| 
Provided by Amazon.com, The World Trusted Store. |
|
|
Stakeknife: Britain's Secret Agents in Ireland | 
 enlarge | | |
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
An inside expose of how British military intelligence really works, this book tells the stories of two undercover agents - Brian Nelson, who worked for the Force Research Unit, aiding loyalist terrorists; and 'Stakeknife', deputy head of the IRA's internal security force which tortured and killed informers.
|
| Customer Reviews:
 A valuable contribution to the subject matter. October 3, 2008
Other reviewers have been very critical of this work, citing the author's lack of impartiality on the topic. I found the work to be well written and intriguing to say the least. I have long been interested in the "Informant War" waged between the IRA and the British intelligence and this book is an important part of that history. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the work was the detailed look at the IRA's "Nutting Squad" (because they put a bullet through an informer's head or "nut" after interrogating them). To date, this is the most relevant work about the Nutting Squad and its deputy commander, Alfredo Scappaticci or codename "Stakeknife", who the author of this book convincingly exposes as an agent for the British. If you want to learn about the intelligence war that raged hot between the competing factions of The Troubles, and specifically the IRA's efforts to squash informants in it sranks...this is the book. I learned a lot from it.
 A credible author should have written this book September 21, 2006
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
This book could have been great, sadly it was written by a self agrandizing propogandist, who is obviously trying to cover up the massive failings of the British Army against the IRA.
The book details one of the few members of the IRA (Freddie Scappatici) who British intelligence actually managed to turn into an informant against the IRA, (According to military analysts, some 70% of IRA informers were exposed and executed by the IRA's Internal Securities Units).
Scappatici (code name: Stakeknife) was the second in command of an IRA Internal Securities Unit, but made a habit of playing both sides of the field. According to the book, he passed information about IRA operations to British Intelligence, but also killed IRA informers, British Soldiers and Loyalist paramilitaries at the same time.
The British and Irish Governments have disputed much of what is in the book, even though it tends to be "Pro British", one should consider that when thinking of buying it. The writer of the book goes by the name Martin Ingram (a false identity). He is supposedly a former British Army intelligence agent, but this claim has been disputed by the British Army and MI5. The book deatils "Stakeknifes" contrabutions to helping Britian finally get a handle on the IRA in the early 1990's, but also admits that the IRA's infamous "cell structure", allowed it to continue highly successful operations, including the extensive bombing of British economic sites from 1990-1997. In the end the book admits that the British Army and Loyalist Paramilitaries were unable to defeat or substantially degrade the IRA's military capability, thus leading to the Irish peace accords of the late 90's, and the GFA agreement in 1999.
The book isn't horrible, but it could have been much better in the hands of a credible author.
 Stakeknife July 26, 2006
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Martin Ingram is the pseudonym of a former member of the Force Research Unit of British Intelligence. His coauthor is a journalist. Ingram, who was the insider, provides most of the information about British activities.
Ingram spent quite a few years in Northern Ireland. He took part in the events he decries. He appears to have decided that what he and his fellows did was wrong regardless of its success for moral reasons. He seems to think they should be punished but because he is a whistleblower, he should be let off the hook instead of facing charges for violating the agreements he made to keep the secrets he knew.
Ingram and others like him were ultimately successful because they were willing to do things the IRA never thought they would. By taking advantage of the preconceptions of their enemies, the FRU and other intelligence groups were able to infiltrate the IRA and destabilize it from the inside. This book tells that story. It would be worth five stars if it weren't for both authors attempts to play on morality.
 A good book about the intelligence war between the IRA and Britian. March 2, 2006
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
This is an interesting book, that shows the cunning and skill of both British Intelligence and the IRA. The first part of the book examines how in the late 1980's, British Intelligence (MI5) was frustrated by thier inability to defeat or even weaken the IRA. British Intelligence decided to work with the Army to recruit Loyalist terrorists as a "secret army" against the IRA. As the book shows this idea backfired with horrendous consequences. the plan fell apart when The amateurish UDA and UVF members recruited by MI5, proceeded to kill only a few IRA/Sinn Fein members while killing dozens of innocent civillians. The book looks at how the IRA responded with a vicious assassination campaign of thier own against the UDA and UVF, which led to the deaths of dozens of Loyalists and many civillians who were caught in the crossfire.
The second part of the book deals with a top level IRA "Internal Intelligence" man named Freddie Scapaticci, who was recruited by the British Army in the 1980's. The book explains how this was done, and how other people within the IRA were recruited. The book also shows the other side of the intelligence war, focusing on the IRA's ability to root out and kill many top level informers, while missing a few like Scappaticci. The author also points out that the cell structure of the IRA, allowed for even high level spies like Scappatici to do only moderate harm to the overall organization. It is a good book about the tactics and skill used by both Britian and the IRA during the tragic conflict in Northern Ireland.
|
|
|
| |
