Killing Rage

by Eamon Collins, Mick McGovern

This is an account of how an angry young man can cross the line that divides theoretical support for violence from a state of "killing rage," in which the murder of neighbor becomes thinkable. Over 3,000 people have died in Northern Ireland since 1969, and most of them have died at the hands of their neighbors. The intimacy of the Ulster conflict, what it means to carry out a political murder when in all probability the victim is personally known, or lives in a nearby street, is described accurately by an honest participant. The book does not attempt to soften the impact of the events it describes through euphemism or rhetoric. It is a truthful picture of the brutality and waste caused by the IRA's unwinnable campaign, and of its human consequences. It is also a self-portrait of the despair and disintegration, the hardening to conscience and grief, that accompany political violence.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Ireland, Irish Literature, Memoir, War, Biography

372 pages, Hardcover

First published April 3, 1997

Reviews

[Brian · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was very disappointed with this book. I had really looked forward to reading it and when I was done I felt that I had wasted my time and money.

They say there is nothing worse than a reformed smoker, but Eamon Collins, a reformed IRA man, shoots down that theory. Collins was a dedicated republican who soured on the movement. Throughout the book he would have the reader believe that his experiences are emblomatic of the entire republican movement. He would have us believe that he and only he, Eamon Collins, can accurately tell the story of the "real" IRA.

In reality Collins went from being a soldier to a whining sniveler who ratted out his comrades. To be sure, it would have been difficult for anyone to have withstood the psychological torture that he experienced at the hands of the police and yet, many others did. In summation he went from being a man who stood for something to a man who stood only for his own survival. Not much of a man in my book.

[Alexander Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the Australian TV personality Steve Irwin died, having been stung by a stingray, it was very sad. It was sad, but in some respects, it wasn’t overly surprising. Irwin had made a career out of antagonising dangerous animals – poking poisonous snakes, pulling the tails of crocodiles, messing around with venomous spiders. It was only a matter of time, surely, before one of these animals got annoyed with him. Sure enough.

Much the same could be said of Eamon Collins. He antagonised the IRA until finally they lost patience with him, savagely killing him in 1999, not even two years after the publication of Killing Rage. He just didn’t know when to shut up. Although the IRA had already said that he would be killed if he lived north of Drogheda in the Republic, it seemed that they turned a blind eye for some years as he insisted on living in Newry not far from where he grew up. But the last straw was probably when he testified that Thomas “Slab” Murphy was the head of the IRA in a civil court, which resulted in Murphy losing his libel case and ending up with thousands of pounds of costs. This was rather like going up to a sleeping tiger and sticking pins in it. Collins apparently had a death wish.

His memoir relates his career in the IRA, from his recruitment, through a sordid litany of murders and bombs, to his arrest by the authorities and his betrayal of his erstwhile associates. It makes compelling reading and is a truly fascinating insight into not only the workings of the IRA, but the terrorist mind-set in general. Over the course of the book, Collins gives a detailed description of the operations he was involved in and of his co-terrorists. If ever you wondered whether the supposedly noble political aspirations of the IRA were really an excuse for institutionalised thuggery, then this book will confirm your worst suspicions.

It’s hard, with a first-person narrative, to really get a sense of the narrator. How much is he telling the truth? Are you getting a full account or only a partial one? You can’t see the body language, or hear the tone of voice. According to the Guardian journalist who met him, “Collins was a difficult, unlovable man, opinionated, dogmatic. He was a small man with a big mouth, a big ego and an antagonistic personality. He fell out with nearly everyone, including his brother John, who did not speak to him for years before his death, his one-time comrades in the IRA, the RUC, the television journalists who told his story, and his co-writer on his book.” He was also 5 foot 1 – the typically aggressive small man.

You could say that Collins’ difficult personality is the reader’s gain. He showed no fear of presenting unpalatable truths about the IRA and the euphemistically termed “Armed Struggle” which actually consists, or consisted, in murdering unarmed people when they least expect it for such heinous crimes as serving their communities as part-time policemen or destroying anything useful or beautiful with bombs. At one time Collins became part of the “Nutting Squad”, the IRA’s internal disciplinary unit, responsible for extracting confessions of suspected informers, or “touts”, by whatever means necessary, including torture, and then passing judgement on them and executing them with a bullet in the head. We might suspect that Collins was not as reasonable and as rational as his account would have us believe. He must have developed a reputation for utter ruthlessness and a great capacity for violence despite his diminutive physical stature. This is the one thing that I found difficult to square with his account. YouTube interviews show him as a very angry person, and the title “Killing Rage” to his book seems particularly well chosen. But the book is reasonably laconic about his involvement with the Nutting Squad. Indeed, I suspect that the book is economical with the truth regarding countless IRA operations. The reader gets the feeling of receiving a full account, but Collins hinted in interviews that this was only a sample of what he got up to.

If ever you wanted an illustration of the maxim “to have your cake and eat it”, Collins was it. Having committed the most vile crimes – such as setting up innocent work colleagues for execution, he then confessed everything to the police and turned supergrass. Then, whilst on remand, he recanted, annoying the police. Not satisfied with this, he annoyed the IRA command structure in Crumlin Road gaol by refusing to kow-tow to them and constantly reminding them of the bankruptcy of their terrorist actions. Then he denied all his confessions in court, amazingly winning his freedom. But Killing Rage shows him admitting them all over again, before he ignored IRA death threats and spent his time denouncing them on TV and in print. Repeatedly. Hardly surprising that “he got his”.

The book is brilliant - well-written, gripping, insightful. In some respects, it’s the only book you need to read about The Troubles. It says it all. This is what terrorism is all about and Eamon Collins was the archetypal terrorist. It’s sad that he’s dead. But not that surprising. And maybe, not even all that sad.

[Thedailyloaf · Rating 5 out of 5]

quite possibly one of the most disturbing books regarding the Troubles. it is the autobiography of Eamon Collins, a former member of the IRA who eventually turned his back on the cause. this is a no holds barred tell-all detailing the ruthlessness (and sometimes the sheer stupidity) of those involved. all the dirty secrets come out, including how he masterminded and carried out an improvised mortar attack on the Newry RUC station which left nine policemen dead. the publication of this book lead to his eventual murder shortly thereafter. this is not for the squeamish and at times it can be an extremely hard book to continue reading.

[Alene · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I could do a half star because this book was pretty good--informative, entertaining, thought-provoking, but ultimately, not something I'll draw back on very often I don't think.

I liked hearing the real account of someone's experience in the IRA and what all that entailed philosophically in addition to the duties. But it seemed like the period through which he was still involved and yet very disenchanted with it went on forever and I kept wishing he would just get out. But I understand how difficult it is to leave behind something that has defined you for so long and that still shapes your worldview in many ways.

The most touching part was his process of separation from the organization and all of the experiences that that included--prison time, loyalties and friendships ruined, etc. seemed very very real and his description was painful and I really felt for him.

[Minglu Jiang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whether Eamon Collins was, as many have characterized him, incredibly brave or incredibly foolish, it's impossible to come out of reading Killing Rage without a certain admiration for the man. He is brutally honest about what he has done and his terrible reasons for doing it. At the very least, that takes courage.

Eamon Collins was a former IRA volunteer from Newry who became famous for turning "supergrass" (i.e., he ratted out his former comrades to the police) and eventually turning his back on the IRA—and physical force Irish republicanism—completely. He appeared on television to speak out about the IRA and eventually (ghost?)wrote his memoir, which acts as an exposé on the infamous Irish paramilitary group.

As I mentioned before, he is brutally, nakedly honest about his deeds. Much of the middle of the book is simply a string of horrifyingly detailed accounts of meticulously planned killings, though it is also a backdrop for a trip into Collins's psyche. It was honestly horrifying to watch Collins, who starts off as a fairly decent young law student, descend into a brutal killer who lacked any humanity for his victims, even when they were wrongfully or accidentally targeted. But such is the tragedy of political extremism and fanaticism. And I think that's the main message that Collins is trying to get across. He doesn't fit the expected profile of an IRA volunteer—he was a middle-class married father with a college degree and a government job. Maybe he wasn't a great person to start with but he was alright. Blind ideology can ruin anybody.

But Killing Rage is not just an exposé; it's also Eamon Collins's memoir. Ghostwritten or not, Eamon's character shines through the storytelling: his wit, his charm, and most importantly, his conviction. The best memoirs are the ones where you really get to know the person rather than just the story, which honestly, I didn't expect out of Killing Rage, but I'm glad I got it.

I'm not going to deny that Eamon's decision to go "supergrass" was self-serving. Of course it was. But as a former Newry IRA leader, he knew exactly what he was risking by speaking out on national television broadcasts and writing his book. To do what he knew was right when he knew full what could—and eventually did—befall him, that's courage right there.

[polusvijet · Rating 1 out of 5]

Self-adulating ramblings of a narcissist of questionable credibility delivered in a self-righteous and moralizing tone. At the beginning of the book, there's a documentary mentioned called "Confessions", which came out shortly prior to this book. If you watch it (it's on YT), you'll see a man who's doing this for the sole purpose of being remembered. If you're in the mood for a clichee laden Farewell to Arms, read this.

[Brett C · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book goes into the inner workings and details on the Irish Republican Army's struggle. It's not a history book but more so a memoir about a man who was in the IRA and what he did while a member of the organization. I liked it based off the fact is was more told from his point of view instead of teaching/lecturing about the IRA.

[Petter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, he will definitely not write a sequel.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sad book, especially considering Collins was murdered within two years of publication. A man who lost his faith in a cause that seemed to be losing its way, and just wanted to live a simple life.

[Michael Burnam-Fink · Rating 5 out of 5]

Killing Rage is a personal account of what it's like to be a soldier in a political war, and the cost of running a campaign of assassination and terror. Growing up in Camlough, in the "bandit country" of Armagh, Northern Ireland, Eamon inherited a nationalist imagination from his mother, and an iron irascibility from his father.

A variety of causes lead him into the war. Perhaps primarily was a botched arrest of himself, his father, and his brother on bad intelligence by a British Army unit. The teenage Eamon was beaten with rifle butts by drunken soldiers, had his tooth chipped when a rifle was shoved in his mouth, and saw his father humiliated. Along with that came the hunger strike of Bobby Sands and other IRA prisoners. And finally, a journey into Marxist revolutionary ideology.

Collins worked as customs officer in Her Majesty's Government, and he first participated in an assassination against a coworker, Ian Toombs, who was also a major in the Royal Ulster Constabulary. Collins provided the intelligence, which allowed another IRA fighter to walk into the office and gun Toombs down in the middle of the day. From then on, Collins became a committed soldier. He plotted bombings and assassination, recruited many men, including his cousin Mickey into the IRA. He was evening promoted to the elite internal security unit called the Nutting Squad.

Over the years, Collins' doubts mounted. Botched operations, including the killing on Norman Hanna, who had retired from the Ulster Defence Regiment, wore away at his revolutionary certainty. His fellow IRA members were frequently thugs and incompetents, not the revolutionary paragons he wanted. Leadership's two pronged pursuit of both democratic legitimacy via Sinn Fein and warfare via the IRA could only end in failure. When Collins was arrested in the wake of deadly mortar attack, he broke and turned against the IRA, confessing everything. The confession didn't stick, and Collins recanted, avoiding a prison sentence, and yet continuing to antagonize the IRA on the outside. He was finally murdered, almost certainly by his former colleagues, a few years after this book was published and the Good Friday accords brought an end to the worst of the violence.

Several things come through. The first is the absolute moral event horizon of political violence. The IRA harmed almost everyone who worked for it. The second is the strange asymmetry of the Troubles. For all the violence, there were rules. The IRA tried to focus on legitimate targets. The British government followed legal procedures in arresting and trying even obvious IRA figures like Collins. It's also difficult to see the violence as anything but a self-inflicted cycle. Both the IRA and the British forces need the other side to justify their existence. The people of Northern Ireland were victims caught in the middle.

"You can never kill a uniform. You can only kill the man wearing it."

[Tiarnán · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perhaps one of the most unintentionally funny books of all time, at least in its second half, as Collins increasingly and unwittingly comes across as a Provo Raskolnikov -cum- Ignatius J. Reilly, an egotistical lunatic who manages to combines the worst aspects of both the self-serving narcissist and the amoral sociopath. Given its (half-hearted and intellectualised) condemnation of the Provos, it's no wonder as to the enraptured reception this book receives on its book jacket from contemporary southern Irish reviewers, with Fintan O'Toole (in his Tintin O'Foole guise) condemning the "little Napoleons" who apparently enact their self-propelled violence upon the law-abiding communities of the north. Thus, the account of the pathological Collins is taken as token for the thirty years conflict as a whole across the North in all its complexity, and its deeper causes - particularly the killings and wrongdoings of the state against its own citizens over a period of over 80 years at the time of the book's writing - are telescoped and dismissed as part of a comforting narrative for "free staters" who had washed their hands of the six counties, a narrative that frankly only helped prolong the conflict, leaving as it did northern Nationalists bereft of national solidarity within their own country or credibility on the international stage.

Interesting as a case study into the mind of a narcissist, and for the operational techniques of the cellular ASUs of the 1980s IRA, and not much else.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

disturbing, thought-provoking and unlike anything I've read before. I have no idea what to do with my copy now. I don't ever want to read it again but it's also not the kind of book you give as a christmas present. will be thinking about this for a while.

[Chris Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating peak into the IRA and the terror they unleashed in Northern Ireland in the name of a free country from British rule.
Some truly chilling tales of callousness and inhumanity, but an important book nonetheless. Very well written and at times you can forget it is indeed non-fiction.

[Noor Al-Shalash · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned so much about the Troubles reading this—Irish people are insane.

[Lyvia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a difficult read, because it describes a series of violent and almost senseless crimes.

[Miguel Gonzalez · Rating 5 out of 5]

A strong and moving telling of the history of Eamon Collins. Definitely worth reading.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 out of 5 stars easily. Very in-depth look at the IRA death squads from a man who used to be in them and was assassinated for speaking out against their terrorism.

[Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eamon Collins, doesn’t fit the typical profile of an IRA volunteer, he was a middle-class married father with a degree and a government job with HM Customs in Northern Ireland. The book traces his transformation from a left wing law student to an active IRA volunteer.

A large portion of the book details Collins’ involvement in IRA operations, including meticulously planned assignations and bombings. He provides detailed graphic descriptions of these activities, offering insight into the IRAs recruitment, methods and structure.

This book serves as a backdrop exploring Collins’ mental situation and political thoughts, showing his transformation from a relatively normal young man into a ruthless killer who lacked empathy for his victims which was triggered by the brutality inflicted on his family by the police and army in a mistaken arrest of his father and his indoctrination into revolutionary politics. It also provides the background for the shocking revelations which came out later that one of his associates in the IRAs internal security squad was an agent run by the UK secret services.

Collins recounts his arrest by the authorities, ironically for an operation that he wasn't involved, his decision to become a “supergrass” informant, his subsequent retraction of his confessions made under duress and the quashing of his conviction by the courts due to the methods used to gain them. The book also covers his later denunciations of the IRA, resulting in death threats and the depths of his fall from grace from being a civil servant to living in exile in a squat in Dublin after been ordered to leave the North by the IRA after his trial.

Through his brutally honest account, Collins aimed to expose the reality behind the IRA’s political aspirations, factions within the IRA, the relation between the IRA and Sinn Fein, the rivalry and difference in the politics of the IRA and INLA and shows how the violence on both sides led to stale mate that neither side could comprehensively win or afford to loose.

“Killing Rage” is seen one of the most compelling and insightful books about the IRA published during the Troubles. It offers a raw, unfiltered look at the human cost of political extremism and fanaticism and serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of radicalization initiated by state sponsored discrimination and the brutality of an occupying army that looses the support of the residents.

This is a very dark book which I can definitely read again.

Two years after the publication of “Killing Rage” he was brutally murdered while walking his dogs. The case remains unsolved.

[Zach Knoll · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eamon is a complicated figure. It’s interesting to see the path of de-radicalization as that is often not depicted in terrorist literature. The memoir really captivated me for the first 2/3rds, in part because that’s where the action is, but the last 1/3 of the book is really where his life falls apart and it returns to the mundane. I think that’s one of the interesting things about terrorism, which he touches on, is that every little detail in life seems to matter so much more when he is in the IRA. Probably one of the reasons why once you’re in, especially as a young person, it’s so hard to get out. That thrill seems intoxicating to Eamon and other characters in the book.

The thing that I struggle with when it comes to this book is I don’t feel like it’s probably very representative of the normal IRA man. He goes from a dedicated, cold blooded operator- yet, unwilling to kill- to a turncoat who rats on all of his comrades under seemingly less than maximum pressure. The man that comes through in the book is one who seems to never have been fully committed to anything, but who by lack of self criticism and exploration convinced himself for 6 years that he had what it took. It’s a very interesting perspective, because we get a look into a specific part of the IRA and of the de-radicalized terrorist, but I hesitate to put my full faith in this book as a truly representative account of the IRA.


The other problem with Eamon is that he comes across as a narcissist. As if only he knew how to achieve a United Ireland, which he thinks differently about throughout his time in the IRA- on the one hand showing character development and on the other a lack of principles. It’s clear that he thinks he could lead the IRA better than anyone else- and yet he flips his perspective so radically in such a short time that he inevitably would have sunk the organization. One of his core disillusioning issues with the IRA seems to be the unsavory character of some of his comrades who he regards as sub intellectual or otherwise detestable. But should he be so surprised that an organization such as the IRA would attract at least in part such unsavory people and not exclusively Che inspired revolutionaries? He has a kind of self righteousness when it comes to these people- as if he isn’t setting up the murders of people- a few of whom turn out to be innocent. I suppose all of this speaks to the level of self delusion that he seems to have convinced himself of.

[Ethan Whittaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone that knew little of the troubles, but for a vague understanding that Catholics and Protestants did not like each other, this book provides an incredible amount of detail regarding one man's journey through the IRA in a very violent period. It is a description of his life as normal chap, to an active and deadly terrorist, and finally a peaceful reformer. I find a lot of sympathy for Eamon during many parts, even parts of violence and hate. And I found my vague understanding to be so ignorant as to be just wrong.

This is a shocking read considering that many of the events took place in the 80's and early 90's. There is something to be said for the ignorance that one can have regarding their own safe little corner of the world. This book takes place in cities and towns of working class northern Ireland, and it is easy to forget the multitude of people that fill in this scene. These are families, and people that want to live a safe life and raise children, and work, but there is an undercurrent of violence that seems commonplace. It is so foreign to someone like myself. This is a good reminder of the value in peace, the normalcy of violence in human history, and the very thin veneer of civilization that we take for granted.

This is an exposition of how one can be taken by an ideology and justify base and horrific acts for a perceived utopia.

"One person's Utopia usually means another person's hell. We live in a state of uncertainty, not just in Northern Ireland, but by virtue of being human.”

"I realize now that for me 'the people' were abstractions. Effectively, any of 'the people' who refused to support the Provisional republican movement ceased to be regarded as people whose views mattered."

[Zella Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, that was disturbing.

Collins was an intelligence officer for the IRA in the 1970s and 1980s in the town of Newry. He helped arrange assassinations and bombings before becoming a police informer after he became disillusioned with the IRA, though he soon became disillusioned with being a "tout" too. Following his expulsion from the IRA and banishment from Northern Ireland, Collins--who was never nothing if not defiant, regardless of the occasion--ignored the edict, returned home, and worked in community education and became an outspoken proponent of an end to the violence. [Unfortunately, Collins's defiance led to his still unsolved murder a couple of years after the release of this book, no doubt the IRA making good on its threats to him.)

Collins is brutally honest, and the resulting book is hard to read as a result. He writes quite openly about the work he did with the IRA, what led him to join, and what led him to leave. Collins is an insightful, intelligent, and well-educated man (he was a law student before he began his career as a revolutionary/terrorist) who seems more comfortable analyzing his actions and decision-making process than many other people are.

I can't say I particularly liked Collins, but I do admire his forthcomingness and thought the book was an excellent look at the Troubles. He gives good context for the events of the era and does a good job of chronicling the way the organization began to fragment in the 1980s as tension developed between the more militant members and those more interested in political solutions.

[Jimmie Byrne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read. Extremely insightful and effectively blows away the mystique of heroism and/or villainy (tick as appropriate) that the Provos have accumulated in the decades since the Troubles. Tom Barry might have gone down into the mire, but the Provos dived in head first and frolicked around throwing mud balls at each other. Laughing about watching a blindfolded prisoner stumbling around bumping into objects before his execution is one of many, many incidents that nukes any idea that these were noble freedom fighters.

On a re-read, Eamon comes across as more unlikable than the first read. Leaving aside the various schemes of terrorism he concocted for the moment, he was also quite moralising and more than a little arrogant, particularly towards his former comrades after he had renounced the movement, which he himself acknowledges.

His ultimate fate makes this book only more chilling and poignant, especially in the final chapter when he had turned his life around for the better and was looking forward to the future. However, if you look into the circumstances surrounding his fate, it's clear that his actions after this book ended were the equivalent of covering himself in red neon lights and standing serenely in front of the world's angriest, Belfastiest bull. He was a very smart man, but in a lot of ways he was too smart.

If I had any critiques, it is that it drags in places, particularly after he is arrested and turns supergrass. I'm sure that wasn't his favourite part of his story either.

[Jamie Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have an acquaintance who insists I've been brainwashed by being an army brat. He likes to give me books to help address that. I don't think it's working.

I got through this eventually. But, like every other book I've read by a terrorist, it's just a pathetic, failed attempt at whiny justification their very own choice to partake (and enjoy!) in senseless mass murder. Despite their self applied 'Army' label, the IRA were NOT an army, no matter what NORAID told America in order to raise funds and support their terrorism.

They were / are a terrorist group driven by the same ignorance and evil as ISIS or Al Qaeda. The IRA today REMAIN as 'high risk' on the list of potential terrorist threats to the UK.

I'm not even going to comment on ridiculous statements that call the British Army a 'side'. There were only two sides. Two lots of terrorists, Catholic and Protestant. The Army were not a side. The Army were sent there to do a job. Just like they were in more 'popular' conflicts like Iraq. I think it's about time the men who served there were given the same level of credit.

This particular terrorist doesn't even have dubious honour of remaining loyal to his so called 'cause'. That doesn't make him better than the rest of the terrorist scum in any way. He was shot by the IRA (because yes, they are still an active terrorist group!) a few years after this was published. Shame.

[Martin Koenigsberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here's how the life of most violent political terrorist lives go. They join after getting politicised and then radicalized. Then they carry out their part in the struggle. If there is not a relatively rapid military/political payoff to the carnage, then get discouraged with their own side's impotence, or political violence itself. They start families and begin to value order. Eamon Collins was such a terrorist, scouting and planning for the IRA during the troubles in the 1970s and 1980s. His memoirs, published before his assassination in 1999, tell that arc with astonishing clarity.

It's all there. Murders, bombings, doing "counter intelligence" for the IRA, and then being caught by Crown forces and broken. We see every rare "successful" terrorist act , and the dozens of failures and botched efforts that this unsophisticated movement carried out during Collins' tenure in Newry and Armagh. Having read "Bandit Country', it's interesting to read a book by one of the bandits. Here is the nuts , bolts and dolts of the birth of Modern Political Terror.

The junior read with a strong stomach can find this book rewarding although adult in theme- parents be prepared for discussions about maturation. The Military Enthusiast/Gamer/Modeller will find this good for background and the "feel" of the era, and helpful for creating dioramas/Scenarios with more veracity. Not always an easy read, but an interesting and important one to understand the modern terrorist...

[Paul McDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would be lying if I said that I didn’t find this book engrossing but my opinion of Collins went up and down like a Yo-Yo throughout the story. He was earnest about the hurdles and pitfalls of the political violence he was entrenched in, however, I can’t quite make up my mind as to whether he genuinely became disillusioned with his role in the republican movement, or if he feigned disillusionment because he ultimately folded under the pressure of British interrogation and became known as a traitor to the movement he once dedicated himself to.

In his student years Collins prescribed to Marxist ideology and these beliefs only served to enhance his radicalism, and ultimately his downfall within the movement. Some of his stories about intelligence gathering and the organisation required to liquidate targets were fascinating but after a while the stories felt less like grandiose political violence and more like the type of gangland hits that are commonplace over unpaid drug debts or clan feuds.

Ultimately I found Collins to be a deeply complex ideologue who, more often than not, was his own worst enemy. He paid the ultimate price for the decisions he made but nonetheless his story was fascinating and I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about the Northern Irish conflict.

[David Owen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a nice book, but a necessary one to try and understand the murderous mind of a committed paramilitary and the anguish that it brings. It's a page turner of a book that goes some of the way into explaining the mysterious (and topical) phenomenon of radicalisation, or at least one man's journey down that road. I haven't been as morbidly enthralled in a book like this since reading Toby Harnden's Bandit Country - both texts being informative insights into the Irish 'troubles'. Unlike most paramilitary criminals that go unremembered - other than in the communities they represent - Collins has left an unprecedented legacy of subjective insider detail on a normally extremely secretive existence. The book comes across as an attempted act of redemption prior to the inevitable. In hindsight, knowing the nature of Collins demise (not covered in the book, but not long after it's publication) the whole account of the text serves as a truly grim confirmation that you really do reap what you sow.

[John Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

What are the causes, and consequences, of a person that crosses the line to use violence to achieve political means? This is the core question at the heart of Eamon Collins autobiography "Killing Rage", about his full circle involvement in the IRA. From a university student with radical leanings to a soldier in the guerrilla war in Northern Ireland, Collins tells the very personal motivation behind his decisions and perhaps more importantly, how his actions lead him to a point where he no longer controls his destiny.
This is not an overview of theTroubles and those seeking a comprehensive history should look elsewhere. It is Collins story, beginning with the Hunger Strikes in the early 80's and covering a decade in his life. Collins is not the most accomplished writer, the sentences are basic but the story unfolds with a compelling urgency. Ultimately I found it very interesting to consider how one man's decisions lead him to a fate he could not escape.

[Kølin Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This well-written memoir can be used as a case study for how intelligent, normal humans can be radicalized into violent, hateful beings with no empathy for others. Collins walks us through his life from his humble-beginnings through his radicalization and then back into personhood. As a person capable of empathy I found it interesting to see how hatred can drive someone to leave this aspect of personhood behind and commit violent atrocities. Of course, some might say he gained his empathic abilities back; however, look at his reasons for retracting his comments and you won't see a man who actually learned to love his enemy, but rather a man protecting himself while holding onto hatred. Real atonement would have meant doing the time, he couldn't even allow himself to be punished by the IRA and so he was killed. For this reason, I think everyone should read this book so we can learn about the souls of evil-doers. Surely they were normal once, how can we bring them back?

[Jonathan Golbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping read, especially for those with a particular interest in the subject matter. Collins excels not only at taking the reader inside the IRA, but inside the mind of someone predisposed to join it. He is to a certain extent an unreliable narrator but I don’t think it makes the account less valuable; the specificity with which he recalls events and conversations from decades prior almost paradoxically makes it seem more likely that things are being embellished or contrived.

The elephant in the room was that Collins was whacked shortly after the book’s publication, ostensibly by the IRA colleagues whose omertà he had broken (both through the book and in other ways). I found myself at various points in the book considering whether this was the paragraph that did him in. All in all, a unique perspective worth a read.

[Mike F · Rating 4 out of 5]

My brother’s favourite book about The Troubles but not sure I’m there with him. It does spell out clearly, through the detailed description of the true motivation for many involved and their grisly tactics, why the Provisional IRA was destined to fail. But while he spends much of this book self reflecting and apologizing for his former life, it does seem like, when detailing his past actions, Eamon Collins always seems to find a way to give Eamon Collins a pass. Sometimes the purported line of thinking he provides is reasonable but often, I felt I was reading a temper tantrum masquerading as an account of a man finding Jesus. In the end, this is a unique and sometimes riveting account of life in the IRA worth reading, but I can’t help but wonder: just how sincere was he in this book? I guess we’ll never know.