Armed Struggle: The History of the IRA

Richard English, a lecturer at Queen's University Belfast, writes dispassionately about the history and ideology of the Irish Republican Army. While the book primarily focuses on the Northern Ireland Troubles (1968-1998), English includes a short but essential history of the IRA's origins and its role as the carrier of the physical force torch. English makes some salient observations about how the civil rights movement in the 1960s, and the brutal reaction of the RUC and the B-Specials to it, precipitated a split in the IRA and the birth of the Provisionals. ARMED STRUGGLE is neither primer nor hagiography and at all times English maintains a scholarly tone and approach. Ultimately, he sees the IRA as both a visceral and political animal, attracting a wide range of volunteers, some idealistic and intellectual, others motivated by family history or personal grievance. He also recognizes the allure of this secretive organization with its promise of adventure for working-class men who face a future of numbing banality.The book is written for an informed reader, someone willing to wrestle with the mind-bending paradoxes of the Troubles. Fittingly, the decision by the Adams leadership to pursue the Peace Process and the ramifications of 1998's Good Friday Agreement receive a good deal of attention. The Catholic dimension of the IRA, however, is all but ignored here. English admits that others, like Padraig O'Malley in his fine BITING AT THE GRAVE, more satisfactorily examine how the IRA uses martyrdom - during the 1981 hunger strike in particular - as a weapon in its fight against British imperialism. The IRA's vigilantism and its regular use of punishment shootings and beatings as forms of social control is not comprehensively detailed in this history of the organization. The focus rarely shifts from those watershed moments in the IRA's war with the British Army that drive the narrative of Northern Ireland's recent history. The long conclusion of ARMED STRUGGLE offers a satisfying appraisal of the IRA. English ends by writing, "I myself am - in the end - not really persuaded by the IRA's argument that their violence was necessary or beneficial. But nor am I satisfied with the depiction of the IRA which casually or myopically condemns them."

One of the world's most sophisticated guerrilla movements, the Provisional IRA conducted a variety of operations within Northern Ireland for decades. Unlike many other "national liberation movements", the PIRA operated in an industrially-developed, "First World" nation. What was the nature of this organization, how did it gain supporters, what were it's grievances and how legitimate were they?Richard English attempts to answer some of these questions in this excellent book on the PIRA. He dedicates some of the book to previous incarnations of the Irish armed movement (the first-generation IRA struggle against the British after WW1; the falling out between the IRA and the newly-founded Irish state which ultimately led to the Irish Civil War; the IRA activity during WW2; and the IRA "border campaign" of the 1950's) but most of the book is devoted to describing the PIRA and some subsequent split offs like the Irish National Liberation Army, and the Official IRA, which the PIRA was actually a split-off of but eventually overshadowed in significance. Coverage is dedicated to all the significant periods of PIRA history: the Civil Rights movement & the Troubles which they were born out of, the "prison war", and the protracted and difficult peace process. Trace elements of the PIRA still remain (like the Continuity IRA and the Real IRA) still remain in Northern Ireland, and sectarian tension and strife remain high, with Irish and Protestant neighborhoods just as divided and bitter as they were in years past, but at least the violent tit-for-tat between the PIRA and loyalist/UK military forces came to an end, after the loss of almost 4,000 lives and many more bombings, violence and terror enforced by both sides. English's book does an excellent job describing the situation and how it got to that point, why the PIRA believed the things they did and acted the way they did, etc. Highly recommended.

This book clearly and concisely depicts the truth behind Ireland's struggles with England and the loyalists. I highly recommend this book.

This book presents a very thoughtful analysis of the conflict in Northern Ireland (and its historical precursors) and does so in an eminently readable style.I would highly recommend this book to anyone already well informed on the subject as well as to someone just cutting his or her teeth on the subject. To someone just broaching the subject, I would suggest that he or she read it with a timeline close to hand -- much is covered, and one can get lost in the myriad of people and events involved.

Though I am only half-way through this wonderful book, I must say that Richard English produced what I believe will be the definitive history of the Irish Republican Army. Long a student of Irish history, I am not new to the IRA and what motivated them. I can't get enough of this fine book, and I will be recommending it to my intellectually curious friends.

Balanced and well sourced. Very thoughtful analysis that places the IRA’s evolving thought and tactics in the context of local and international events. Very helpful in understanding how the GFA came about and why it has yet to come to full fruition.

The longest guerilla war in history was a terrible struggle for millions of Irishmen/women but hopefully the Peace Accord will prevail

I just finished the book Armed Struggle by Richard English. I have come to love this book, a very well written and detailed account of the I.R.A. from start to the Peace Agreement. While the later of the book mainly details the Provos its still a great book. He is non biased in his writing and exactly what i was looking for. I highly recomend this book to anyone interested in the i.r.a. and its history and motivations through out its inception.

Some reviewers have accused English of a pro-republican bias. I have to strongly disagree. The purpose of his book is to understand the IRA, what made them tick, how military strategy and political objectives were related. Necessarily, he quotes the views of republicans, but he does not do so uncritically or without context. He also makes it very clear in his conclusion that the IRA's armed struggle was, on balance, counterproductive. As he says, “[…] I myself am – in the end – not really persuaded by the IRA’s argument that their violence was necessary or beneficial. But nor am I satisfied with a depiction of the IRA which casually or myopically condemns them.” (384) Complex conflicts such as the Troubles are not a matter of black and white, good guys and bad guys. Some reviewers seem to have a problem with that concept. He also never allows facts and figures to sanitise the brutal acts committed. Again and again, he describes in harrowing detail the human cost of an IRA bombing or murder, the devastating impact on the families. Interestingly, he does not dwell on the pain inflicted by loyalist murders. If anything, he is therefore likely to create revulsion against the IRA rather than against its enemies! He even condemns the IRA on occasion: "For in terms of the most extreme instance of oppression - the IRA were easily the most active agent in the late-twentieth-century conflict in Ireland." (380) So much for an allegedly pro-IRA bias. He also points out that IRA violence, including punishment beatings / kneecappings, was sometimes motivated by selfishness rather than lofty ideals. The reader will not learn much about the enemies of the IRA, or indeed rival organisations such as INLA, but this is not surprising, as this book is about the IRA. English's analysis of the IRA is brilliant (and well written) in terms of ideology, policy, aims, and strategy, but rather thin on organisational, tactical and technical detail. He clearly understands this organisation and its protagonists, but this definitely does not mean that he justifies the violence. Just having finished the book, my bottom line is the depressing futility of the armed struggle.

Hard to get through this laborious book...Having read several books on the IRA such as Say Nothing by Patrick Garden Keefe; Making Sense of the Troubles by David McKittrick and David McVea; Voices from the Grave by Ed Maloney and Before the Dawn by Gerry Adams, to name just a few, I struggled to finish Armed Struggle...

Maybe not quite as good as the author would make out in his own preface perhaps, but well written nonetheless. I think I was more engaged with Tim Pat Coogan's work on the subject. Being consciously even-handed between Britain and republicanism creates a lot of additional "to be fair" and "on the other hand" expressions which can feel a bit verbose at times. Considering the state of Ulster in the 50s and 60s - a human rights joke - to try to blame the Troubles on the tactics of the civil rights movement perhaps suggests Mr English isn't as even-handed as he would like to think he is.

excellent book really worth the read. It debunks many of the myths that have grown up around the violence in Ireland. Written from a neutral standpoint and very well researched. If you want to know about the recent history in Ireland this is a great place to start. And what a sordid bigoted little war it was/is

An indepth study of this organisation.factual and full of insight at a personal level.Impressed with the authors ability to detach himself from taking sides and evaluating the facts as presented by the organisation.Always worth remembering there are two sides to every story and this presents just one side.history has a habit of repeating itself hope this time lessons can be learned in time!