Guerrilla warfare is the struggle of the weak against the strong. During the War of Independence, the IRA adapted to guerrilla warfare and was able to inflict severe damage on the Crown forces. By mid-1921, British casualties were continually rising and after much indecision, Lloyd George opted for a truce. This was followed by the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921.
The British departed, leaving behind a self-governing state – on an island partitioned by a newly-drawn border - and the Civil War ensued six months later. Michael B. Barry has sourced an unprecedented 650 images to tell the story of the struggle for independence, from the post-Rising period to the ruthless war that raged from 1919 to 1921. Many of these images have never been published before.
New information, such as the curious case of the alleged IRA Typhoid Plot, is revealed. This essential book brings the War of Independence alive. From the panoramic to the particular, the activities of the IRA and the Crown forces are set out comprehensively, illustrated by maps of key engagements and clear and incisive text. This volume completes the trilogy of acclaimed books by Michael B. Barry which tell the story of the Irish Revolution in illustrated form over the period from 1916 to 1923.
Historian Michael B. Barry, from West Cork, studied in Trinity College and lives in Dublin. He has written many books including the best-selling Victorian Dublin Revealed. In recent years he has written two critically acclaimed books on the Irish Revolution: The Green Divide, an Illustrated History of the Irish Civil War and Courage Boys, We are Winning, an Illustrated History of the 1916 Rising.
