The Anatomy of a Killing cover art

The Anatomy of a Killing

Preview
LIMITED TIME OFFER

3 Months Free + £10 Audible voucher

£5.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Get this deal
Offer ends on 5 July 2026 at 11:59 BST.
More purchase options

The Anatomy of a Killing

By: Ian Cobain
Narrated by: Patrick Moy
Get this deal

£5.99/mo after 3 months. Offer ends on 5 July 2026 at 11:59 BST. Cancel monthly.

Buy Now for £13.53

Buy Now for £13.53

The untold story of an IRA unit and a killing that has echoed across the decade.

On the morning of Saturday 22nd April 1978, members of an Active Service Unit of the IRA hijacked a car and crossed the countryside to the town of Lisburn. Within an hour, they had killed an off-duty policeman in front of his young son.

In The Anatomy of a Killing, award-winning journalist Ian Cobain documents the hours leading up to the killing and the months and years of violence, attrition and rebellion surrounding it. Drawing on interviews with those most closely involved, as well as court files, police notes, military intelligence reports, IRA strategy papers, memoirs and government records, this is a unique perspective on the Troubles and a revelatory work of investigative journalism.

©2020 Ian Cobain (P)2020 W F Howes
Europe Great Britain Words, Language & Grammar Writing & Publishing
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1

Critic reviews

“By homing in on one man's violent death, Ian Cobain tells a riveting and tragic story but, while doing that, he has also written a precise, compelling history of the Troubles. It's one of the best I've read.” (Roddy Doyle)

All stars
Most relevant
One incident is expanded into a 'Big-Picture' landscape and contracted down to insightful detail.

Engaging.....Even if you know your history!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Thoroughly engaging and informative .Anatomy of a killing lives up to its title ..While it does not justify an act of horrendous cruelty it reveals the documented evidence that allows us to conceive how and why it occurred . It is well written and equally well narrated .

A Tapestry with no loose threads .

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

An unbiased account of the events around the shooting of a policeman in Lisburn, and the wider events before and after. Fascinating account, well written and researched. Narration was very good.

Factual and fascinating.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Is it possible any book can be written about Northern Ireland without some element of Bias. this book I feel is that book

Bias

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

A great overview of the occupation of the north of ireland and the insurgency that took place by the native people.
Focuses on the killing of a police officer by irish rebels and the ensuing fallout.

riveting

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

See more reviews