ARMED STRUGGLE ‘Superb . . . the first full history of the IRA and the best overall account of the organization. English writes to the highest scholarly standards . . . Moreover, he writes with the common reader in mind: he has crafted a fine balance of detail and analysis and his prose is clear, fresh and jargon-free . . . sets a new standard for debate on republicanism’ Peter Hart, Irish Times ‘An outstanding new book on the IRA . . . a calm, rational but in the end devastating deconstruction’ Henry McDonald, Observer ‘This is an essential book. At a stroke it replaces the many journalistic “histories” of the IRA . . . closely reasoned, formidably intelligent and utterly compelling . . . required reading across the political spectrum . . . Armed Struggle also provides a crisp historical overview, surveying the territory from the 1900s with a wealth of acute insights to be savoured by the cognoscenti . . . English’s book is gripping . . . but Armed Struggle is at its most compulsive in its sympathetic but relentless exploration of the arguments and logic that led the IRA and Sinn Fein to their present position’ Roy Foster, The Times ‘A great book. What impressed me most was the way Richard English managed to present such an historical and contradictory mess with such clarity and fairness. The book grabbed and held me like a very good novel’ Roddy Doyle, author of A Star Called Henry ‘An enormous challenge of narrative, historical research and tact. In all these regards, English succeeds . . . his description of what he refers to as the “personal” consequences of republican violence is ultimately as heartbreaking as it is dispassionate’ Joseph O’Neill, Guardian ‘This is a book whose time has come. At a historic moment when Irish republicanism is in the process of redefining itself, a highly-talented historian gives a compelling analysis of its past. The book’s genius lies in its non- judgemental approach, an approach which has induced many leading republicans to speak more frankly to Richard English than they have done to any previous historian . . . captivating, authoritative and highly readable . . . It is masterly and hard-hitting and is likely to become something of a modern classic’ Marianne Elliott, author of The Catholics of Ulster ‘A marvellous piece of work: insightful, seriously academic and articulate, both in terms of its language and the maturity of its emotional content . . . Here is an author fully in command of his data sources and arguments. His book is immensely readable, coherent, systematic and thoughtful . . . an important book’ Mike Ritchie, Ireland on Sunday ‘From the stream of recent publications chronicling the IRA campaign . . . Armed Struggle: The History of the IRA by Queen’s academic Richard English is almost certainly the best, benefiting from a cool, dispassionate approach’ Belfast Telegraph ‘About Richard English’s Armed Struggle: The History of the IRA there is a kind of passionate objectivity you’ll rarely find on this subject. The author works mightily to present two sides of a story that keeps shifting. You might read the book wondering, perhaps, where his sympathies lie, but even if you sneak a look at the last chapter, where he lays out his credentials, you’ll come away impressed with his balance and fairness . . . this is the one book I recommend for anyone trying to understand the craziness and complexity of the Northern Ireland tragedy’ Frank McCourt, author of Angela’s Ashes ‘The best study of the Provisional IRA to have appeared so far . . . Professor English’s important book should be read and thought over by all those who are committed to the cause of democracy in Ireland and Britain’ Anthony Coughlan, Irish Democrat ‘With fine detail and a flair for narrative, Richard English chronicles the rise of the IRA from the ashes of the Easter Rising to the promise of peace today. Balanced and thoughtful, Armed Struggle offers new insight into Ireland’s republican movement. And it reminds us, in the author’s words, that “the voices of the victims still deafen” ’ Terry Golway, author of The Irish in America ‘Distinguished not only by his mastery of the sources, but by a deep understanding of the mentalities that drive republican violence, as well as a sensitivity to its cost’ George Boyce, author of Nationalism in Ireland ‘An elegant, erudite and accessible piece of scholarship. It draws on a phenomenal range of oral, literary and historical sources . . . a significant contribution to the literature that will be the standard reading for the foreseeable future’ Paul Arthur, author of Special Relationships: Britain, Ireland and the Northern Ireland Problem ‘The best overview of the IRA campaign that there is . . . assessed and interpreted by one of the finest intellects in the country’ Malachi O’Doherty, Fortnight Magazine ‘A provocative and essential book for anyone trying to understand Northern Ireland’s tempestuous recent history . . . English’s balanced and complex account of the IRA, more particularly the Provisional IRA, will help anyone understand the strong feelings and difficult issues behind today’s headlines’ Publishers’ Weekly ‘The best analytical history of the IRA yet written. Even those who grew up with the Troubles will find it a provocative and freshly compelling work. More importantly, perhaps, fifty years from now it will still be required reading – generations who look back and wonder what the Northern conflict was all about will find many of their answers here. Superb . . . the rigour and depth of English’s analysis is exceptional’ Niall Strange, Sunday Business Post ‘This impressively intense account of the IRA since its birth nearly a century ago is timely . . . The exhaustive research informing Richard English’s work is obvious. But what gives the book substance is the detachment with which the facts are delivered . . . a considerable, and unquestionably valuable, achievement’ Robert Kee, BBC History Magazine ‘A substantial, serious book which helps to make sense of the Irish conflict . . . This is the first major study to give proper weight to the IRA’s claim of genealogical continuity with the early Irish Volunteer organization. English provides the first synoptic view that is truly scholarly – not indeed that it is lacking in colourful or gruesome detail, but that the whole narrative is informed by a clear and consistent analytical agenda’ Charles Townshend, History Today ‘A fresh, authoritative and splendidly written book. In the historiography of the northern conflict, it will be classified as indispensable reading . . . The great strengths of the book are its lucid narrative style and its penetrating analysis of motivations and events. In a competitive market it bids fair to become the standard reference work on the Provisional IRA’ John A. Murphy, Sunday Independent ‘A classic work that will be debated for years to come . . . surely one of the most judicious pieces ever written on the IRA’ Jonathan Tonge, Irish Political Studies ‘Casts valuable new light on the development of republican thinking and strategy’ Liam Clarke, Sunday Times ‘Well-written, thoughtful and controlled history of the organization . . . a dispassionate evaluation, in which the author’s intelligence disciplines his own politics to produce a full-visioned and strategic understanding of the modern IRA’s origins, growth, evolution and ceasefires’ Brendan O’Leary, Times Higher Education Supplement Richard English was born in Belfast in 1963. He is professor of politics at Queen’s University, Belfast, and his previous books include Ernie O’Malley: IRA Intellectual (1998) and Radicals and the Republic: Socialist Republicanism in the Irish Free State 1925-1937 (1994). He has written widely on Irish politics and history, including work in Newsweek, the Times Literary Supplement, the Times Higher Education Supplement and in Irish magazines including Fortnight and the Dublin Review. He has also worked extensively as a media commentator on Irish politics, including work for the New York Times, the BBC and the Guardian. RICHARD ENGLISH ARMED STRUGGLE THE HISTORY OF THE IRA PAN BOOKS First published 2003 by Macmillan This edition published 2004 by Pan Books This electronic edition published 2008 by Pan Books an imprint of Pan Macmillan Ltd Pan Macmillan, 20 New Wharf Rd, London N1 9RR Basingstoke and Oxford Associated companies throughout the world www.panmacmillan.com ISBN 978-0-330-47579-2 in Adobe Reader format ISBN 978-0-330-47578-5 in Adobe Digital Editions format ISBN 978-0-330-47580-8 in Mobipocket format Copyright © Richard English 2003 The right of Richard English to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. You may not copy, store, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Visit www.panmacmillan.com to read more about all our books and to buy them. You will also find features, author interviews and news of any author events, and you can sign up for e-newsletters so that you’re always first to hear about our new releases.