Shadows: Inside Northern Ireland's Special Branch
Alan Barker
Dec 2012 · Random House
4.4star
21 reviewsreport
Ebook
240
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About this ebook
In the early hours of 30 April 2003, twelve armed and uniformed officers accompanied by four plain-clothes detectives burst into Alan Barker's house. They stayed for hours, turning over rooms, seizing documents, impounding computers, files and anything else that interested them. The family were treated as terrorist suspects, the operation resembling so many others in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. But Alan Barker was and is no terrorist. In fact, he has spent his adult life fighting terrorism on the streets of his native province.
Barker belonged to the Special Branch, the RUC's elite unit dedicated to fighting the IRA, the INLA and loyalist terrorists. He gives a gripping insider's account of life on the frontline and demonstrates how the RUC used sophisticated listening devices and informants, including the notorious supergrass Raymond Gilmour, in their fight to gain the upper hand.
After nearly 30 years of loyal service, Barker retired angry and disillusioned about what he views as the government's capitulation to the terrorists. This is the book that Downing Street and the Northern Ireland Office don't want you to read. It is a story of courage under fire, guile, Le Carré-esque plots and treachery.
Barker belonged to the Special Branch, the RUC's elite unit dedicated to fighting the IRA, the INLA and loyalist terrorists. He gives a gripping insider's account of life on the frontline and demonstrates how the RUC used sophisticated listening devices and informants, including the notorious supergrass Raymond Gilmour, in their fight to gain the upper hand.
After nearly 30 years of loyal service, Barker retired angry and disillusioned about what he views as the government's capitulation to the terrorists. This is the book that Downing Street and the Northern Ireland Office don't want you to read. It is a story of courage under fire, guile, Le Carré-esque plots and treachery.
Ratings and reviews
4.4
21 reviews
Roy M
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April 10, 2019
Had me engrossed from page one. It instantly transports you into the boots of a young RUC officer dodging daily sniper fire,bricks and bombs among the streets of Derry at a time when it was the most dangerous place in the world to be a policeman. With shoot outs, espionage and high speed car chases through the city I had to keep reminding myself this wasn't a fiction novel but true life accounts which made it even more astounding. A brutally honest and sometimes humorous account of how they and their families coped with the stress of policing a country on the brink of a civil war. P.s It's no surprise that certain 'bodies' wouldn't want this book published and In 2005 the author was taken to court charged with the official secrets act,the jury found him not guilty. A case in which the author believes was an attempt to defer the book from being published. I'm glad they didn't succeed in spoiling a very enjoyable and eye opening read...
Michael Walsh
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May 7, 2019
A very good read
1 person found this review helpful
About the author
Alan Barker was born in Belfast in 1955 and joined the Royal Ulster Constabulary in 1973. After three years as a uniform constable he transferred into Special Branch, where he remained for 26 years until his retirement in 2002. He now lives in the south of England, where he is self-employed.
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