{"title":"Books by Martin Dillon","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9780099845201","title":"The Dirty War","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'This excellent book demands the attention of anyone concerned about civil liberties in the United Kingdom' \u003ci\u003eGuardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e1969 was a year of rising tension, violence and change for the people of Northern Ireland. Rioting in Derry's Bogside led to the deployment of British troops and a shortlived, uneasy truce.  The British army soon found itself engaged in an undercover war against the Provisional IRA, which was to last for more than twenty years. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn this enthralling and controversial book, Martin Dillon, author of the bestselling \u003ci\u003eThe Shankill Butchers\u003c\/i\u003e, examines the roles played by the Provisional IRA, the State forces, the Irish Government and the British Army during this troubled period.  He unravels the mystery of war in which informers, agents and double agents operate, revealing disturbing facts about the way in which the terrorists and the Intelligence Agencies target, undermine and penetrate each other's ranks. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Dirty War\u003c\/i\u003e is investigative reporting at its very best, containing startling disclosures and throwing new light on previously inexplicable events.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56223944966517,"sku":"9780099845201","price":11.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780099845201_e3ace033-38dd-48a9-b300-7af8a6117972.jpg?v=1786010970"},{"product_id":"9780099738107","title":"The Shankill Butchers","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe bestselling investigation of one of Northern Ireland's most brutal and infamous murder cases\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Makes for gripping but altogether terrifying reading' \u003ci\u003eWashington Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Dillon is recommended reading for anyone wishing to understand the complexities of British-Irish politics. He stands alone as one of the most creative writers of our time' \u003ci\u003eIrish Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'This was the ultimate way to kill a man.'\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the 1970s, in some of the most violent days of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, a group of Protestant paramilitaries embarked on a spree of indiscriminate murder in the Shankill area of Belfast, leaving thirty Catholics dead.  Their leader was Lenny Murphy: a fanatical Unionist whose childhood was marked by sectarian violence, Murphy swore revenge on all Catholics, and with his gang wreaked havoc onto an already fractured city.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNot for the squeamish, \u003ci\u003eThe Shankill Butchers\u003c\/i\u003e is a horrifying and detailed account of one of the most brutal series of murders in the history of Northern Ireland - a phenomenon whose real nature has been obscured by the troubled and violent context from which it sprang.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56223946047861,"sku":"9780099738107","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780099738107_35bdee70-7d9e-459c-978b-05d9eca65c06.jpg?v=1786011803"},{"product_id":"9781780575827","title":"Rogue Warrior of the SAS","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA revealing biography of the most decorated soldier of World War II\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMore than half a century after his death, Lt Col. Robert Blair Mayne is still regarded as one of the greatest soldiers in the history of military special operations. He was the most decorated British soldier of World War II, receiving four DSOs, the Croix de Guerre, and the Légion d'honneur, and he pioneered tactics used today by the SAS and other special operations units worldwide. \u003ci\u003eRogue Warrior of the SAS\u003c\/i\u003e tells the remarkable life story of \"Colonel Paddy,\" whose exceptional physical strength and uniquely swift reflexes made him a fearsome opponent. But his unorthodox rules of war and his resentment of authority would deny him the ultimate accolade of the Victoria Cross. Mayne also had a conflicted personal life, dominated by his mother. He never married and several of his contemporaries felt that his resentment of gays in the military reflected his concerns about his own sexuality. Mayne was undoubtedly a complex character and here the authors have presented a rounded and perceptive portrait of the man. Drawing on personal letters and family papers, declassified SAS files and records, together with the Official SAS Diary compiled in wartime and eyewitness accounts from many who served with him, the picture emerges of a soldier who, although a flawed hero, was unquestionably one of the most distinctive combatants of the campaigns in the Western Desert and Europe.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56312802115957,"sku":"9781780575827","price":11.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781780575827_4ce43575-79e7-456c-8369-f55b23d2a345.jpg?v=1786025654"},{"product_id":"9781785375415","title":"The Sorrow and the Loss","description":"\u003cp\u003eAward-winning journalist and bestselling author Martin Dillon returns to shine a light on the role of women in the Troubles, amplifying voices long silenced by the din of history.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThrough raw and compelling testimonies from both sides of the community, Dillon explores the overlooked perspectives of women whose lives were impacted by the brutal conflict.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSome were directly involved in violence as members of paramilitary organisations. Many witnessed the ruthless murders of family members. All were profoundly and irrevocably affected by the violence and its aftermath.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFormer IRA volunteers, the wife of notorious UDA Commander Stevie ‘ Top Gun’ McKeag, a survivor of the 1974 Dublin bombings and the daughter of a murdered judge share their stories among many others, their words reverberating with the intensity of their experiences.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDillon also unmasks the shadowy dealings of British intelligence and the impact of collusion on unsolved murders, exposing the layers of deception that have haunted families and communities.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Sorrow and the Loss is an eye-opening exploration of the previously unwritten history of the Troubles.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56312852152693,"sku":"9781785375415","price":18.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781785375415_9eb5c17e-770d-4ac1-8b19-6ee8fd76d78c.jpg?v=1786025926"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-martin-dillon.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}