An Cosantóir

www.military.ie the defence forces magazine | 41 author: Paul O'Brien publisher: Collins Press (April 2017) www. collinspress.ie isBn: 978-1848893061 pages: 224 price: €19.99 PB / €2.30 eBook The latest work from military historian, author and regular contributor to An Cosantóir, Paul O'Brien, is a detailed look at one of the most feared and reviled units to fight in Ireland during the War of Independence; the Auxiliary Division of the Royal Irish Constabulary. With the escalation of violence in early 1920, the British government were forced to bolster its police force with the recruitment of new personnel who became known as the Black and Tans. However, this was not enough to curb the insurgency which was spreading throughout the country. In July 1920 a new force, comprised of former soldiers, were formed and given the title, Auxiliaries. Trained for swift, surgical assaults and sent into a war zone with little or no understanding of the conflict or the locals, the Auxiliary Division of the Royal Irish Constabulary found themselves fighting for their lives in a counter-insurgency campaign that left a lasting legacy in Ireland which is still evident today. Similar books on this period look at the well known personalities or list names of participants, but O'Brien's work takes the reader out on patrol. Ambushes, counter ambushes, intelligence gathering, Black Ops, and interrogations are just some of the daily scenarios experienced by the Auxiliaries. Violence and killing are an every day occurrence, and staying alive and completing your tour of duty is uppermost on everyone's mind. The author examines the unit and looks at them as an early form of Special Forces. Formed at the suggestion of Winston Churchill, known for his support for such specialists, some consider the Auxiliaries the world's first anti-terrorist unit while others see them as forerunners of the SAS or the Commandos. O'Brien provides a balanced account of their origins and operations without glossing over the brutal details of fighting a counter-insurgency campaign. Controversial from the outset, this is an excellent read and one that will take you back in time to the havoc, which was the Irish War of Independence. WF haVoc: THE AuxILIARIES IN IRELAND'S WAR OF INDEPENDENCE author: Tom Burke publisher: The Mercier Press Ltd (May 2017) www.mercierpress.ie isBn: 978- 1781174845 pages: 352 price: €17.99 PB Tom Burke's latest book Messines to Carrick Hill: Writing home from the Great War is written from original letters sent home by a young 19-year-old Irish officer of the 6th Royal Irish Regiment. 2nd Lt Michael Wall from Carrick Hill, Malahide, Co Dublin was educated by the Christian Brothers in Dublin. The young Irishman left for the adventure of a world at war, his letters bring a reality to entrenched battles of Messines Ridge, with a unique insight into the realities of war. Messines to Carrick Hill: Writing home from the Great War presents an account of the origin, preparations and successful execution of the battle to take Wijtschate on 7th June 1917 in which the 16th (Irish) and 36th (Ulster) Divisions played a pivotal role. Tom offers an insight into the contentious subject of remembrance of the First World War in Ireland in the late 1920s. Read Tom Burke's article The Battle of Wijtschate June 1917 on page 36/37 of this issue. WF MeSSineS to carrick hill: WRITING HOME FROM THE GREAT WAR SPecial unitS & flaShbang By DOM ANDRé www.flashbang-mag.com Dom André's huge coffee-table book is an exclusive photographic and editorial journey into some of the most operational units, and translated in both English and French. Dom has been traveling around the world for ten years, photographing elite military and law enforcement units. In January 2013, he launched his own publication Flashbang to showcase the life and work of some of these units. Special Units was then made possible in 2016 by a Kickstarter, that had 445 backers who pledged €54,866 to help bring the project to life. Backers also received a set of 14 exclusive bookmarks with 28 visuals (one for each unit) that are not published in the book. This art book contains 28 chapters, one for each unit that is photographed. Both Special Units and Flashbang are required reading for a modern take on specialist units both military and law enforcement, both products are also an action photographers dream and show how high the bar has been set by Dom André. about the author: During his military service at the French Airborne School (mil para badge #528314) Dom came across the three passions that would follow him for the rest of his professional life: photography, scuba diving and elite units. After designing catalogues and brochures for brands or suppliers of tactical equipment, his photos were published in a couple of magazines like RAIDS - Police Pro and Pro Sécurité in France, K-Isom in Germany and Special Ops in Poland. He is now the owner, photographer and editor of Flashbang, building up a unique photo library with over 60,000 exclusive pictures of special units. It was an encounter with François de Saint-Exupéry, the passionate publisher from Nimrod that sparked the desire to present the best of his work in a coffee- table book Special Units. WF

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