On January 30, 1972, soldiers from the Paratroop Regiment stormed the Bogside, killing thirteen unarmed Catholics and injuring sixteen others in an event known as 'Bloody Sunday.' This incident marked a pivotal blunder for the army in Northern Ireland, drastically reshaping the conflict. As the IRA faced potential defeat, the tragedy spurred a surge of recruits, extinguishing hopes for peace and igniting a wave of terror through bombings, assassinations, and ambushes. Despite numerous eyewitness accounts, an official inquiry cleared the army of wrongdoing, instead blaming the march organizers and the IRA for instigating the violence. For nearly three decades, the truths surrounding Bloody Sunday remained concealed in government archives. Peter Pringle and Philip Jacobson, members of the Sunday Times Insight team, gathered crucial evidence from the time, along with newly declassified documents and fresh testimonies from soldiers, civilians, and IRA members. Their research culminates in a comprehensive narrative history of that fateful day, offering an intimate glimpse into a city in turmoil and the disastrous military response that led to three decades of armed conflict. This account brings to light the stories of soldiers, gunmen, stone-throwing youths, and civil rights marchers, all caught in a tragic convergence during a time when Britain was at war with itself.
