Undercover War

Britain's Special Forces and their secret battle against the IRA

Harry McCallion

• Publisher: John Blake
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9781789463347
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Military Biographies
• Index: History

When British troops first deployed to Northern Ireland in 1969, to halt the threat of a new rising force - the Provisional Irish Republican Army - they could not have known that the longest campaign in the British Army's history was beginning. While patrols, vehicle bombs and incendiary speeches are the defining memories of the Troubles, the real war was fought out of sight and out of mind. For thirty years, Britain's Special Forces waged a ferocious, secretive struggle against a ruthless and implacable enemy. Harry McCallion offers a unique insight into nearly every major military action and operation in the Province, having served seven tours with the Parachute Regiment, passed selection for 14 Intelligence Company, completed six years with the SAS anti-terrorism team, and joined the Royal Ulster Constabulary, receiving two commendations for bravery during his service. This book is his blistering account of the history of Britain's war against the IRA between 1970 and 1988 - the most murderous years of the conflict - drawn from his own operational experience and backed by first-hand accounts and unpublished documents. From new insights into high-profile killings and riveting accounts of enemy contact, to revelations about clandestine missions and strategies in combating a merciless enemy, Undercover War is the definitive inside story of the battle against the IRA, one of the most dangerous and effective terrorist organisations in recent history.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Glossary
• CHAPTER ONE    The Beginning: The MRF
• CHAPTER TWO    Incognito: The First Deployment of the SAS
• CHAPTER THREE    Hard Lessons: 14 Intelligence Company (1974–80)
• CHAPTER FOUR    A Savage War: The Second Deployment of the SAS (1974–79)
• CHAPTER FIVE    Re-Organisation: The RUC Enters the Fray
• CHAPTER SIX    Expansion: The SAS (1980–85)
• CHAPTER SEVEN    Death of a Hero: The Det (1980–85)
• CHAPTER EIGHT    The Enemy: Republican and Loyalist Terrorist Groups (1969–86)
• CHAPTER NINE    The Tyrone Brigade: The SAS (1985–90 – I)
• CHAPTER TEN    Death in the Sun: The SAS (1985–90 – II)
• CHAPTER ELEVEN    Operations: The SAS (1985–90 – III)
• CHAPTER TWELVE    9 Det: The Det (1985–95)
• CHAPTER THIRTEEN    The Reaping Machine: The SAS (1990–97 – I)
• CHAPTER FOURTEEN    Sniper at Work: The SAS (1990–97 – II)
• CHAPTER FIFTEEN    Reflections
• About the Author
• Acknowledgements
• Plates