Synopses & Reviews
This is the story of the Black and Tans and Auxiliaries, the most notorious police forces in the history of the British Isles. During the Irish War of Independence (1920-1), the British government recruited thousands of ex-soldiers to serve as constables in the Royal Irish Constabulary, the Black and Tans, while also raising a paramilitary raiding force of ex-officers - the Auxiliary Division.
From the summer of 1920 to the summer of 1921, these forces became the focus of bitter controversy. As the struggle for Irish independence intensified, the police responded to ambushes and assassinations by the guerrillas with reprisals and extrajudicial killings. Prisoners and suspects were abused and shot, the homes and shops of their families and supporters were burned, and the British government was accused of imposing a reign of terror on Ireland.
Based on extensive archival research, this is the first serious study of the Black and Tans and Auxiliaries and the part they played in the Irish War of Independence. Dr Leeson examines the organization and recruitment of the British police, the social origins of police recruits, and the conditions in which they lived and worked, along with their conduct and misconduct once they joined the force, and their experiences and states of mind. For the first time, it tells the story of the Irish conflict from the police perspective, while casting new light on the British government's responsibility for reprisals, the problems of using police to combat insurgents, and the causes of atrocities in revolutionary wars.
Review
"This book is an important contribution to the understanding of a controversial episode in Irish history. It deserves a wide audience. Highly recommended."--CHOICE
Review
"This is an impressive and important book aimed at dispelling the myths surrounding one of the most notorious police actions in British History. Among Irish historians, this book is sure to become the standard work on the Black and Tans and will, one hopes, go some way toward dispelling the myths that still surround these men. This is revisionist history in the best possible sense of the term." --Journal of British Studies
"This book is an important contribution to the understanding of a controversial episode in Irish history. It deserves a wide audience. Highly recommended."--CHOICE
About the Author
D. M. Leeson received his PhD in History from McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada in 2003.
Table of Contents
Preface
Maps
List of abbreviations
Note to the reader
Introduction
1. The Two-Headed Ass: Coalition policy and Coalition Policing in Ireland
2. 'The Dark Hours are Dreaded': The War of Independence in West Galway
3. Constabulary in Khaki: The Black and Tans
4. Dr. Tudor's Beast Folk: The Auxiliary Division
5. One-Sided War: Police and Auxiliaries in Combat
6. 'Come Out, Sinn Fein!' Analysing Police Reprisals
7. The Devil's Work: Explaining Police Reprisals
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index