In the early twentieth century there was a war brewing on Britain's doorstep. Northern Ireland was filled with discrimination and suspicion, a sense of foreboding that would soon erupt into full-blown rioting. As the fiftieth anniversary of the Troubles approaches, Ken Wharton takes a thorough look at the start of the Troubles, the precursors and the explosion of violence in 1969 that would last until the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. In all, the Troubles cost 50,000 casualties and nearly 2,000 civilians' lives across Northern Ireland, the Republic and England. Utterly condemnatory of the paramilitaries, Wharton pulls no punches in his assessment of the situation then and seeks to dismiss apologists today. His sympathy lies first with those tasked with keeping order in the province, but also with the innocent civilians caught up in thirty years of bloodshed. Torn Apart is an in-depth look at the start of the Troubles, looking at the seminal moments and Northern Ireland today using the powerful testimony of those who were there at the time.

About the Author
KEN WHARTON is a former solider turned writer. He is chronicling the Troubles and takes as his standpoint the position of the Security Forces and the innocent civilians - and refuses to allow history to be rewritten. He is the acclaimed author of eleven books on the Troubles. He has been interviewed numerous times by BBC Radio and was associate producer on the History Channel's Soldiers' Stories: Northern Ireland. He gave a lecture on the Troubles to the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst in 2016.

Reviews
Ken's books adorn the shelves not only of those who witnessed these events unfold at first hand but also those of us who grew up in the shadow of the worst years of the Troubles. Having researched and written about the Troubles for over twenty years, I have found no better introduction to the military dimension of the conflict than Ken's work. -- Dr Aaron Edwards
Ken Wharton has written a compelling history of the Troubles, the first to encompass the full 50 years. Full of authentic detail, this is exciting history at its best - and it's told with objectively and passion. His knowledge of the Troubles is second to none. -- Damien Lewis
Ken Wharton deserves a knighthood for his brilliant work illuminating a dark passage of Britain's past. Torn Apart is everything history should be: truthful, wise and humane. -- Patrick Bishop



Book Information
ISBN 9780750997287
Author Ken Wharton
Format Paperback
Imprint The History Press Ltd
Publisher The History Press Ltd