<div><B>The author of <I>Bloody Belfast</I> delivers &ldquo;a vivid and unforgettable record&rdquo; of the Northern Irish conflict that captures the &ldquo;true horrors of war&rdquo; (<I>Best of British</I>).</B><BR />  <BR /> There are stories from some of the most seminal moments during the troubles in Northern Ireland&mdash;the Crossmaglen firefights, the 1988 corporals killings, the Ballygawley bus bombing, and more&mdash;told 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.<BR />  <BR /> 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 story&mdash;in their own words&mdash;from first to last.<BR />  <BR /> 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 experiences&mdash;sad and poignant, fearful and violent, courageous in the face of adversity, even downright hilarious&mdash;make for compelling reading. Their voices need to be heard.<BR />  <BR /> &ldquo;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.&rdquo; &mdash;<I>Choice</I></div>

A Long Long War

<div><P><B>The British Army veteran and oral historian presents vivid firsthand accounts of soldiers on the frontlines of the Troubles in the early 1970s.</B><BR /><BR /> This volume in Ken Wharton&rsquo;s series of oral histories chronicling the conflict in Northern Ireland looks at the bloody period of 1973/4. As with all of Wharton&rsquo;s books, it combines painstaking research with numerous contributions from British soldiers who were. The title refers to an IRA tactic of warning fellow Republicans when one of their gunmen was about to cause havoc. When British soldiers hear the words &ldquo;Sir, they&#39;re taking the kids indoors&rdquo;, they understood that violence was imminent.<BR /><BR /> On the streets of Belfast or Londonberry, British soldiers had to be ready to face a deadly threat at any moment. By focusing exclusively on the 1973&ndash;74 period, This volume provides greater detail than hitherto possible about the British Army and their experience during this bloody and important period of the Troubles. </P></div>

Sir, They're Taking the Kids Indoors

<div><P><B>The first volume in this two-part oral history brings to life the experiences of British Army soldiers during the Troubles in the mid 1970s.</B><BR /><BR /> British Army veteran Ken Wharton has written extensively on the bitter conflict in Northern Ireland, shedding light on the experiences and sacrifices of British military and police. Though often overlooked by historians, many of these committed soldiers and peacekeepers lost their lives in the fighting.<BR /><BR /> Combining his own personal experience with meticulous research and firsthand testimonies from fellow soldiers, Wharton takes reders into the dangerous streets of the Ardoyne and New Lodge, of Andersonstown, Turf Lodge and Ballymurphy, and of the Creggan in Londonderry and the Derrybeg in Newry. He is equally candid and critical of the Loyalist paramilitaries and the Republicans, as well as the Irish-Americans and their political stooges in the US Government.<BR /><BR /> This book is for anyone who wishes to look back and try to understand the madness inflicted upon several generations of innocent Irish and British people. </P></div>

Wasted Years, Wasted Lives Volume 1

<div>This book is called ‘An Agony Continued’ because it was simply that: an agony.  It was an agony which commenced at the end of the 1960s and as the new decade of the 80s arrived, so the pain, the grief, the loss and the economic destruction of Northern Ireland continued.  Little did any of us know at the time, but it was to do so for almost a further two decades.   Between January 1980 and December 1989, around 1,000 people died; many were soldiers and policemen; some were Prison Officers; some were paramilitaries; and some were innocent civilians.  The Provisional IRA (PIRA) and their slightly more psychopathic cousins in the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) would continue to kill innocent civilians by the score during this decade.  Across the sectarian divide the Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF) and the equally vicious Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) would continue to slaughter Catholics in streets, in pubs and in restaurants.  This book will look at the period which encompassed the 48 months of 1980 and 1983. It was a near half-decade which saw the Hyde Park and Regent’s Park massacre of soldiers and horses from the Blues and Royals and the cowardly bombing of the Royal Green Jackets’ band.  It further witnessed the murder of 18 people by the INLA at a disco held in the Droppin’ Well in Ballykelly and also the death of the leader of the Shankill Butchers: Lenny Murphy.  The years under study include the 1981 deaths of ten Republican paramilitaries who starved themselves to death in protest against the loss of their status as ‘political prisoners'. As ever, this book pulls no punches in its absolute detestation of both Republican and Loyalist paramilitaries.   This book continues Ken Wharton's epic journey through the Troubles in Northern Ireland, viewed primarily through the eyes of the British Army squaddies on the ground.</div>

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Northern Ireland: An Agony Continued

<div>Volume 2 does what it says on the can - it continues from where the first volume left off. It looks at the bloody years of 1978 and 1979. It covers eyewitness accounts from soldiers on the ground and there is the occasional comment from civilians who were living in the troubled province at the time. There are accounts from the IRA atrocity at the la Mon Restaurant when the terrorists used a napalm-like device to incinerate 12 innocent civilians; it includes the murder of Lord Mountbatten, hero of Burma, and some of his family and staff on his yacht in Co Sligo. It also covers the worst tragedy for the Army in Ulster, the murder of 18 soldiers at Warrenpoint. Every single troubles-related death and every major incident is covered and includes those soldiers who died in 'non-battle' incidents, the ones who are not included in the 'official' figures. The book pulls no punches and the author is outspoken in his criticism of the Irish-American community and their incredibly naïve support of the Republican terrorists who almost destroyed an entire country. The author condemns in equal measure the paramilitaries of both sides and considers the evil activities of Lenny Murphy and the 'Shankill Butchers' as bad as anything which the Provisional IRA or INLA did.   The book looks at individual incidents and tries to examine the terrorist mindset and their motives for the atrocities which they carried out in the name of their communities. It supports the security forces unequivocally but renders criticism where appropriate. The book examines the role of the young soldiers from Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, indeed from every part of the UK from which these young men came. It looks at foot patrols, riot control and the daily fear and threat under which they operated for their four month or two year tours. Read carefully the words of an Irish-American who clearly is contemptuous of the way her fellow Americans almost sleepwalked into supporting the IRA from afar with the dollars which they placed so willingly into the NORAID collection jars. The level of detail and research the author goes into is phenomenal and demonstrates his commitment to continue telling the story of one of Britain's forgotten wars.</div>

Wasted Years, Wasted Lives, Volume 2

<div><B>Four years of bloodshed in mid-1980s Northern Ireland, in the words of British soldiers who experienced it firsthand. Includes photos.</B><BR />  <BR /> Proceeding month-by-month from 1984 through 1987, this historical project provides a deep and detailed portrait of the British military experience in a period of frequent and unpredictable violence as the Provisional IRA grew in financial and logistical strength. As British Security Forces worked to contain the chaos, the Republican terror group fully embraced Danny Morrison&rsquo;s mantra&mdash; &ldquo;The Armalite and the ballot box&rdquo;&mdash;as they moved toward a realization that the British military could not be beaten, but that they could at least sit down with them from a position of strength.<BR />  <BR /> The goal was to keep up the pressure and force the British government to the bargaining table. But as the Provisionals and Loyalists fought, talked, and then fought again, a further 356 people died. Through oral histories, witness accounts, photos, and commentary, this book covers every major incident of the period, from the ambush of off-duty UDR soldier Robert Elliott to the bombing of Enniskillen. It also looks at the continued interference of the United States and the vast contribution of its citizens through NORAID, which ensured the killing and violence would continue. Lamenting brutality and the targeting of innocents regardless of the perpetrator&rsquo;s sympathies, veteran Ken Wharton, who has chronicled the Troubles extensively, reminds us of the universal threat, and horrifying toll, of terrorist tactics. </div>

Ken Wharton
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Books By Ken Wharton (6 Books)

A Long Long War

Sir, They're Taking the Kids Indoors

Wasted Years, Wasted Lives Volume 1

Northern Ireland: An Agony Continued

Wasted Years, Wasted Lives, Volume 2

Another Bloody Chapter in an Endless Civil War

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Ken WhartonFollow this author

Books By Ken Wharton (6 Books)

A Long Long War

Sir, They're Taking the Kids Indoors

Wasted Years, Wasted Lives Volume 1

Northern Ireland: An Agony Continued

Wasted Years, Wasted Lives, Volume 2

Another Bloody Chapter in an Endless Civil War

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© 2024 OPEN ROAD INTEGRATED MEDIA

Ken Wharton
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