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Trial and Error: The Maguires, the Guildford Pub Bombings and British Justice
On 19 October 1989 the Guildford Four were released after fifteen years’ imprisonment. In this astonishing book, Robert Kee exposes a dreadful miscarriage of justice.
The trials of the Guildford Four and the Maguire Seven reveal a grim story of prejudice and cynicism in British courts, police complicity and the scandal of ‘induced’ confessions. Despite continual protestations of innocence, at the time Trial and Error was first published the Maguires remained convicted of the charges brought against them (the verdicts were subsequently quashed).
Trial and Error was the first book to expose the full extent of the corruption and injustice that shook the United Kingdom. It is a highly intelligent, meticulously researched and comprehensively written work, and a must-read for all interested in matters of history, politics and justice.
Praise for Trial and Error:
’A classic of its genre… he deserves a substantial share of the credit for the vindication of the Guildford Four, intolerably late though it was. Can miscarriage of justice be eliminated? Not entirely, because we are human and fallible. But much can be done to improve the system if we will’- Lord Scarman, October 1989
‘When first published in 1986, this penetrating book … played a significant part in the development of the campaign to establish whether or not these convictions were safe or satisfactory. Many people have a good reason to be grateful to Robert Kee for his careful and painstaking research’ - Cardinal Basil Hume, October 1989
‘A very fine job indeed, both for justice and journalism’ - Independent
‘Comprehensive and disturbing reassessment’ - Ludovic Kennedy in the Spectator
‘Continues that tradition of journalists who are prepared to fight for justice where injustice has been done and in doing so preserve the very fabric of justice itself’ - Sunday Times
‘This sensitive, thorough and compassionate book’ - Irish Times
Author, journalist and broadcaster Robert Kee (1919–2013) worked for many years for both ITV and BBC television on current affairs series such as Panorama and This Week. He was a special correspondent for the Sunday Times and the Observer and literary editor of the Spectator.
The trials of the Guildford Four and the Maguire Seven reveal a grim story of prejudice and cynicism in British courts, police complicity and the scandal of ‘induced’ confessions. Despite continual protestations of innocence, at the time Trial and Error was first published the Maguires remained convicted of the charges brought against them (the verdicts were subsequently quashed).
Trial and Error was the first book to expose the full extent of the corruption and injustice that shook the United Kingdom. It is a highly intelligent, meticulously researched and comprehensively written work, and a must-read for all interested in matters of history, politics and justice.
Praise for Trial and Error:
’A classic of its genre… he deserves a substantial share of the credit for the vindication of the Guildford Four, intolerably late though it was. Can miscarriage of justice be eliminated? Not entirely, because we are human and fallible. But much can be done to improve the system if we will’- Lord Scarman, October 1989
‘When first published in 1986, this penetrating book … played a significant part in the development of the campaign to establish whether or not these convictions were safe or satisfactory. Many people have a good reason to be grateful to Robert Kee for his careful and painstaking research’ - Cardinal Basil Hume, October 1989
‘A very fine job indeed, both for justice and journalism’ - Independent
‘Comprehensive and disturbing reassessment’ - Ludovic Kennedy in the Spectator
‘Continues that tradition of journalists who are prepared to fight for justice where injustice has been done and in doing so preserve the very fabric of justice itself’ - Sunday Times
‘This sensitive, thorough and compassionate book’ - Irish Times
Author, journalist and broadcaster Robert Kee (1919–2013) worked for many years for both ITV and BBC television on current affairs series such as Panorama and This Week. He was a special correspondent for the Sunday Times and the Observer and literary editor of the Spectator.
- GenresTrue Crime
313 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 10, 2021
9 people are currently reading
21 people want to read
About the author
Robert Kee
58 books12 followersRobert Kee, CBE was a broadcaster, journalist and writer, known for his historical works on World War II and Ireland.
He was educated at Stowe School, Buckingham, and read history at Magdalen College, Oxford, where he was a pupil, then a friend, of the historian A.J.P. Taylor.
During World War II he served in the Royal Air Force as a bomber pilot. His Hampden was shot down by flak one night while on a mine-laying operation off the coast of German-occupied Holland. He was imprisoned and spent three years in a German POW camp. This gave him material for his first book A Crowd Is Not Company. It was first published as a novel in 1947 but was later revealed to be an autobiography. It recounts his experiences as a prisoner of war and his various escapes from the Nazi camp. The Times describes it as "arguably the best POW book ever written."
His career in journalism began immediately after the Second World War. He worked for the Picture Post, then later became a special correspondent for The Sunday Times and The Observer. He was also literary editor of The Spectator.
In 1958 he moved to television. He appeared for many years on both the BBC and ITV as reporter, interviewer and presenter. He presented many current affairs programmes including Panorama, ITN's First Report and Channel 4's Seven Days. He was awarded the BAFTA Richard Dimbleby Award in 1976.
Kee wrote and presented the documentary series Ireland – A Television History in 1980. The work was widely shown in the United Kingdom and the United States and received great critical acclaim, winning the Christopher Ewart-Biggs Memorial Prize. Following its transmission on RTÉ, the Irish national broadcaster, Kee won a Jacob's Award for his script and presentation.
He was educated at Stowe School, Buckingham, and read history at Magdalen College, Oxford, where he was a pupil, then a friend, of the historian A.J.P. Taylor.
During World War II he served in the Royal Air Force as a bomber pilot. His Hampden was shot down by flak one night while on a mine-laying operation off the coast of German-occupied Holland. He was imprisoned and spent three years in a German POW camp. This gave him material for his first book A Crowd Is Not Company. It was first published as a novel in 1947 but was later revealed to be an autobiography. It recounts his experiences as a prisoner of war and his various escapes from the Nazi camp. The Times describes it as "arguably the best POW book ever written."
His career in journalism began immediately after the Second World War. He worked for the Picture Post, then later became a special correspondent for The Sunday Times and The Observer. He was also literary editor of The Spectator.
In 1958 he moved to television. He appeared for many years on both the BBC and ITV as reporter, interviewer and presenter. He presented many current affairs programmes including Panorama, ITN's First Report and Channel 4's Seven Days. He was awarded the BAFTA Richard Dimbleby Award in 1976.
Kee wrote and presented the documentary series Ireland – A Television History in 1980. The work was widely shown in the United Kingdom and the United States and received great critical acclaim, winning the Christopher Ewart-Biggs Memorial Prize. Following its transmission on RTÉ, the Irish national broadcaster, Kee won a Jacob's Award for his script and presentation.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 4, 2025
This true story still has the power to shock after all these years. It's horrifying to think people end up earning life sentences due to police fixating on them, to the extent that even when seasoned IRA members told the authorities they had done the bombings not the Guildford Four, this was ignored.
The writing is pretty crisp and the story moves along really well, although an understanding of the UK court system is helpful for parts of it. It's well worth checking out.
The writing is pretty crisp and the story moves along really well, although an understanding of the UK court system is helpful for parts of it. It's well worth checking out.
December 12, 2023
Proved illuminating
February 19, 2024
Interesting read and an insight into a blatant miscarriage of justice. It could have been a better read if the context had been included in more detail. In some ways a slightly coloured view which given the author's previous is understandable.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews