One Man's Terrorist A Political History of the IRA

A history of “the Troubles”: the radical politics of Republicanism

The conflict in Northern Ireland was one of the most devastating in postwar Europe. Based on extensive archival research, One Man’s Terrorist explores the relationship between the IRA, a highly capable and ruthless clandestine army, and the political movement that developed alongside it to challenge British rule. Finn shows how the radical history of the IRA shaped modern Ireland.

In the light of Sinn Féin’s unprecedented electoral success in the Republic of Ireland, and the ongoing Brexit saga with its impact on Northern Irish politics, this book supplies the essential background for an understanding of today’s events.

Daniel Finn is the deputy editor of the New Left Review. He gained his PhD for a study of the IRA’s political history during the Troubles. He writes regularly for New Left Review, Jacobin and the London Review of Books. He lives in London.