"An essential reference work for those interested in the roots of the conflict in the North." -Irish Post "Few could quarrel with the publisher's description of this as a classic." -Books Ireland "There is no denying the powerful ways in which McCann recounts the events of those early years of the troubles." -Robert Fisk, The Times "So honest, so human and so readable." -Irish Times "[A] powerful memoir...The value of the book lies in its capturing sharply a particular viewpoint that ended up being highly consequential." -FiveBooks, The best books on Modern Irish History

Eamonn McCann's account of what it is like to grow up a Catholic in a Northern Irish ghetto - first published in 1974 - quickly became a classic account of the feelings generated by British rule. The author was at the centre of events in Derry which first brought Northern Ireland to world attention. He witnessed the gradual transformation of the civil rights movement from a mild campaign for 'British Democracy' to an all-out military assault on the British state. McCann argues that the ideals that inspired the early movement continue was the only way out of the bloody mess in Northern Ireland.