Bandit Country: The IRA and South Armagh

Toby Harnden is a knowledgeable and talented writer. I wholly enjoyed this book and hope this is just the first of many from him.

As other reviewers have commented, Harnden's impartiality will surprise many given the editorial line of his employer 'The Daily Telegraph'. He breaks new ground with his investigations, as he writes many people in South Armagh were open and candid with him as they wanted to tell the stories which had been ignored and/or misrepresented by the media for so long. The grudgng respect Britsh Army figures express for the PIRA will surprise, and the descriptions of operations are fascinating even for those generally more interested in politics than in military history.

Even the most biased can learn something from this book, it was an absolute eye opener. From the actual level of British presence in Ireland and the lengths that her people have gone to protect her, Bandit Country also gives an insight to how meticulously and secretly the IRA operates on and how intelligent the Volunteers are, both academically and worldly. It also gives an insight of the British soldiers that should not have been allowed patrol such an area due to their youth and time ahead of them in their life. Both sides lost promising people, no matter what your views are on the situation in Northern Ireland. What is most astonishing is that the book only covers one particular area in one of the 32 counties in Ireland, furthering your desire to investigate the other remaining counties situated north of Ireland. This book is a must read and if you are only to ever read one book on the situation in Northern Ireland, well this is it.

I found it very hard to put this book down at times. Toby Harnden approaches the subject in a thoroughly professional manner and reveals no bias for any side in his excellent book. Should be required reading for any student of Irish history.

OK, so the main battles that resulted in political breakthroughs were in the cities, but nonetheless, the county of South Armagh played an important role in the Northern Ireland Conflict. Reading books about the city operations in Belfast and Derry tends to get the reader more involved in the politics of the conflict than the actual day-to-day operations that the British Army and the IRA were involved in. By looking at this particular county, we can see how its fierce republicanism has helped to shape the conflict as a whole. This was where many of the British troops in Northern Ireland were killed and it became one of the most dangerous places to serve in in the British Army. This book gives a balanced view from all sides and even includes views from the SAS and undercover RUC units. A must read!