Behind the Mask: The IRA and Sinn FeinAuthor: Taylor, PeterGenre: Political Science Publisher: TV Books Inc. Released: November 1997 |
A Review by Laurie Edwards
01/25/2002
...and still be called history?! Behind the Mask: The IRA and Sinn Fein isn't a history or study of Sinn Fein; it's diatribe by a BBC reporter against the Irish, Republicans, and all anti-Orange/English organizations.
Peter Taylor's propaganda takes us through the unfortunate background of the creation of Sinn Fein ("Ourselves Alone")—told entirely from the British standpoint. It not only explains Sinn Fein as the political wing of the Irish Republican Army (right and true), it connects the political wing to subsets of the IRA which haven't accepted the latest stopgap peace treaty (not true, and designed to make readers dislike the political organization).
The writing has none of the dry this-is-history flavor to it. There's a reason for that: This isn't history. It's almost an old Western—the bad guys (Sinn Fein) harming the good townsfolk, and the good guys (the British) chasing them down to face justice.
Only thing is, there's no opposing views expressed here. Sinn Fein and its military side are presented as cut from one cloth, and all the leaders of both are written as cutthroat terrorists. There's no attempt at impartiality at any point in the book; this is as one-sided and hate-filled as any other mainstream book I've read on this subject.
Irish patriots are spinning in their graves at the distortions and outright lies in Behind the Mask. Help them rest in peace; don't read this worthless shit. For something just as historically valid, read Trinity, by Leon Uris. At least that's honest fiction—and it's pro-Irish!
© Copyright ToxicUniverse.com 01/25/2002
