FREE THE TRIGGER MEN: ASSASSINS AND TERROR BOSSES IN THE IRELAND CONFLICT PDF

Martin Dillon | 320 pages | 31 Oct 2004 | Mainstream Publishing | 9781840189025 | English | Edinburgh, United Kingdom Milltown Cemetery attack | Military Wiki | Fandom

They are regarded as two of the best books written on the Ireland conflict. Martin Dillon. This eBook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licenced or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. This edition, ISBN 1 9. Reprinted No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review written for insertion in The Trigger Men: Assassins and Terror Bosses in the Ireland Conflict magazine, newspaper or broadcast. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Undercover Trigger Men. Assassin in the Ranks. Paedophile Terrorists. Legal Trigger Men. Killers in the Family. Terror Bosses. Stone Cold Assassin. A Murderous Military Agent. Memories Dark and Bloody. Appendix 1. Appendix 2 Select Bibliography. To interviewees and secondary sources I would like to express a debt of gratitude, without them my task would have been much more difficult. Many had been questioned before but felt that because a decent time interval had elapsed, they could provide me with additional information with the benefit. Some still work in the security forces and, like others who have retired from intelligence work, they wanted their identities protected. I also owe a great deal to my publisher, Bill Campbell, for his. My wife, Violeta, slaved over the manuscript as it progressed and kept me focused while she constantly checked facts and syntax. It would not be possible to write books about the Ireland conflict without. Jim Campbell is mentioned in this book because his courageous reporting and his friendship have always been important to me. He was one of the few journalists shot and injured because of his writings. The attempt on his life did not deter him from pursuing the truth even though a bullet remains lodged in his spine. Ed helped bring my story of the Shankill Butchers to a wide audience. In Augustfollowing an invasion of Catholic districts in Belfast by Protestant mobs, British troops arrived in the city as saviours of the Catholic community. Initially, the troops The Trigger Men: Assassins and Terror Bosses in the Ireland Conflict welcomed like long-lost cousins from across the Irish Sea but that was not to last. Perhaps there was an inevitable naivete on both sides. The British Army knew little about the variables in the Ireland historical mix and Catholic nationalists and republicans were still imbued with an inherited anti-Britishness. Despite its record of bigotry and political repression, it was allowed to remain in place. That was the beginning of major political blunders. Leaving the Stormont Government in place permitted Unionists to continue to rule and influence British policy-making in 10 Downing Street. It reflected the unchanging Unionist thesis from the setting up of the State half a century earlier. The analysis ignored the origins of the ongoing conflict — the abdication of responsibility by successive British Governments in London. For decades, British political leaders viewed Northern Ireland as a seemingly intractable problem and preferred a hands- off policy. British political leaders cared little that Protestant majority rule was maintained through repressive legislation, resulting in the denial of British civil rights to Catholics. Therefore no one in Westminster saw the writing on the wall when Catholic civil rights marchers took to the streets in the mid s. There was no recognition that all those historical variables in both communities were the sparks that would ignite a. In and in the The Trigger Men: Assassins and Terror Bosses in the Ireland Conflict months ofas civil rights protests led to conflict between the two communities, politicians in London looked on in disbelief. There was a distinct lack of political intelligence within the British Labour Government led by Harold Wilson. In a bitterly ironic twist of history, the Labour Home Secretary, Jim Callaghan, decided to brief himself on the situation. To his astonishment, he found Northern Ireland listed in a single, dusty file in an office cabinet. Other files in that cabinet dealt with the issuing of dog licensing laws and rules governing London taxis. Clearly, from a British perspective, Northern Ireland had really been a place apart where other rules had applied. That arrangement had been fine as long as the Unionists across the Irish Sea kept the historical enmity between the two communities under wraps. But that all changed in August when the Unionist Government could not hold the line against increasing violence, especially from within its right- wing supporters on the ground and the B Specials, its anti-Catholic paramilitary police force. The invasion of Catholic areas in West Belfast by Protestant mobs assisted by the B Specials led to the burning of hundreds of Catholic homes and the displacement of thousands of Catholic families. Old hatreds were reactivated, forcing the British Government to end its hands-off policy and send in troops. For a British Army that had only previously been involved in colonial emergencies in Kenya, Oman, Aden and Cyprus, its generals and soldiers on the ground in Northern Ireland seemed, at the outset, to enjoy peacekeeping duties. Soldiers positioned themselves between the warring Protestant and Catholic factions and were welcomed, particularly by the Catholics. But that was merely the calm before the storm. Had the Unionist Government been immediately abolished when the British Army moved in and a meaningful dialogue instituted to create a fair political framework to accommodate the loyalties and cultural traditions of both communities, a long war might never have begun. Instead, in Junethe Labour The Trigger Men: Assassins and Terror Bosses in the Ireland Conflict in London was replaced by a Conservative administration led by Edward Heath whose Home Secretary, Reginald Maudling, unlike his predecessor, Jim Callaghan, had no desire to find a political solution. Maudling, Heath and Unionist leaders in Northern Ireland felt it was up to the British Army to solve the problem and there was. The Army had been the means by which Britain had extracted itself from other colonial situations. However, the British Government had no wish to abolish Stormont even though it had a structure which replicated former colonial outposts like Aden and Cyprus. It had been the tried and tested method elsewhere and it had worked. By telling the Army to find a solution, the British Government failed to recognise that there were several dangerous ingredients inherent in that policy. The Army would instinctively rely on its colonial experience to shape its strategy and, like any army, it would need to define its enemy just as successive British generals had done in Kenya, Aden and Cyprus. By the time the Army was asked to find a solution, some of the historical variables within Catholic nationalist politics had begun to coalesce to shift the focus from civil rights to traditional anti-Britishness. Throughout the s, the IRA had moved to the political left, experimenting with Marxist— Leninist principles. It had placed its traditional Irish republicanism, with a The Trigger Men: Assassins and Terror Bosses in the Ireland Conflict of a united Ireland at its core, The Trigger Men: Assassins and Terror Bosses in the Ireland Conflict the back burner. There were few weapons in its arsenal in Belfast and the IRA leadership in Dublin was reluctant to provide weapons which might lead to a bloodbath in the north of the island. They immediately assumed the mantle of romantic nationalism with its blood sacrifice tradition and trigger man ethos. In the early months of the birth of the Provisionals, the majority of recruits were not motivated by any deep philosophical commitment to republican ideals. However, a massive influx of recruits was the dynamic to energise a republican movement which had been The Trigger Men: Assassins and Terror Bosses in the Ireland Conflict decline throughout Ireland for two decades. Overnight it was propelled towards the traditional republican thesis of uniting Ireland through armed struggle. The The Trigger Men: Assassins and Terror Bosses in the Ireland Conflict event that characterised. An arms raid by troops on the Lower Falls, where the Official IRA — not a potent threat to the Army — had its headquarters, led to confrontation and developed into a full-scale riot followed by a gun-battle. The British Army, in a massive show of strength, sealed off the Lower Falls, fired at least 1, canisters of CS gas, imposed a curfew and the following day ransacked houses in the neighbourhood. The military operation, with its excessive use of 3, soldiers, terrorised children and elderly people. It further alienated Catholics and appalled moderate Catholic opinion throughout Ireland. For journalists like me who observed it, there was sufficient evidence to conclude that the Army had been given free rein to act out its colonial experience. The use of Scottish soldiers, who had an historical attachment to the politico-religious ideals of Northern Ireland Protestants, resulted in the destruction and defacing of many religious statues in Catholic homes. The imposition of a curfew was later successfully challenged in the courts and charges dropped against many people, including journalists arrested when the curfew took effect. The overwhelming use of heavy military vehicles, the blanketing of the area with CS gas, the staggering number of rounds fired by soldiers as opposed to those fired by the Official IRA, demonstrated not only considerable military planning but implied that the initial arms raid which led to the curfew had been a deliberate ploy to create the kind of confrontation The Trigger Men: Assassins and Terror Bosses in the Ireland Conflict the British Army could show who was boss. Four civilians were shot dead, an armoured vehicle killed another and there were 67 injured. The Army judged the operation a success because soldiers seized over weapons, ranging from shotguns to pistols, rifles, machine guns and several hundred pounds of gelignite. For many observers, the enemy was not the IRA but the Catholic population. It was the beginning of a military policy that had the backing of the Governments in London and Belfast. To further compound matters, the Lower Falls Curfew was followed by another major political-military blunder — the introduction of internment without trial on 9 August Internment was solely directed at the Catholic population and many young and elderly men were unceremoniously dragged from their homes and brutalised in the early hours of 9 August. Some turned out to be student activists and trade union representatives. The Army mistakenly relied on outdated police Special Branch files and, during the initial arrest operation, soldiers discovered that many of those listed in the police files were dead. The Provisional IRA, still in its infancy, lost few of its leaders to the internment swoops whereas the Official IRA, with a longer history of subversive activity, found its senior ranks seriously depleted. Unknown to British Army generals such as Michael Carver, 12 men in the first batch of detainees were subjected to in-depth interrogation techniques perfected by British Military Intelligence. It created the dynamic for the Provisionals to depict themselves as freedom fighters and the British Army as an army of occupation bent on repressing the Catholic community. Heath conveyed the advice to General Carver. To his credit, Carver responded that such a policy was illegal and he would not enforce it. He reminded Heath that, as Prime Minister, he would not be in the dock if soldiers were subsequently charged with murder. Months before the exchanges between Carver and Heath, British paratroopers and generals subliminally anticipated the thinking of their political leaders and shot 13 civilian protesters on the streets of Derry. The event would become known as Bloody Sunday. While the Catholic community battled with the British Army, Protestants were frightened and felt politically isolated. They had witnessed major changes to their way of life and their own historical demons came into play. For decades, they were content to let the State, its special powers legislation and the paramilitary B Specials protect them and their rights from the enemy within — republicans, often defined as the minority population. The_Trigger_Men__Assassins_and_-_Martin_ | Unionism In Ireland | Politics

Martin Dillon born 2 June is an Irish author, journalist, and broadcaster. He has won international acclaim for his investigative reporting and non- fiction works on the Northern Ireland conflict. He grew up with nine siblings in a traditional Catholic household. His mother, Maureen, looked after the children while his father, Gerard, worked as a watch maker and later telephone engineer to support his large family. Inaged twelve, he left Belfast to pursue a religious vocation at Montfort College Seminary [5] in RomseyHampshire. The seminary was run by the Montfort Fathers, a French religious Order devoted to the teachings of St. Louis Marie de Montfort. He attended Belfast College of Business Studies in Martin Dillon began his distinguished career as a newspaper reporter in He trained with the Irish Newsa daily newspaper with a mainly Irish Nationalist readership, and contributed to its weekly publication, The Irish weekly. He reported on a variety of events including those related to "the troubles" in Northern Ireland. Inhe joined the Belfast Telegraph. Mackay, [6] stated "As an investigative journalist Dillon tried to reveal objectively the truth about the Northern Ireland Conflict. Under his forensic gaze, the cruelties and failings of all sides were exposed, whether they were Loyalist, Republican or British". Dillon valued his early years in journalism because of the challenges and unique experiences that later found expression in his non-fiction works. Today the book is considered a classic since it is one of the first books about The Troubles. In that role, he created the Behind the Headlines [8] and Talkback [9] programs. Talkback [10] broke the "normal The Trigger Men: Assassins and Terror Bosses in the Ireland Conflict of broadcasting", over 31 years ago. InTalkback celebrated its thirtieth anniversary. It was a controversial decision by him, but also a defining moment that led to open a dialogue with the Provisionals. The debate proved to be a seminal element in the genesis of the Northern Ireland peace process. His role was to script and produce a major series on the Northern Ireland Troubles. After a year working with the Timewatch, he clashed with the BBC authorities and resigned, reaching a financial settlement. Reviewing Crossing the line [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] "Brave chronicler of the Troubles who made a point of crossing the line. Throughout his broadcasting career, Dillon was known for his abrasive style and controversial programming. In Dillon left BBC [19] [20] to pursue his writing career. He subsequently became a terrorism analyst and commentator for Sky Television and other television and radio networks. It examined the origins of The Troubles, focusing on the confusing nature and failure of much of British policymaking of the period, especially of the Tory government led by Prime Minister Edward Heath. Later, it formed part of the evidence against Heath at the Bloody Sunday Tribunal in During that period Dillon published seven best-selling books on the Irish conflict and three plays for radio and television. The Shankill Butchers [21]. The The Trigger Men: Assassins and Terror Bosses in the Ireland Conflict war [22]. God and the Gun [23]. In his bestselling trilogy The Shankill ButchersThe Trigger Men: Assassins and Terror Bosses in the Ireland Conflict The Dirty War [25] and God and the Gun[23] Dillon offers a balanced and objective perspective of the conflict, the participants and their motives. As the Irish Times put it "Dillon is recommended reading for anyone wishing to understand the complexities of the British — Irish politics". Dillon exposes the depravity of the UVF gang that was run by an aggressive The Trigger Men: Assassins and Terror Bosses in the Ireland Conflict, Lenny Murphywith the help of one of his brothers. The gang performed unspeakable acts on helpless victims, killing them in a gruesome fashion. Dillon painstakingly interviewed countless civilians, paramilitaries and police officers in compiling the book. The The Trigger Men: Assassins and Terror Bosses in the Ireland Conflict War[27]is a detailed account of the undercover struggle in which all sides fought a no-rules battle, using spies, informants, assassins, disinformation and terrorist agents. He also unraveled the use of State-sponsored terrorism and the phenomenon of "Rompering", a form of sadistic torture used by the paramilitaries. He unveils proof of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher 's secret intervention in the case, including how she told the Americans overseeing the Doherty case that she considered his extradition to Britain a quid pro quo for her allowing U. Dillon was asked by the Federal Court in New York to provide testimony about the inner workings of the IRA, based on his work The Dirty War He agreed on condition he would be judged a "friend of the court" witness and not one seen to be supporting one or the other side in the case. In the end, he was not called to give evidence. Stone, armed to the teeth, fired into the crowd of mourners, killing three men and wounding several others. Stone was captured and confessed to a list of other murders, which landed him a life sentence in the Maze Prison where he became a Loyalist icon. Drawing on conversations with Stone in prison, including correspondence with him, as well as on a network of contacts in the military and paramilitary world, Dillon provides a portrait of a charming, boastful, meticulous, sentimental and lethal killer. According to Time Out: "Dillon brings his customary expertise to this latest expose of Government complicity in sectarian murder, and delves into the byzantine world of terrorist organization with impressive results". Dillon applies his extensive knowledge on the subject to provide new evidence of the political and military mistakes, which he argues, made British cities the most vulnerable in Europe to terrorist attacks. It is his The Trigger Men: Assassins and Terror Bosses in the Ireland Conflict that the various Government agencies combating the IRA failed to eradicate the terrorist thread, leading to intrigue among them and to MI5 being given the sole responsibility for coordinating the war against the Provisionals. Dillon provides the first comprehensive survey of the IRA in Britain. It is a serious study, well researched and competently written". The film script of the novel won European Script Fund award in Dillon interviewed paramilitaries and religious figures to discern whether this is a religious war or one of economics and class. The interviewees included the late Billy Wright, a. Pat Buckley who admitted breaking the seal of the confessional to save lives on both sides. According to Publishers Weekly "Dillon has written an eye-opening book about a sometimes-incomprehensible sectarian situation". He analyzes the personalities of some of the most dangerous, professional and ruthless killers in Northern Ireland, their motivations and the bizarre crimes they committed. Their individual stories are told in gripping, unflinching detail. Dillon also exposes the ideology of the cult of the gunmen and the greed combined with hatred that The Trigger Men: Assassins and Terror Bosses in the Ireland Conflict the assassins The Trigger Men: Assassins and Terror Bosses in the Ireland Conflict their killing sprees. Dillon co-authored with Rt. He was one of the six founder members of the SAS and pioneered tactics used today by Special Forces units across the globe. His courage, initiative and wildness made him a giant among his men. He was, however, denied the ultimate accolade of the Victoria Cross because of his unorthodox rules of war and his resentment of authority. Dillon added a postscript with new facts about Mayne's conflicted personal life, in particular, his sexuality, which was a topic purposely omitted in the first edition of the book. Drawing on Mayne's personal letters and family papers, SAS secret records now declassifiedhis own war diaries and eyewitness accounts from many who served with him, Dillon presents a compelling and perceptive portrait of a very special warrior. Drawing on private interviews with senior intelligence officers and other integral players, Dillon and Thomas examine the clues, contradictions and cover-up surrounding Maxwell's sudden and suspicious death. The Squad, is one of the first plays about the Troubles. His books have accurately chartered the terror and the horror of recent Northern Irish history but always in a tone of compassion for the innocent victims caught up in conflict. Works like his 'The Shankill Butchers' and 'The Dirty War' stand the test of time and will be essential reading for generations to come for those trying to make sense out of the madness that was 'The Troubles'" Henry McDonald ; author, journalist and Ireland correspondent for The Guardian. Because of his investigative work in Northern Ireland, Dillon received numerous death threats. Inhe left the British Isles with his family and settled in France where he continued to write about the Irish conflict and publish bestselling books. After his divorce from his wife, Katherine Dillonfrom whom he has a daughter Nadia Katherine Dillon, born inhe visited New York at the invitation of his publisher, and while there, he decided to make New York his home. He went on to write and broadcast for news outlets in the U. Inhe married, Violeta Kumurdjieva, a Bulgarian journalist and translator. Inthey moved from New York City to San Francisco Bay area, California, where Dillon continues to work on his journalism, television and book projects. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Northern Irish journalist and author born This article is about the author and journalist. For the musician, operatic tenor, and professor of music, see Martin Dillon musician. London: Arrow. The dirty war. London: Arrow Books. New York: Routledge. London: Hutchinson. Retrieved 19 March The Irish Times. Political murder in Northern Ireland. Lehane, Denis, Harmondsworth: Penguin. Retrieved 23 May Hot Press. Retrieved 24 May The Irish News. Kildare, Ireland. Sunday World. The Independent. The Shankill Butchers. The enemy within. London: Doubleday. Templar House - Wikipedia

Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Want to Read saving…. Want to Read Currently Reading Read. Other editions. Enlarge cover. Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Open Preview See a Problem? Details if other :. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Return to Book Page. In The Trigger Men, bestselling author Martin Dillon delves into the dark and sinister world of Irish terrorism and counter-terrorism. Over three decades he has interviewed and investigated some of the most professional, dangerous and ruthless killers in Ireland. Now Dillon explores their personalities, motivations and bizarre crimes. Many of Ireland's assassins learned the In The Trigger Men, bestselling author Martin Dillon delves into the dark and sinister world of Irish terrorism and counter- terrorism. Many of Ireland's assassins learned their trade in fields and on hillsides in remote parts of Ireland, while others were trained in the Middle East or with Basque separatist terrorists in Spain. Some were one-target-one-shot killers, like the sniper who terrorised the inhabitants of Washington State in the autumn ofwhile others were bombers skilled in designing the most sophisticated explosive devices and booby traps. Another more powerful group of 'trigger men' were the influential figures in the shadows, who were experts The Trigger Men: Assassins and Terror Bosses in the Ireland Conflict motivating the killers under their control. All of these men, whether they squeezed the trigger on a high-powered rifle, set the timer on a bomb or used their authority to send others out to commit horrific and unspeakable acts of cruelty, are featured in this book. The Trigger Men takes the reader inside the labyrinthine world of terrorist cells and highly classified counter-terrorism units of British Military Intelligence. The individual stories are described in gripping, unflinching detail and show how the terrorists carried out their ghastly work. Dillon also explores the ideology of the cult of the gunmen and the greed and hatred that motivated assassins in their killing sprees. There are penetrating insights into the mindset of the most infamous assassins: their social and historical conditioning, their callousness Get A Copy. Paperbackpages. Published August 12th by Mainstream Publishing first published October 23rd More The Trigger Men: Assassins and Terror Bosses in the Ireland Conflict Original Title. Other Editions 3. Friend Reviews. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about The Trigger Menplease sign up. Lists with This Book. This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Community Reviews. Showing Average rating 3. Rating details. More filters. Sort order. Sep 04, Mr Michael R Stevens rated it liked it. Described by the Irish Times as "one of the most creative writers of our time" this book by Dillon, slanted against so called 'Loyalist' figures, gives the impression that both Republican and Loyalist terror groups killed, maimed, tortured and bombed each other at the behest, and in collusion with, the Crown Forces. During the book Dillon often takes the moral high ground, coming across as a crusading investigative journalist but sadly this book, unlike his other works, offers nothing new about t Described by the Irish Times as "one of the most creative writers of our time" this book by Dillon, slanted against so called 'Loyalist' figures, gives the impression that both Republican and Loyalist terror groups killed, maimed, tortured and bombed each other at the behest, and in collusion with, the Crown Forces. During the book Dillon often takes the moral high ground, coming across as a crusading investigative journalist but sadly this book, unlike his other works, offers nothing new about this period of Northern Irish history. Jan 26, Andrew rated it it was ok Shelves: non-fiction, trashcan-non-fiction. As a journalistic narrative this book serves its purpose well;to report in a detailed manner the The Trigger Men: Assassins and Terror Bosses in the Ireland Conflict of gunmen who played a significant role in The Troubles. This extends to those who were involved in clandestine operations on behalf of the Crown, fighting in what is known as The Dirty War. However, the book lacked in the human aspect. It was certainly harrowing to read of the exploits of The Shankhill Butchers, a loyalist gang who operated under the umbrella of the UVF and tortured and mutilat As a journalistic narrative this book serves its purpose well;to report in a detailed manner the tales of gunmen who played a significant role in The Trigger Men: Assassins and Terror Bosses in the Ireland Conflict Troubles. It was certainly harrowing to read of the exploits of The Shankhill Butchers, a loyalist gang who operated under the umbrella of the UVF and tortured and mutilated their victims, or the existence of Romper Rooms - clubs in which those who lynched Catholics or Protestans could mercilessly torture their victims for the entertainment of the clientele. But without any human aspect, these tales lacked impact and merely served the same purpose as a newspaper article, i. For this reason the book dragged terribly. The most interesting part for me was that relating to clandestine operations by the British, involving the MRF as well as the dealings they had with Brian Nelson. This was an OK book but I wouldn't rush out to buy it. Dec 02, Sam rated it it was amazing Shelves: historicalproper-books. This is an informative and terrifying account of the Trigger Men that terrorised Northern Ireland during the Troubles. The only issue with this book is that there is an obvious bias towards the Loyalist side of terrorism with a majority of The Trigger Men: Assassins and Terror Bosses in the Ireland Conflict chapters focusing on these gunmen rather than it being an equal spread of Loyalist and Republican gunmen. Whether this is due to Dillon having some kind of an agenda which I doubt having read some of his other work or The Trigger Men: Assassins and Terror Bosses in the Ireland Conflict it is the result of accessib This is an informative and terrifying account of the Trigger Men that terrorised Northern Ireland during the Troubles. Whether this is due to Dillon having some kind of an agenda which I doubt having read some of his other work or whether it is the result of accessibility to information and accounts of the gunmen's activity which is probably more likely I do not know. However the book doesn't condone or support either side simply descibes how these men were used by their respective organisations and how they terrorised the streets for years before being killed or arrested. This book shows the dark, dark side of terrorism in Northern Ireland and will chill the reader to the bone with the attitude and lack of remorse portrayed by the gunmen themselves Jan 06, Philippe Duhart rated it liked it. This is perhaps the most chilling book I have read concerning the Northern Ireland conflict. The focus is primarily on Protestant violence. Dillon's prose, however, leaves much to be desired. Recommended for those interested in the role of thugs and criminals in political conflicts. Just scratching the surface in terms of what really went down, but it should be enough to whet one's appetite for further digging into these topics. Jan 09, David O'Neill rated it really liked it. A revealing look at a hidden aspect of Irish history. I used this a source for my Daniel series novels. Aug 12, Pinko Palest rated it really liked it. A very intriguing book, which makes the case for collusion between loyalist paramilitaries and UK government Agencies. At times though it is just a bit too journalistic, ie moralistic. Lee Frost rated it really liked it Jun 23, Cat Kelly rated it liked it Sep 12, Alan Altham rated it really liked it The Trigger Men: Assassins and Terror Bosses in the Ireland Conflict 23, Jamie Crichton rated it liked it Jul 20, Alex rated it really liked it Aug 05, Paul Cosgrave rated it liked it Dec 21, Terry rated it really liked it Jul 22, Shannanaghans rated it really liked it Dec 22, Sarah rated it liked it Dec 03, Gary rated it really liked it Jan 05, Anthony rated it really liked it Aug 04, Deirdre rated it really liked it Aug 12, David Reilly rated it liked it Dec 12, Sachin Mathur rated it really liked it Jan 06, Kevin rated it it was amazing Jul 09, Mike McCarthy rated it really liked it Jul 30, There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Readers also enjoyed. About Martin Dillon. Martin Dillon. Martin Dillon has won international acclaim for his unique, investigative works on the Ireland conflict. His twelve non-fiction works are considered definitive accounts of the conflict. Throughout his The Trigger Men: Assassins and Terror Bosses in the Ireland Conflict career he campaigned against its flawed interpretations of what constituted balance. He has been a terrorism expert for news outlets in Europe and North America. Stone Cold was a portrait of a natural born killer and in The Trigger Men he delved into the lives of the most notorious assassins. His help and advice were sought by the Margaret Thatcher and John Major governments.