
2021
First Published
3.75
Average Rating
327
Number of Pages
Recruited by British Intelligence to infiltrate the IRA and Sinn Féin during the height of the Northern Ireland Troubles, they were ‘agents of influence’. With codenames like INFLICTION, STAKEKNIFE, 3007 and CAROL, these spies played a pivotal role in the fight against Irish republicanism. Now, for the first time, some of these agents have emerged from the shadows to tell their compelling stories. Agents of Influence takes you behind the scenes of the secret intelligence war which helped bring the IRA’s armed struggle to an end. Historian Aaron Edwards, the critically acclaimed author of UVF: Behind the Mask, explains how the IRA was penetrated by British agents, with explosive new revelations about the hidden agendas of prominent republicans like Martin McGuinness and Freddie Scappaticci and lesser-known ones like Joe Haughey and John Joe Magee. Bringing to light recently declassified TOP SECRET documents and the first-hand testimonies of agents and their handlers, Edwards reveals how British Intelligence gained extraordinary access to the IRA’s inner circle and manipulated them into engaging with the peace process. With new insights into the spy masters behind the scenes, their strategies and tactics, and operations in Europe, the United States and beyond, Agents of Influence offers a rare and shocking glimpse into betrayal at the heart of Irish republicanism during the vicious decades of the Troubles.
Avg Rating
3.75
Number of Ratings
102
5 STARS
26%
4 STARS
37%
3 STARS
26%
2 STARS
5%
1 STARS
5%
goodreads
Author

Aaron Edwards
Author · 4 books
Welcome to my Goodreads Page! I’m a reader first and a writer second. My several books include the critically acclaimed Mad Mitch’s Tribal Law: Aden and the End of Empire (Transworld Books, 2014; paperback 2015) and UVF: Behind the Mask (Merrion Press, 2017). I have taught in the Faculty for the Study of Leadership, Security and Warfare at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst since 2008, traveling the world to instruct on global security challenges, including terrorism, war and peace. In my spare time beyond reading, writing and teaching I love walking, trekking and running.