Ireland's War of Independence generated a wealth of published material but very little from a British perspective. Yet many British servicemen left accounts of their time in Ireland from 1918 to 1921. They describe military operations, the IRA, the Irish, the actions of their own forces, morale and relationships with local communities. It will surprise Irish readers to learn many felt they were winning the war, but victory was taken from them by British politicians agreeing to a truce and the treaty. Likewise, RAF operations will be news to most as will the fact that so much of the army's time was spent enjoying sporting endeavours. Others were outspoken in their dislike of war and the campaign. Secret contacts between the British and the IRA and the use and abuse of intelligence are described. There is Brigadier Vinden's strange tale of a drinking session with Michael Collins and humour in the sending of Gaelic-speaking Highlanders into a public house to eavesdrop in the belief that Sinn Féiners always spoke Irish to each other.
The author has gone deep into British military archives to unearth these never-published accounts. Supplemented with unpublished photographs from the Imperial War Müseum and the Irish National Library, these accounts, not just from famous soldiers like Field Marshal Montgomery and General Percival, form a landmark oral history told through the personal experiences of men from across the ranks.