Ken Wharton Long Long War

Annotation

The author of Bloody Belfast delivers ';a vivid and unforgettable record' of the Northern Irish conflict that captures the ';true horrors of war' (Best of British). There are stories from some of the most seminal moments during the troubles in Northern Irelandthe Crossmaglen firefights, the 1988 corporals killings, the Ballygawley bus bombing, and moretold from the perspective of the British soldiers who served there between 1969 and 1998. This was a war against terrorists who knew no mercy or compassion; a war involving sectarian hatred and violent death. Over 1,000 British lives were lost in a place just thirty minutes flying time away from the mainland. The British Army was sent into Northern Ireland on August 14, 1969, by the Wilson government as law and order had broken down and the population (mainly Catholics) and property were at grave risk. Between then and 1998, some 300,000 British troops served in Northern Ireland. This is their storyin their own wordsfrom first to last. Receiving a remarkable amount of cooperation from Northern Ireland veterans eager to tell their story, the author has compiled a vivid and unforgettable record. Their experiencessad and poignant, fearful and violent, courageous in the face of adversity, even downright hilariousmake for compelling reading. Their voices need to be heard. ';One of the first and only books to offer the perspective of regular British soldiers serving in the Northern Irish conflict... a valuable addition to the extensive literature about the Irish Troubles.' Choice