. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   10 of 11 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars South Armagh Uncovered., 3 Jun 2004 By  "jc1981" - See all my reviews This book will probably (and judging from some reaction, has) attract readers from outside those who read anything with a relevance to the North, and the struggle, be it from either perspective. This is probably partially because it deals with a specific place, and the events that have happened there over a very long period of time. It also places these events in their context, the context of the long series of wars that have ravaged Ireland. Included in this chronology of wars, interestingly, is the Irish War of Independence, and also the Civil War that followed. Books that deal with the Civil War in an unbiased way are pretty thin on the ground, and it was refreshing to read of the local scene, in the preparation for war once it was clear that Collins’ way, and the way of South Armagh, could not be reconciled. A fascinating read, and this book should have paved the way for more such works. “Ballymurphy and the Irish War” was a decent offering, but the potential still remains for more work to explore, and tease out the intricacies of the Troubles in this way. This is especially salient given that Paul Murphy is making noises about how great he thinks the Truth And Reconciliation Forum in South Africa is. There is clearly going to be a demand for personalised, and localised stories pertaining to the Troubles in the future, and books such as this, with the level of painstaking research that goes hand-in-had with them, are going to be particularly valuable. South Armagh is, somewhat notoriously, the most clannish of all geographical republican families, with the book detailing how members of the same families were British security targets from the 1920s to the 1990s. This places in true context how important this book is as a study of the development over time of the civil strife on a local level, and as such, is of value to anyone with even a passing interest in the subject. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this) Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review › See all 25 customer reviews...		Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars Bandit Country This book is a must for anyone interested in the South Armagh PIRA,every major incident is recorded here-from Robert Nairacs grizzly end through to the infamous sniper... Read more Published 14 days ago by Douglas george hall 5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible and Accurate Anyone interested in the Irish conflict simply must read this book. From start to finish the book accuarately details the plans, movements and attacks carried out by the most... Read more Published 6 months ago by Ryan Martin 5.0 out of 5 stars ? I do not read many books so tend to stick to historic or autobiographical books. I found this book to be the best book I have ever read. Read more Published 10 months ago by Raymond Darling 5.0 out of 5 stars I hate terrorism even more after it. GREAT book. I had already read 'The Informer' by Sean O' Callaghan and 'Killing Rage' by Eamon Collins (both former IRA men and both excellent books) and this was a great book too. Read more Published 18 months ago by former republican 5.0 out of 5 stars "The only 'bandits' we ever saw in South Armagh wore British uniforms"..... I often make a mental note to write reviews for numerous items I've purchased from Amazon, but lazyness usually get the better of me, but, alas, for Toby Harnden's 'Bandit... Read more Published on 31 May 2007 by A. Fitzgerald 4.0 out of 5 stars A Political Nightmare What a fantastic book, being a wife of a so called 'BRIT' and understanding what difficulties religion can bring even in Scotland, I found this a very interesting read indeed... Read more Published on 7 May 2003 5.0 out of 5 stars Reads like fiction! This is one of the best books that I have ever read on the so called 'troubles' in the north of Ireland. Read more Published on 22 Mar 2002 by sasnach@irishmail.net 5.0 out of 5 stars this book is hard to put down The author has gained extraordnary access to the traditionally close to the vest combatants from this local, ancient, and fierce war. Read more Published on 21 Aug 2001 5.0 out of 5 stars simply amazing Hailing from derry and therefore having my own opinions regarding the IRA, the SAS, and other "alphabet societies",I found this book to be absolutely mind-blowing... Read more Published on 25 May 2001 5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best! One of the most interesting and detailed books on the troubles that I have read. This book inspired me to travel to South Armagh and see it for myself. Mind Blowing!!! Published on 6 Jan 2001 Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews › See all 25 customer reviews...

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