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The Twelve Apostles: Michael Collins, the Squad and Ireland's Fight for Freedom
Ireland, 1919: When Sinn Féin proclaims Dáil Éireann the parliament of the independent Irish republic, London declares the new assembly to be illegal, and a vicious guerilla war breaks out between republican and crown forces. Michael Collins, intelligence chief of the Irish Republican Army, creates an elite squad whose role is to assassinate British agents and undercover police. The so-called 'Twelve Apostles' will create violent mayhem, culminating in the events of 'Bloody Sunday' in November 1920.
Bestselling historian Tim Pat Coogan not only tells the story of Collins' squad, he also examines the remarkable intelligence network of which it formed a part, and which helped to bring the British government to the negotiating table.
Bestselling historian Tim Pat Coogan not only tells the story of Collins' squad, he also examines the remarkable intelligence network of which it formed a part, and which helped to bring the British government to the negotiating table.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published October 6, 2016
About the author
Tim Pat Coogan
33 books218 followersTimothy Patrick Coogan is an Irish historical writer, broadcaster and newspaper columnist. He served as editor of the Irish Press newspaper from 1968 to 1987. Today, he is best known for his popular and sometimes controversial books on aspects of modern Irish history, including The IRA, Ireland Since the Rising, On the Blanket, and biographies of Michael Collins and Éamon de Valera.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
January 22, 2023
This book provides a very good history of the squad under Michael Collins control that carried out the assassinations of Brits during the Anglo-Irish war. One gets a sense of the kind of leadership Collins exhibited. He was exacting and could be harsh if orders were not followed but his people loved and respected him. Recognizing that the Irish could not fight a traditional war against the British- next to Britain, the Irish had almost no resources but Collins created plans to effectively fight despite the disadvantages.
Coogan makes no excuses for his dislike of De Valera but from this readers view, he did not earn respect. After working together the two became rivals. Without going into the details of the negotiations leading up to the Treaty in 1922, De Valera sent Collins to London to negotiate, in the full knowledge of the deal that would result. In the opinion of many, this was the reason Dev did not go himself. It was a flawed treaty and Collins understood this. After the negotiations ended and Collins signed the treaty, he remarked that he had signed his own death warrant. At the end of the day, it was the best that the Irish could get. It was Collins plan to begin work immediately to begin work on rejoining the Six Counties of the North to the South and he did. Unfortunately, he was killed and nothing was done subsequently- particularly interesting given the fact that Dev Valera became Taoiseach and the very person who began the Irish Civil War over the fact that the Six Counties had not been included in the deal.
This book does not deal with the assassination of Collins but I have always believed that Dev Valera played a hand in it.
This is a very good book on the subject; Coogans father was involved in the war and politics of the time and has a great deal of access to good sources.
Coogan makes no excuses for his dislike of De Valera but from this readers view, he did not earn respect. After working together the two became rivals. Without going into the details of the negotiations leading up to the Treaty in 1922, De Valera sent Collins to London to negotiate, in the full knowledge of the deal that would result. In the opinion of many, this was the reason Dev did not go himself. It was a flawed treaty and Collins understood this. After the negotiations ended and Collins signed the treaty, he remarked that he had signed his own death warrant. At the end of the day, it was the best that the Irish could get. It was Collins plan to begin work immediately to begin work on rejoining the Six Counties of the North to the South and he did. Unfortunately, he was killed and nothing was done subsequently- particularly interesting given the fact that Dev Valera became Taoiseach and the very person who began the Irish Civil War over the fact that the Six Counties had not been included in the deal.
This book does not deal with the assassination of Collins but I have always believed that Dev Valera played a hand in it.
This is a very good book on the subject; Coogans father was involved in the war and politics of the time and has a great deal of access to good sources.
April 17, 2023
Reading the 19th and early 20th century history of Ireland bears an unfortunate similarity with our own history of the wars with Native Americans in the 19th century. Both of these histories are brutally violent, unimaginably sad, and unforgivable and only understandable in their time and circumstances. In both histories there are no heroes but countless victims and no justice. I have read books by Coogan before and like his other work he doesn't spare the reader the very harsh reality of events that ultimately freed his country from the yoke of English oppression. My only problem with this book is its author. Because Coogan's family was directly involved in the activities of the IRA during the period discussed his objectivity is open to question. Nevertheless, I will accept what he reports until I find reasons to think otherwise.
To me reading this history was like reading about the activity of a Mafia crime syndicate and not the fight for the freedom of an oppressed people. Unfortunately, that was the nature of the war the Irish had to fight against the English. Having suffered centuries of near slave like oppression and disadvantage under English rule and being so geographically close to England the Irish had no choice. A conventional revolutionary war was impossible. To free themselves terrorism and murder were the only tools open to the Irish and they used them fully and the English responded in kind and to the extreme. Unsurprisingly extreme was met with even further extreme and body counts multiplied. The key Irish player in this bloodletting was Michael Collins and while this isn't a biography of Collins, Coogan has another book that serves that purpose, this book does detail the part he played in this history. What the author does seem to make quite clear is his disdain for Eamon de Valera and if what he reports about de Valera is true then his disdain is totally warranted. However, the details of this history are also questionable as they seem to be based primarily on the recollections partisans decades after the fact. In light of the civil war and internal divisions that occurred in Ireland following the partition of Ireland and departure of the English these remembrances can be colored with biases not to mention the faulty memories of old men. However, some of the objective facts do seem to corroborate Coogan's reported version of the facts sufficient enough to cast doubt on de Valera being the Irish George Washington. What goes without challenge is the activity of Collins and the men he gathered to kill English targets and Irish informers. What is reported is hard to believe but it is true and when considered in regard to what it was in response to it is understandable. When a car with Black and Tan English officers in it see a woman with a baby walking down the street and take a shot at her, killing her and the baby how would you respond? Like I said, this is a difficult history to read. It is not something to enjoy but to be learned from.
To me reading this history was like reading about the activity of a Mafia crime syndicate and not the fight for the freedom of an oppressed people. Unfortunately, that was the nature of the war the Irish had to fight against the English. Having suffered centuries of near slave like oppression and disadvantage under English rule and being so geographically close to England the Irish had no choice. A conventional revolutionary war was impossible. To free themselves terrorism and murder were the only tools open to the Irish and they used them fully and the English responded in kind and to the extreme. Unsurprisingly extreme was met with even further extreme and body counts multiplied. The key Irish player in this bloodletting was Michael Collins and while this isn't a biography of Collins, Coogan has another book that serves that purpose, this book does detail the part he played in this history. What the author does seem to make quite clear is his disdain for Eamon de Valera and if what he reports about de Valera is true then his disdain is totally warranted. However, the details of this history are also questionable as they seem to be based primarily on the recollections partisans decades after the fact. In light of the civil war and internal divisions that occurred in Ireland following the partition of Ireland and departure of the English these remembrances can be colored with biases not to mention the faulty memories of old men. However, some of the objective facts do seem to corroborate Coogan's reported version of the facts sufficient enough to cast doubt on de Valera being the Irish George Washington. What goes without challenge is the activity of Collins and the men he gathered to kill English targets and Irish informers. What is reported is hard to believe but it is true and when considered in regard to what it was in response to it is understandable. When a car with Black and Tan English officers in it see a woman with a baby walking down the street and take a shot at her, killing her and the baby how would you respond? Like I said, this is a difficult history to read. It is not something to enjoy but to be learned from.
September 10, 2019
As an American, I'll admit to knowing only the broadest strokes of Irish history. What I do know is that Ireland served as the testbed for British imperialism, with the locals suffering from genocidal policies including wars of extermination, absentee-landlord plantations, enslavement and forced emigration, and artificially induced famine. Ireland also served as the testbed for post-colonial wars of liberation, with a gloriously failed rising in 1916 (Ireland loves its glorious martyrs), and then a guerrilla war against the British, finally followed by an even more brutal civil war between those who accepted a peace treaty that left Ireland part of the British dominions, and those who held out for a fully independent republic.
It's a big story, and this book follows one small, but important part of it. Michael Collins, the essential man of Irish liberation, knew that no force Ireland could muster could stand against the weight of British arms. This was to be a political war, and the decisive weapon would be targeted assassinations. The Twelve Apostles, also called The Squad, were the instrument of that policy. A dozen men, lightly armed with pistols, who carried out a series of brazen daylight executions. According to this book, The Twelve Apostles sowed carefully targeted terror, taking down key British intelligence officers, Royal Irish Constables, and links in the network of sources and stoolies that have could landed the whole Irish revolutionary leadership in prison.
Of course, violence begets more violence. Michael Collins was himself killed in an ambush during the following Irish Civil War. Many of Twelve Apostles had troubled postwar careers, finding themselves on the wrong sides of politics, simply aimless, or worst, running their own secret police torture shops.
Coogan does an excellent job depicting the life of a violent revolutionary, though this book assumes a fair bit of background on Michael Collins and the Irish revolution. Doing a little research on the author, it seems he's fairly analogous to Stephen Ambrose, a popular writer somewhat disdained by 'real historians' for light sourcing and partisanship rather than properly rigorous objectivity; Coogan greatly prefers Michael Collins over Éamon de Valera, who is depicted as the adversary of Irish public life. But the one great and irreplaceable advantage Coogan has is that he actually interviewed surviving Apostles in the 60s and 70s. This is a great look at the intimacy and brutality of political warfare.
It's a big story, and this book follows one small, but important part of it. Michael Collins, the essential man of Irish liberation, knew that no force Ireland could muster could stand against the weight of British arms. This was to be a political war, and the decisive weapon would be targeted assassinations. The Twelve Apostles, also called The Squad, were the instrument of that policy. A dozen men, lightly armed with pistols, who carried out a series of brazen daylight executions. According to this book, The Twelve Apostles sowed carefully targeted terror, taking down key British intelligence officers, Royal Irish Constables, and links in the network of sources and stoolies that have could landed the whole Irish revolutionary leadership in prison.
Of course, violence begets more violence. Michael Collins was himself killed in an ambush during the following Irish Civil War. Many of Twelve Apostles had troubled postwar careers, finding themselves on the wrong sides of politics, simply aimless, or worst, running their own secret police torture shops.
Coogan does an excellent job depicting the life of a violent revolutionary, though this book assumes a fair bit of background on Michael Collins and the Irish revolution. Doing a little research on the author, it seems he's fairly analogous to Stephen Ambrose, a popular writer somewhat disdained by 'real historians' for light sourcing and partisanship rather than properly rigorous objectivity; Coogan greatly prefers Michael Collins over Éamon de Valera, who is depicted as the adversary of Irish public life. But the one great and irreplaceable advantage Coogan has is that he actually interviewed surviving Apostles in the 60s and 70s. This is a great look at the intimacy and brutality of political warfare.
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February 21, 2017Be aware that if you read this book, a not insignificant level of knowledge is required to follow along the progress of Michael Collins's & Cos. daring Squad. As a reminder of the tumultuous period of Irish history leading to the independent Republic it does a good job, however the immediacy of the danger and bloody retributions leaves much to be desired for an audience that a) has no background in this history and/or b) was never exposed to the events transpired either in real life or school lessons.
May 8, 2021
Vivid account of the Twelve Apostles ~~~ the hit men under the direction of Michael Collins after the infamous Easter Rising. Drastic measures seeking freedom for Ireland.
November 21, 2021
I recently read a book about the Troubles in Northern Ireland & that really piqued my curiosity about Ireland as a whole. This book about Michael Collins & the twelve apostles provided a good overview of the Irish struggles, starting with the Easter Rising in 1916 thru the war for independence, the partition of Northern Ireland & finally the civil war.
Michael Collins was quite a complicated character & so were the apostles. Cold blooded killers with a cause to be sure. Toward the end of the book during the civil war time period, it was honestly hard to keep track of who was fighting for which party & I was surprised that many of the apostles ended up on different sides. They had seemed to be such a cohesive bunch when Collins was still alive, but the treaty with England threw everything into complete disarray. I was really taken aback by what a snake Eamon de Valera seemed to be where Collins was concerned. I may have to read more about him to see if he really was as conniving & manipulative as he was portrayed in this book. In any case, this was another book I’m glad to have read.
Michael Collins was quite a complicated character & so were the apostles. Cold blooded killers with a cause to be sure. Toward the end of the book during the civil war time period, it was honestly hard to keep track of who was fighting for which party & I was surprised that many of the apostles ended up on different sides. They had seemed to be such a cohesive bunch when Collins was still alive, but the treaty with England threw everything into complete disarray. I was really taken aback by what a snake Eamon de Valera seemed to be where Collins was concerned. I may have to read more about him to see if he really was as conniving & manipulative as he was portrayed in this book. In any case, this was another book I’m glad to have read.
January 1, 2017
This was a inside look at how Michael Collins and his Twelve Apostles worked throughout Ireland to help give people their own Republic.
Tim Pat Coogan uses Documents, Pictures and first hand knowledge from the men who worked with and helped in the fight. It also shows us that once the Dream was becoming a reailty , some members of the Dáil would not accept the Treaty the outcome was, the country was thrown into Civil War which caused unnecessary deaths and bad blood between families and communities.
Tim Pat Coogan uses Documents, Pictures and first hand knowledge from the men who worked with and helped in the fight. It also shows us that once the Dream was becoming a reailty , some members of the Dáil would not accept the Treaty the outcome was, the country was thrown into Civil War which caused unnecessary deaths and bad blood between families and communities.
October 19, 2020
As with any book on warfare, the write-up of the action can eventually become a long smear of violence and tactics, which can make the reader go a bit cross-eyed. There's also an assumed assumption that you have a modicum of understanding regarding the background of Irish independence, as the book doesn't stop to make concessions to the ignorant. As a matter of fact, it absolutely flies by: a lightning-fast yet deeply detailed account of Michael Collins' efforts to assassinate enough Brits to scare them out of Ireland. It's even more exciting than I was expecting.
May 10, 2022
Although I am a historian, My focus has been on American history. As such, being of Irish heritage, this is a perfect blend for you cannot know American history without some knowledge of the Irish. The two are bound unequivocally. Tim Pat Coogan has done a masterful job because he has done so much research and maintains such a wealth of knowledge about Michael Collins and the Irish independence movement. This book give very detailed information about a very specific time period associated with the “Big Fella”. This is well worth the read.
June 15, 2018
A deeper and more interesting look at an already fascinating period. Coogan brings these men and their missions to life, to the extent that at points you feel as if you are reading fiction. I can not understand why the Apostles have not yet had a film or video game made about them. Nevertheless, provided that one reads this recognising Coogan’s deeply anti-De Valera bias, I thoroughly recommend
March 31, 2023
Michael Collin’s was a military genius and an effective leader of the Irish people. He is largely responsible for Ireland breaking free from British rule after so many centuries. He helped pioneer guerilla war and the development of a far reaching intelligence network that prevented British forces from maintaining their presence and hold on the Irish people.
The Squad was his elite force of intelligence officers and assassins through which he did his work, and at its core were the Twelve Apostles. These men had an enormous influence on the war but ultimately also led to the disintegration of Irish solidarity after the Anglo-Irish treaty was drafted. This break in unity led to the civil war.
Tim Pat Coogan is unflinching in his portrayal of these events and has researched extensively. He was able to interview many of the surviving men and women before they passed away. Anyone with interest in the Irish struggle will enjoy this book.
The Squad was his elite force of intelligence officers and assassins through which he did his work, and at its core were the Twelve Apostles. These men had an enormous influence on the war but ultimately also led to the disintegration of Irish solidarity after the Anglo-Irish treaty was drafted. This break in unity led to the civil war.
Tim Pat Coogan is unflinching in his portrayal of these events and has researched extensively. He was able to interview many of the surviving men and women before they passed away. Anyone with interest in the Irish struggle will enjoy this book.
October 31, 2019
I had no idea of the brutality that was Britain rule for, you know, a coupla hundred years. And for a coupla hundred years we lost. This is the story about how Michael Collins and twelve....what shall we call them...assassins? freedom fighters? terrorists? brought the entire British Empire to their knees armed with nothing but .45's. The details of being Catholic in Ireland at that point in time will have the reader enraged. The brilliance of Michael Collins will have the reader engrossed. From start to finish the intensity is a level 10 and it never deviates from that level. Do not read this book if you're a big England fan because you'll find out what has proven to be historically true in that you'll never beat the Irish. Ya bastards.
The Twelve Apostles...Five stars, with a bullet!
The Twelve Apostles...Five stars, with a bullet!
August 22, 2019
This is an excellent book about the life, activities, and associates of Michael Collins (born October 16, 1890; assassinated August 22, 1922). This is the third book I've read by this author, and it does a very good job of completing the picture of Michael Collins, a fascinating, heroic, and handsome man. It contains many interesting stories about his adventures, and it also includes several nice photographs and plates. The author is quite knowledgeable about Irish affairs and also the history of the IRA, and I recommend his books for those who wish insight into this exciting period of history.
May 16, 2024
Since reading "Trinity," by Leon Uris, many years ago, I've become very interested in Irish history. This is the second book about Michael Collins that I've read, the other being the "The Big Fellow." In addition, I've seen the movies "Michael Collins" and "The Wind that Shook the Barley."
This book is very interesting for its telling of the means by which Collins and his crew pushed the British to negotiations. Some snippets in the movie about Collins are fleshed out in this book.
If you like reading Tim Pat Coogan, Irish history or reading about Michael Collins, you will like this book.
This book is very interesting for its telling of the means by which Collins and his crew pushed the British to negotiations. Some snippets in the movie about Collins are fleshed out in this book.
If you like reading Tim Pat Coogan, Irish history or reading about Michael Collins, you will like this book.
January 22, 2021
Tim Pat Coogan's "The Twelve Apostles" is an excellent telling of the build up to the formation and also ending of the group of young lads known as Michael Collin's squad before, during and after the Irish War for Independence. This book takes us from the Easter Rising of 1916 through the Irish Civil War, 1923 with a follow up as to what became of these men after the Civil War. It is a good read and up to Coogan's normal standards for excellence.
August 2, 2019
I knew next to nothing about Irish history and then I married someone from the North. Now I am trying to learn more and not be so clueless.
I thought this book gave a good overview of a slice in time and one group who was involved. Like one other reviewer, it probably would have been more helpful to have a better understanding of the people involved.
I thought this book gave a good overview of a slice in time and one group who was involved. Like one other reviewer, it probably would have been more helpful to have a better understanding of the people involved.
July 16, 2022
There’s no denying Coogan is one of the best sources on Irish history, if not the best. The book read an awful lot like a textbook in certain parts, and I think it would have been easier to follow if there was more dialogue to break up the accounts of events. I would say this was more of a narrative of what they did than who they were. Great writing, just not what I was hoping for going in
June 21, 2023
Interesting, well written book about Michael Collin's approach to the war with England and the Irish Civil War fought in the early 1920s. The author is clearly a fan or Michael Collin's and the book has a bit of a defensive viewpoint at some points (and is also clearly derisive of de Valera (possibly justifiably so, but nevertheless, the bias is very noticeable.
July 27, 2018
Shows the brilliance of Michael Collins and the skulduggery of Eamon de Valera.
March 24, 2019
Okay but you need a pretty compressive knowledge of Irish history, and it was more boring than a book about hit men should have been.
June 7, 2020
Fantastic insight into one of the most significant moments in Irish history. Highly recommend.
Read
July 18, 2020Good writing, interesting people, lots of violence.
September 12, 2020
Educational but uninspiring account of Irish independence movement in the early 1920’s
November 25, 2020
I learned alot from this book. Though it was some so many different perspectives at times it was difficult to wrap myself around it
April 21, 2021
As usual with Coogan this a well researched inciteful work. It displayed the "Squad" in all its aspects, some not so heroic. Highly recommend.
September 20, 2023
Very well written ,
Very well written lots of facts and details, curious why there is not a mention of De Valeria after the assassination of Michael Collins .
Very well written lots of facts and details, curious why there is not a mention of De Valeria after the assassination of Michael Collins .
September 18, 2024
Anything that explains the life of Mick Collins is required reading for all Irish Americans. He was the best of us in the worst of times.
December 31, 2020
Good book about Michael Collins squad. A good read it Irish history is your thing
December 27, 2016
Thoroughly enjoyable
The book is informative and well written. Actually gives the account in the actual people's words. I have always liked Coogan's style of writing.
The book is informative and well written. Actually gives the account in the actual people's words. I have always liked Coogan's style of writing.
April 13, 2024
Interesting read about how terrorism was used to gain independence. I have read somewhere that this was the same model employed by the Allies over Nazi occupied Europe during World War II.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews