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Big Boys' Rules

The SAS and the Secret Struggle Against the IRA

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Big Boys' Rules

By: Mark Urban
Narrated by: Mark Urban
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In 2007, after almost 40 years of operations, the SAS ceased operations in Northern Ireland and ended the longest operational commitment in the unit's history. It had been a brutal and ruthless conflict on both sides with the SAS famously describing its attitude to the use of lethal force as 'Big Boys' Rules'. Anyone suspect caught with a gun or bomb could expect to be shot without question.

Starting in 1969, Mark Urban reveals the extraordinary history of the special forces' operations in Northern Ireland and the unenviable dilemmas faced by intelligence chiefs engaged in a daily struggle against one of the world's most sophisticated terrorist organisations.

'This is a book that needed to be written and which fulfils the essentials of any Ulster story; it expands understanding beyond fragmented jingoism and newspaper headlines.' Sunday Times

©2012 Mark Urban (P)2024 Bonnier Books UK Armed Forces Freedom & Security Military Military & War Politics & Government Special & Elite Forces World War I
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The story is boring and mundane and lacks interest just seems like a list of facts

Nothing

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Knew a lot of the stories and events from other books and podcasts, but a very steady pace through the troubles up in Northern Ireland kept it interesting. Fascinating and horrible, good listen, good narrator.

Thorough, mostly unbiased, and without pointing fingers.

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This book has lots to offer in the way of details about the operations of the various parties involved, but the presentation is marred by the bizarre decision of the author/narrator to break into a dodgy Irish accent when quoting Irish people.
I was kind of hoping Bob Marley had said something publicly about the troubles so we could hear the author attempt a Jamaican accent.
Weird.
Also he repeatedly pronounced covert as cavert.

Interesting and lots of detail but…

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I was hoping to gain a better understanding of the Army and IRA in NI . I certainly feel educated but . the press , judiciary , RUC , intelligence , informers , politicians , police , SAS , shoot to kill, rules of engagement make it so complex . The fact that terrorists were treated as criminals when they were in fact enemy soldiers fighting a gorilla war and 1000 + members of the security services were killed is very revealing .

Worth listening to

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An interesting dive into the history, and I did finish the book but it was very hard work. The storytelling was not very engaging and the attempt to do Irish, American and possibly other accents by the reader was very poor, almost too the point of bad taste.

Let down by the attempt at accents

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