KILLING THATCHER is the gripping account of how the IRA almost succeeded in assassinating Margaret Thatcher and eliminating the British Cabinet—a stunning assassination attempt connected to the Northern Ireland Troubles and the boldest conspiracy against the Crown since the Gunpowder Plot.

In this thrilling and engaging book, veteran journalist Rory Carroll reconstructs the lead-up to the infamous 1984 Brighton bombing—a pivotal event that shaped the political landscape in the United Kingdom for decades. It starts with the execution of Lord Mountbatten in 1979—for which the IRA claimed full responsibility—before tracing the rise of Margaret Thatcher, her response to the 'Troubles' in Ireland, and the chain of events culminating in the 1981 hunger strikes and the death of 10 Republican prisoners, including Bobby Sands. From that point on, Thatcher became an enemy of the IRA—and the organization vowed revenge.

Opening with a breathtaking prologue introducing the bomber Patrick Magee before the incident, Carroll deftly explores the intrigue before and after the assassination attempt—spanning three continents, from pubs and palaces, safe houses and interrogation rooms, to hotels and camps. On one side, an elite IRA team supported by a rebel priest, funding from the US and Libya's Gaddafi, and on the other, intelligence officers, police interrogators, informants, and bomb disposal officers. A compelling narrative that combines true crime with political history, this is the first major book to investigate the Brighton attack.

Pages: 416, Dimensions: 12.9x12.9cm