The Siege of Derry

by Carlo Gébler

THE SIEGE OF DERRY is one of the key flash points in the troubled history of Ireland and Britain. In 1688 William of Orange had claimed the English throne, forcing the catholic James II to flee to Ireland. From there he hoped to mount his comeback. In December of that year James' troops attempted to take over the protestant city of Derry. To the now-famous cry of 'No Surrender' the apprentice boys closed the city gates to James' army and the 105-day siege begun. The besiegers effectively used cannon and mortar to shell the defenders - with terrifying results - and conditions became desperate as the city began to run out of food. Carlo Gebler's book thrillingly describes both the events leading up to the siege and the heroic struggles within and outside Derry as the five-month battle waged.

Genres: Ireland, History

384 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Old-Barbarossa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well balanced look at the siege, the main players, the background, and the ripples to the present day.
Black and white photos, good bibliography and index, good maps (but Aughrim and Coleraine missing from the Ireland map).
Precious few heroes in the tale and the survivors of the siege treated almost punitively in the aftermath (the wrong type of protestant), also the troops remaining unpaid.
But it is just one event in what was a messy power struggle between inter-related gentry on the edge of Europe.