Noted Irish journalist Tim Pat Coogan covers the tortured history of Ireland from the beginning of the civil rights movement of the 1960s, through the long, horrible years of violence, and up to the attempts to find peace. Coogan, author of the definitive biography of Michael Collins, knows what he's writing about, and his access to many of the principals gives this book a particular authority. Going beyond the slogans and tabloid headlines, Coogan provides a good hard look at many of the characters, some of whom prefer to live in the shadows, who act out the deadly drama of divided Ireland.