Soldiering Against Subversion: The Irish Defence Forces and Internal Security During the Troubles, 1969–1998 Paperback – Illustrated, 7 August 2018

Absolutely, brilliant read. A must-have for anyone joining up as a recruit or cadet. This book will also inform current members of our history, as members and ex-members of our armed forces. It's also a must-read for civilians who want to inform themselves about the Irish Defences during this time. Every politician, and especially Sinn Fein should read this book for an appreciation of the Defence Forces, and to inform them of their own murky history.

An extremely important book that shows why Ireland needs to maintain a properly scaled Defence Forces that is loyal to the state and the constitution.Dan Harvey captures the day to day routine well, but also the turmoil surrounding the efforts to bring an initially underresourced and undermanned Defence Forces up to task. With Brexit and other domestic security issues on the near horizon, this book should be required reading for every TD, soldier and civil servant.

Writing modern Irish military history seems to be difficult, as the preface to this book hints. But the point of a book like this, where you are left no better informed, after reading it, about the organisation of (or changes to) the Irish Defence Forces in relation to internal security, is unclear. The author makes good use of 'open source' material when discussing subversion, but for whatever reason eschews that in favour of oral history when discussing the Defence Forces, and there is simply not enough of that here, to make a coherent account. Much the same criticisms apply to the author's other book, on Irish peace-keepers.

Having lived through the times written about in the book the thing which struck me the most is how much of the events i had actually forgotten. How clearly Dan Harveys book could recall them to mind.

A look at a serving member of the Irish security forces day to day routine on the border and its true to form as I served myself on the border