An Cosantóir

www.military.ie the defence forces magazine | 35 author: Michael B. Barry Publisher: Andalus Press (November 2014) http://andalus.ie/ iSbN: 978-0956038364 Price: €25.00* Pages: 192 The Irish Civil War that erupted in 1922 was a bitter and bloody conflict that shaped Ireland for the decades that followed. The Green Divide is an illustrated history of this tempestuous time in Irish History. The signing of a Treaty with Britain divided the country and what began as a tense standoff between pro- and anti- Treaty forces escalated into armed conflict. Like all Civil Wars, the actions deteriorated into a bitter downward spiral of arson, executions and assassinations. Barry's work packs in plenty of detail, spinning through the events at a quick pace without compromising the book's real purpose, that of an illustrated history. As with the author's other works, the real draw is its impressive collection of photographs and other images. This alone gives the reader a better sense of what life was really like, for those involved in the fighting and those caught up in this tragic affair. Just some of the amazing pictures in this edition include Free State troops travelling to Cork city by sea, the storming of the citadel and their advance through that county. There are pages of posters and public information materials (from both sides of the conflict), plus documents to give the reader a clearer insight into specific events. Barry is also a talented photographer who inserts current photos of Civil War monuments, places and buildings to great effect, which enhances the reader's perception of the conflict. Revealing that those battle sites and memorials are still visible once you know where to look. Perhaps some of the most poignant photographs are those that show the damage to the rail and road infrastructure that would take decades to repair. This is undeniably an illustrated history as it should be seen, and an excellent and enthralling read. Po'b *Available in bookshops or send a cheque for €33 made out to Andalus Press (includes €8 postage for Ireland). To: Andalus Press, 7 Frankfort Avenue, Rathgar, Dublin 6, Ireland. The gReeN DiviDe aN illuSTRaTeD hiSToRy of The iRiSh Civil WaR avenGer: intrepid 3 The laST CavalieR: RiChaRD TalboT (1631-91) author: Padraig Lenihan Publisher: UCD Press (October 2014) www.ucdpress.ie iSbN: 978-1906359836 Price: €40.00 Hardcover Pages: 260 Pádraig Lenihan's biography of Richard Talbot 'The Last Cavalier' throws light on some of the most dramatic events of the 17th century in Ireland and in England. A fascinating character Talbot fought in the Irish Confederate Wars, joined the Royal Court in exile in Europe, was involved in a plot to assassinate Oliver Cromwell, worked as an agent for dispossessed Irish Catholics in the settlement of Irish lands after the restoration of Charles II, served as Lord Deputy of Ireland under James II and fought at the head of the Jacobite Army at the Battle of the Boyne before his unfortunately timed death in August 1691. Lenihan is meticulous in referencing his sources and uses a wealth of primary source material to carefully trace Talbot's extraordinary career – which included a term of imprisonment in the Tower of London, service with the Anglo-French fleet in a naval battle against the Dutch in 1672 and match- making for the Duke of York (later James II) in 1673. Possessing only a vague impression of the events and chronology of this period in Irish and European history I was at times overwhelmed by the volume of characters operating on the same stage as Talbot and by the complicated nature of the political intrigues in which he was involved. Lenihan does an excellent job in making his subject accessible if not particularly likeable. While this is by no means an easy read, it is a fascinating account of one of most important, and until now largely forgotten, political figures in Ireland at that time. nG author: Chris Allen Publisher: Momentum (January 2015) www.intrepidallen.com Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc. aSiN: B00QI1QZC2 Price: €4.50 Pages: 290 Chris Allen's latest book AVENGER: Intrepid 3, sees the return of a vengeful enforcer, Alex Morgan the Interpol special agent who is back in the most exciting Spy/ Thriller Series since Ian Fleming's James Bond. Allen's series is based on the idea of an Interpol Unit know only to a few as Intrepid: the Intelligence, Recovery, Protection and Infiltration Division. "They are a top secret black ops taskforce operating in the shadows to protect the world's most vulnerable people from the worst among us". Following on from the number 1 bestsellers DEFENDER: Intrepid 1 and HUNTER: Intrepid 2, where Alex and the Intrepid team are sent to Hong Kong to investigate the human trafficking ring known to be run by the unknown blonde European woman known only as the Knight Witch. During a fierce gun battle through the back streets against triad hit squads and corrupt cops Alex meets and recues his newest Interpol colleague Elizabeth Reigns, who he finds as an equally impressive operative during the mission. It's not all good news, with a loss to the team which sends Alex seeking revenge on the Night Witch and her secretive team of traffickers. Follow Alex as he tracks her back to her island lair and infiltrates her close nit team as a security adviser, then the game of wits begins and ends with a nail biting finish. WF

• Cover