Aaron Edwards Bücher

An insightful introduction to war, its political theories and historical realities.

This book is the first, definitive history of the Northern Ireland Labour Party (NILP), a unique political force in twentieth century British and Irish politics that drew its support from Protestants and Catholics and became electorally viable despite deep-seated ethnic, religious and national divisions. -- .

Focusing on the unique political landscape of Northern Ireland, this definitive history explores the Northern Ireland Labour Party (NILP), which bridged divides between Protestants and Catholics from its formation in 1924 to disbandment in 1987. The NILP achieved notable electoral success, securing seats in the local parliament and significant votes in British general elections. Despite its achievements, historians have often overlooked its importance, largely due to a lack of empirical evidence and a prevailing narrative of sectarian conflict in the region.

Spanning 38 years of the 'Troubles', the British Army's deployment in Northern Ireland (codenamed Operation Banner) was one of the most difficult and controversial in its recent history. Over 10,000 troops were on active service during much of the campaign, which saw armoured vehicles, helicopters and special forces deployed onto the streets of Ulster. In this book, Dr Aaron Edwards considers the strategic, operational and tactical aspects of Operation Banner, as the Army's military objectives morphed from high-profile peacekeeping into a covert war against the IRA. Using personal testimony from both sides of the sectarian divide, as well as insights from the soldiers themselves, he presents an authoritative introduction to the Army's role in the Troubles, providing expert analysis of Operation Banner's successes and failures.

Recruited by British Intelligence to infiltrate the IRA and Sinn Féin during the height of the Northern Ireland Troubles, they were ‘agents of influence’. With codenames like INFLICTION, STAKEKNIFE, 3007 and CAROL, these spies played a pivotal role in the fight against Irish republicanism. Now, for the first time, some of these agents have emerged from the shadows to tell their compelling stories. Agents of Influence takes you behind the scenes of the secret intelligence war which helped bring the IRA’s armed struggle to an end. Historian Aaron Edwards, the critically acclaimed author of UVF: Behind the Mask, explains how the IRA was penetrated by British agents, with explosive new revelations about the hidden agendas of prominent republicans like Martin McGuinness and Freddie Scappaticci and lesser-known ones like Joe Haughey and John Joe Magee. Bringing to light recently declassified TOP SECRET documents and the first-hand testimonies of agents and their handlers, Edwards reveals how British Intelligence gained extraordinary access to the IRA’s inner circle and manipulated them into engaging with the peace process. With new insights into the spy masters behind the scenes, their strategies and tactics, and operations in Europe, the United States and beyond, Agents of Influence offers a rare and shocking glimpse into betrayal at the heart of Irish republicanism during the vicious decades of the Troubles.

The Northern Ireland conflict is the most protracted campaign of terrorist violence in modern history. Despite decommissioning and political compromise, violent incidents are still rife and Unionists and Nationalists are as segregated as ever. This book uses the archival material to chart the history of The Troubles and examine their legacy.

The book explores Britain's extensive history of engaging in 'small wars' throughout its imperial past, highlighting its expertise in counter-insurgency campaigns. It examines various conflicts, including battles against Communist insurgents in Malaya, the Mau Mau uprising in Kenya, the Troubles in Northern Ireland, and the fight against the Taliban in Afghanistan. These diverse experiences underscore Britain's role as a leading practitioner of this unique form of warfare, emphasizing the complexities and challenges faced in each context.

Britain is often revered for its extensive experience of waging ‘small wars’. Its long imperial history is littered with high profile counter-insurgency campaigns, thus marking it out as the world’s most seasoned practitioner of this type of warfare. This is the first book to detail the tactical and operational dynamics of Britain’s small wars, arguing that the military’s use of force was more heavily constrained by wider strategic and political considerations than previously admitted. Outlining the civil-military strategy followed by the British in Palestine, Malaya, Kenya, Cyprus, Aden, Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan, Defending the realm?, available for the first time in paperback, argues that Britain’s small wars since 1945 were fought against the backdrop of an irrevocable decline in British power. Written from a theoretically-informed perspective, grounded in rich archival sources, oral testimonies and a revisionist reading of the literature on counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism, this is the definitive account of the politics of Britain’s small wars.

In times of war and peace, boom and bust, strategy has been vital in orientating peoples, governments and nations towards the future. Aaron Edwards delves into the theoretical history of strategy, and shows how it has been effectively applied in political and military situations throughout the world.

UVF: Behind the Mask is the gripping new history of the Ulster Volunteer Force from its post-1965 incarnation to the present day. Aaron Edwards blends rigorous research with unprecedented access to leading members of the UVF to unearth the startling inner-workings of one of the world’s oldest and most ruthless paramilitary groups. Through interviews with high-profile UVF leaders, such as Billy Mitchell, David Ervine, Billy Wright, Billy Hutchinson and Gary Haggarty, as well as their loyalist rivals including Johnny Adair, Edwards reveals the grisly details behind their sadistic torture and murder techniques and their litany of high-profile atrocities: McGurk’s Bar, the Dublin and Monaghan bombings, the Miami Showband massacre and the Shankill Butchers’ serial-killing spree, amongst others. Edwards’ life and career has led him to the centre of the UVF’s long, dark underbelly; in this defining work he offers a comprehensive and authoritative study of an armed group that continues to play a pivotal role in Northern Irish society. --