The British Army in Northern Ireland

London: Arms and Armour Press, 1985. Hard Back. Near Fine/Near Fine. 6 1/4" x 9 1/4. 270 Pages Indexed. A 1985 Reprint Edition of the 1985 Copyright. No defects noted. Interior text pages are flawless. Dust Jacket pprice 19.95 is unclipped. In 1969, British soldiers were ordered into the streets of riot-torn Belfast, their task to form a disciplined human buffer between two warring communities inspired by a centuries-old fear and hatred. They had seen such scenes before, and had been stoned, shouted at and fired upon from both sides - during the British retreat from empire in the preceding two decades. But now the troubles were in the United Kingdom itself - on their own doorsteps. As the level of conflict escalated, so the role of the peacekeepers became increasingly dangerous: bricks were followed by petrol bombs, sniper's bullets, mortar bombs, mines and even rockets. Civilians died; so too did soldiers. The hostilities did not cease; nor have they since. The fear and mutual hatred, legacy of centuries of suspicion and resentment, remain to this day. And between the two communities still stands the British soldier, carrying on with a job that few armies are trained to handle. This compelling study of military intervention in civil affairs is told with the authority of first-hand experience by a serving soldier - one who was there. As succeeding chapters make clear, the battle is as much to win the hearts and minds of the people as it is to defeat the terrorists of the IRA. Throughout the story, the author describes the tactics, methods and equipment evolved by the Army to meet the ever-changing challenge of the IRA, their sympathizers and their opponents- from howling mobs and decoy children to car bombs and mobile mortars. Accounts of specific incidents as experienced by some of the regiments that have served 'tours' in the province, including the Paras, the Green Jackets, the Royal Artillery and the Royal Marines, convey vividly the feel of being out on patrol in Belfast and Londonderry - where at every street corner there might be a high-velocity rifle pointing directly at your back. Illustrated with photos, maps, and drawings on most pages.