Andy Greenaway – The Bomb Man

Today I am on the blog tour for Andy Greenaway and The Bomb Man. I saw my invitation to this tour and needed no persuasion to accept. As someone whose family were very lucky to miss being in the Manchester IRA bombing, (they walked through the road where the bomb was planted a mere 15 minutes before it exploded), I have almost a macabre interest in The Irish Troubles. First the synopsis before I give you my thoughts.

A fast-paced novel based on real events.

Northern Ireland, 1973. Catholics and Protestants are at war. IRA terrorists have unleashed a bloody bombing campaign, indiscriminately killing women and children, policemen and soldiers.

Bomb disposal expert Dave Thomson has been sent to Londonderry by the British army. His job is to dismantle the countless explosive devices that are planted across the city every day.

When he captures a bomb-maker in the act of planting a device, Thomson crosses the line. He forces the terrorist to defuse his own bomb. A provocative act that ignites the fury of the IRA.

The terrorist organisation puts a price on his head.

With 30 days until his tour of duty ends, there’s only one question on Thomson’s mind. Will he make it home to his wife and children alive? Or in a body bag?

Andy Greenaway has brought an emotive, powerful, and at times challenging story. He does say it is told from the British view on the fight against the IRA. We are given the background of all the Irish troubles and exactly what caused the bitterness of the time. I am aware of this, but a lot of people won’t know it, and it brings a great background to the book.

Staff Sergeant Dave Thompson is our main character. An ammunition technician in the British Army, who ends up as a bomb disposal expert over in Northern Ireland during the troubles in 1973. The intriguing bit to this is Andy Greenaways’ father worked in Londonderry doing the same thing and this novel is based around his work during this time.

The telling of this incredible and, at times scary story paints a picture of how our soldiers probably felt when they discovered they were going to do their tour of Northern Ireland. The tension we see Dave Thompson experiencing, along with the pure fear of leaving a family fatherless and widowed, is almost tangible. I was actually scared for him and his family.

The frequency of bombs being planted by the IRA was escalating and the casualties…well way too many. All our soldiers sacrificed too much in doing their duty during the troubles. My heart went out to Dave immediately.

I was so interested in this novel that I actually read it over a day and a half. It was such a pacey story that the pages just kept turning as I learned more about exactly what people went through back then. I found this a very insightful, detailed, and personal novel that took me to the grim and brutal days of constant fear of the IRA and their actions.

I finished the book feeling like I had been educated about such a massive part in the history of the Irish troubles and the soldiers who bravely sacrificed everything to keep as many people as possible safe.. sometimes even sacrificing their life’s.

I feel honoured to be a part of this books blog tour and thank Anne Cater of Random Things Tours and Andy Greenaway for the copy of the book finally his father for his service, too.