Never before has an outsider had such access to record the remarkable history of the Provisional IRA and Sinn Fein – the ‘Provos’ – from their dramatic beginnings to the critical juncture they have reached today.
‘This is the book of Peter Taylor’s excellent television series on the IRA. During the last twenty-five years Taylor has built a justified reputation as by far the most knowledgeable British – or Irish – television reporter on Northern Ireland affairs … it will certainly become the standard reference work for the next few years … as the most accurate account of the republican side of the conflict so far’ Irish Times
‘Excellent … by far the most revealing account of IRA strategy yet published’ Observer
‘Diligent research, a sceptical eye and fine reporting’ The Times
‘The background and culture of the IRA, old and new, are extremely well set-out’ Daily Telegraph
Based on a series of frank interviews with both the para-military leaders who dictated loyalist strategy and the gunmen and bombers who carried it out, Loyalists gives a gripping inside account of the thinking, strategies and ruthless violence of those involved in the Northern Ireland conflict.
‘Important … deserves to be widely read’ Independent
‘Asks us to confront the ghosts of our recent history – a very uncomfortable prospect’ Irish News
‘Taylor deserves praise for Loyalists … chilling’ Observer
‘With sympathy and skill, Peter Taylor shows us yet again how Northern Ireland turned ordinary people into killers’ The Times
‘Coming with the Peter Taylor warranty, this is a good read’ Irish Independent
‘Taylor is blessed with clarity and integrity’ Sunday Times