War and an Irish Town

By: Eamonn McCann

Narrated by: Eamonn McCann

McCann’s account of what it is like to grow up a Catholic in a Northern Irish ghetto - first published in 1974 - quickly became a classic account of the feelings generated by British rule. The author was at the center of events in Derry which first brought Northern Ireland to world attention. He witnessed the gradual transformation of the civil rights movement from a mild campaign for “British Democracy” to an all-out military assault on the British state.

This book describes the people involved in the war, gives an account of the springs of the "Catholic" opposition, tells what their world was like and how their background affected the daily conduct of events. McCann gets beyond the rhetoric of the organized groups to the real people involved - people who are not so different from those in any other British town.

©1974, 2018 Eamonn McCann. Introduction to Haymarket edition: Eamonn McCann (P)2018 Audible, Inc.

Written from a Marxist viewpoint

The writer is a convinced Marxist which shapes his worldview and analysis. In spite of this, the eyewitness history is interesting if you can make it through the first part of the book.

The writer narrates, but is not a good narrator. Very heavy northern Irish access, plus something is off with the narration, making it hard to hear at times.

Overall a useful books for those seeking to understand the Troubles.

Simply amazing

This is an amazing book. The author’s presentation style is so similar to classical histories and Roman rhetoric, that although it may appear to be a brief history on the subject of the troubles, it is not so simple. This book simultaneously presents Irish republicanism and eventually Marxist ideologies not in a vacuum of national case study, but in a western context. This narrative presented is something that can be applied universally to western histories and internationally to the struggles between revolution and empire. Although, I can’t agree whole heartedly to some of the politics if they were applied to my country or society (as it differs from that of Ireland’s north) the author clearly makes his case for the actions known to take place on multiple side of the conflict in Ireland’s north. This man is a true rhetorician in the classical sense and has been done by the Irish monks of old, he preserves western ideals outside of the pro-imperial mindset.

sound quality is poir

It is very hard to understand. cannot follow the story. not good story i used a credit