An Cosantóir

www.military.ie the defence forces magazine | 37 Edited by John Crowley, Donal ÓDrisceoil and Mike Murphy, and Assistant Editor John Borgonovo publisher: Cork University Press (September 2017) isBn: 978-1-782051176 pages: 984 price: €59.00 This door-stopper weighs in at 5kg. But its pride of place should justifiably be front and centre in the [reinforced] bookcase of anyone who has a passion for history in general and the pre- state revolutionary period in particular. The historian Dermot Ferriter has noted that no book can be utterly complete in describing the period but that this majestic work is as good as it gets, it's quite hard to disagree with him. The range of sources in their combination with new archival material that has become available to researchers gives a majestic sweep of the period but with the fine brush strokes of the minutiae that give the underlying nuances to key events; accordingly, the analysis has an often searing lancet effect. Allied to a superb range of accompanying maps and graphics which almost visually overwhelms the reader with the depth and breadth of knowledge contained within this work. It is unquestionably the definitive account of the revolutionary period in literally mapping out the diverse and intertwining threads that encapsulated the period. The European Geopolitical situation superimposed over the Irish socio-political, religious and economic background give an overarching synthesis that is truly mind-boggling in its detail; particularly the how and why the revolutionary campaign was waged in the period 1919-1923 and varied in intensity from region to region and often parish to parish. The evolution of the IRA campaign is definitively portrayed but the real strength of the book is in its analysis of the Crown Forces, both the British Army who through Garrison life was a stable in the social and economic life of many Irish towns and the invidious role that the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) found themselves in upon the outbreak of hostilities. Within this matrix the strategy of the military conflict is mapped out in its often-confusing throes and the effect it had on the civilian population, what is today euphemistically described as 'Collateral Damage'. This Magnum Opus may have a future competitor but not on the immediate horizon of academia's gaze for quite some time. R.F. aTlaS Of The iriSh revOluTiOn author: Fergal Anton publisher: Less Serious Books a division of Logic Press www.logicpress.ie/LS/ isBn: 978-1-326-45463-0 pages: 274 price: €9.59 This is the first publication of the 'Less Serious Books' division of Logic Press. Set in Ireland of the mid-1980's, this hilarious caper charts the trials and tribulations of Fionn Mac Tubaiste who plays the dual role of university mathematics lecturer and Ireland's only operational member of An Serbhίs Rúnda (ASR) or secret service. ASR is managed by penny pinching civil servant Malachy Mulligan known as 'M' who sends the hapless Fionn on all manner of secret missions from spying on our EEC partners prior to budget negotiations, to dealing with an Israeli mole in Army Headquarters. Fionn's espionage methods are not typical of the direct-action methods associated with the James Bond genre. His spycraft is more closely aligned with the indirect approach, where brainpower and technology are used to secure a decisive intelligence advantage over Ireland's adversaries. Francis Hazelton aka 'Punch' is the loyal tech geek working from a room in Fionn's house and providing him with all manner of hacked intelligence. As we know, every self-respecting spy novel has beautiful women, brothels, Russian agents and a clever, intricate, fast paced plot and here Tipperary Tango does not disappoint. Throughout his journey Fionn faces hilarious moral dilemmas, proving that being an ASR operative in 1980s Catholic Ireland is a distinct challenge. This is a really enjoyable read because of the familiarity of the locations, its visual, historical and descriptive detail and the characterisation of the main players. Recently, the national press reported that the Dáil approved the Secret Service Fund. One can only hope that there is a highly trained team of agents like our hapless hero Fionn, protecting our interests, instead of a team of bureaucratic Mulligan's thwarting their efforts! A highly recommended and humorous read and that would make an ideal stocking filler this Christmas. Cl Tipperary TanGO firearmS Guide 8Th ediTiOn The new Firearms Guide 8th Edition is published as an online publication at www. FirearmsGuide.com for gun enthusiasts worldwide and for retail distribution / gun shops on a DVD, Online Edition Activation Cards and super fast Flash Drive/ Online Combo. • 67,000 antique and modern firearms, air guns and ammunition from 1,000 manufacturer's worldwide • 45,000 high-resolution colour pictures • 650 printable targets • 14 search criteria you can perform simple or complex searches • Gun Value Guide • Gun Schematics & Blueprints Library Firearms Guide 8th Edition is the world's largest searchable firearms, ammo and air guns reference guide, gun value guide and gun schematics and blueprints library. First published in 2009, Firearms Guide is the ultimate tool to search, find, identify research and evaluate antique and modern civilian and military guns. Costs from Online Edition (6 Months) $19.95 (€17) - $39.99 (€34) DVD with 1 Year Online Edition with 26 updates and shipping. Highly recommended for police/ military firearm's technicians and instructors, or enthusiasts with the contents being updated throughout the year. W.F.

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