In 1984, the IRA killed five people and came dangerously close to assassinating then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher – and yet this disaster has gone mostly undiscussed in recent years. In this book, Carroll brings together the long chain of events which led up to the bombing, and unravels the complicated investigation that followed.
Having been to school in both the United States and India, I like to think that I have gained a wider perspective on world history than I would have otherwise, but there are definitely gaping holes in my knowledge. The Troubles are certainly a subject I have basically no knowledge about. I was glad to find that this book, while focusing on one major incident, provides the context needed to get invested in the story.
It’s a complicated story that Carroll weaves, for while the book opens with the planting of a bomb in a hotel room by a single man, many events and people have a hand in getting Patrick Magee there. We follow the story on both sides, both Irish and British, placing the two major figures, Magee and Thatcher, on the larger stages upon which events play out.
I appreciated that the author remained quite neutral on the central question that motivated the Troubles, fairly portraying the good and bad actions of both sides. I also liked the wide variety of sources that Carroll was able to incorporate, giving the reader a peek into the many people who were involved in setting up the bombing as well as bringing Magee to justice.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
