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Richard O'Rawe

Afterlives: The Hunger Strike and the Secret Offer That Changed Irish History Paperback – 28 Oct. 2010

by Richard O'Rawe (Author), Ed Moloney (Foreword)

4.2 65 ratings

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By July 1981 four republican hunger strikers had already died in Long Kesh Prison. A fifth, Joe McDonnell, was clinging to life. To outsiders, Margaret Thatcher appeared unbending; yet, far from the prying eyes of the press, her government was making a substantial offer to the prisoners. On 5 July this offer was given to Gerry Adams in Belfast, and relayed to the prison leadership. In this important sequel to the bestseller Blanketmen, O’Rawe documents the four-year war of words that followed. He interviews former members of the IRA Army Council who claim that a five-man committee led by Adams had control of the hunger strike, keeping the Army Council in the dark about the British governments offer. He uses contemporary records to show that Thatcher had approved the offer but that Gerry Adams and the committee had replied it was ‘not enough’, telling the hunger strikers that ‘nothing was on the table’. The prison leadership accepted the British offer, but six hunger strikers went on to die. O’Rawe asks: why? This hidden history, using contemporaneous photographs, pinpoints the key players in the drama and their responses, identifying Mountain Climber, a Derry businessman who brokered the deal, and describing the contributors to the crucial hunger strike conferences of 2008-09. O’Rawe combines a moving and courageous personal record with first-hand documentation. He provides essential background and astringent commentary on the realpolitick of the peace process and republicanism in Northern Ireland today, and its impact upon the country as a whole.

Print length

227 pages
Language

English
Publisher

The Lilliput Press Ltd
Publication date

28 Oct. 2010
Dimensions

13.34 x 0.76 x 20.96 cm
ISBN-10

1843511843
ISBN-13

978-1843511847
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Richard O'Rawe
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Product description

Review

…a compelling, powerful and virtually incontestable case that in the summer of 1981 Gerry Adams and those around him thwarted a proposed settlement of the IRA/INLA hunger strikes’ ―ED MOLONEY, author of A Secret History of the IRA. ‘Afterlives by Richard O’ Rawe is the history of the deal that could have ended the hunger strikes in 1981 and is the book no historian of the period will be able to ignore. O’Rawe makes a contribution to history that is substantially greater than anything we’ve had to date.’ ―Page One Book

About the Author

Richard O'Rawe is author of Blanketmen, An Untold Story of the H-Block Hunger Strike (2005), acclaimed by reviewers across the political spectrum, from Maurice Hayes and Garret FitzGerald to Henry McDonald, Eamon McCann, Diarmuid Ferriter, Nell McCafferty and Richard English.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ The Lilliput Press Ltd; Reprint edition (28 Oct. 2010)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 227 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1843511843
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1843511847
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 13.34 x 0.76 x 20.96 cm

Best Sellers Rank: 1,137,494 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 610 in UK Politics
- 1,934 in European Governments & Politics
- 2,169 in Political History of Revolutions & Coups

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4.2 65 ratings

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James Smith

The truth is out there

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 October 2013

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Cards on the table, if ten hunger strikers wanted to die for their beliefs that is between them and their maker.At least they had a choice unlike most of their victims who were never given the same chance.

In saying that the I have no doubt that at least six of the hunger strikers would have lived if they had known the full extent of the British goverment offer.

Richard O'Rawe has written a compelling book which probably leaves more answers than questions but that is not the authors fault.

It's one of the better books I have read concerning the "Troubles"

I think the most compelling question he ask and never gets an answer too was, for decades the PIRA hirearchy have screamed from the rooftops for public enquiry after public enquiry into any goverment or loyalist action which resulted into the loss of live.The silence in not asking for a public enquiry about the death of their own members speaks volumes.

Mr. Adams is not known as teflon man for nothing.Maybe one day the whole truth will emerge,I won't be holding my breath

6 people found this helpful

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Friedland

A very brave personal account with stunning revelations...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 November 2010

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This book isn't for those without a previous (at least passing) background knowledge of the hunger strikes. So on that point anyone expecting a potted history lesson would be better picking up the author's previous work 'Blanketmen' or 'Ten Men Dead' by David Beresford.

But O'Rawe's current book is vital.

I'd always been raised on what is now termed the 'official version' of the Hunger Strikes. In other words the explanation offered by the Sinn Fein leadership of that time. I'd agree with the above poster that it makes for difficult reading on occasion, but confirms much of what had been hinted at amongst Republican activists over the years. Unfortunately many of those people were later alienated and made incommunicado by the same party who they'd worked very hard for in that time - mainly because they'd voiced healthy criticism that didn't tally with the current or future political direction Sinn Fein was going in.

Which perhaps explains why O'Rawe never raised these issues over the years previously. Hostility from those who were once friends and (more importantly) comrades could produce wounds more painful than any bullet.

This is perhaps why he should be commended on coming forwards and writing his account. It's vital (as Che Guevara once said) that "the revolutionary must stick to the truth as a finger sticks to the glove". I'm certain his friends who suffered and died in the H Blocks are deserving of that.

8 people found this helpful

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K Munden

Educational history of a divided nation

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 February 2021

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I bought this book, to help me understand why the sectarian divide & violence was killing innocent Irish citizens.
Being Irish but leaving at the heights of the troubles , I lived in constant fear of being associated with the killings

One person found this helpful

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Séamas

Richard O'Rawe

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 June 2020

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Justifies the first book' "Blanketmen"

One person found this helpful

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xxxxx

A good read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 February 2015

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about irish history. I would recommend this book too anyone that wants to know both sides of the story of the 1981 hunger strike

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 July 2012

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A very interesting look at the republican hunger strike. A bit repetitive at times, but superb insight to the inner circle & mechanisations of the modern day republican movement.

One person found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 April 2017

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Gerry Adams and the committee have the blood of six of the hunger strikers on their hands

2 people found this helpful

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collie

The truth at last

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 May 2013

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Gerry Adams and co, will never tell the truth. Even if a truth commission is set up. I have to congratulate Richard O,Rawe for telling the truth, knowing as he does that Republicans have long memories.

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Afterlives: The Hunger Strike and the Secret Offer That Changed Irish History Paperback – 28 Oct. 2010

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