Gerard Murphy (2)

This book is little short of a travesty. Murphy relies on a selective interpretation of portion of a note, which he discovered written in the private papers of Florence O'Donoghue as the basis for the plot. All fine if this were a work of fiction. However Murphy presents this as history and claims the note proves the existence of a plot, involving O'Donoghue and members of the anti-Treaty IRA in Cork, to assassinate Michael Collins.
As with his previous book 'The Year of Disappearances' this show more book makes selective use of facts and events to fit the narrative which he expounds. O'Donoghue is not a historian and should refrain from attempting to write history, he may have an aptitude for historical fiction, but any reader serious about studying the events of the Irish Civil War will find nothing of use in this work. The pity is, it will probably be grasped by the multitude of conspiracy theorists who thrive on intensifying the fog in relation to the death of Collins. A waste of both paper and ink and money, if you actually buy it. show less

Revealing book on an untold story. Disappearances, mainly of Protestants, in Cork (mainly City) likely to have been murders. Many reminiscences have distorted the date to make it appear they were during the War of Independence when they were after the Truce and particularly after the Treaty was agreed and Cork was in the hands of the Anti-Treaty IRA. Unfortunately the book is arranged in the order that the author made his discoveries and it would take a remarkable memory to follow all the show more characters (murderers and murdered) whose names kept cropping up. show less