THERE WILL BE FIRE: MARGARET THATCHER, THE IRA, AND TWO MINUTES THAT CHANGED HISTORY

BY RORY CARROLL
APRIL 4, 2023
PUBLISHER: G.P. PUTNAM & SONS

A race-against-the-clock narrative that finally illuminates a history-changing event: the IRA’s attempt to assassinate Margaret Thatcher and the epic manhunt that followed. A bomb planted by the Irish Republican Army exploded at 2:54 a.m. on October 12, 1984. It was the last day of the Conservative Party Conference at the Grand Hotel in the coastal town of Brighton, England. Rooms were obliterated, dozens of people wounded, five killed. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was in her suite when the explosion occurred; had she been just a few feet in another direction, flying tiles and masonry would have sliced her to ribbons. As it was, she survived—and history changed. There Will Be Fire is the gripping story of how the IRA came astonishingly close to killing Thatcher, in the most spectacular attack ever linked to the Northern Ireland Troubles. Journalist Rory Carroll reveals the long road to Brighton, the hide-and-seek between the IRA and British security services, the planting of the bomb itself, and the painstaking search for clues and suspects afterward. In There Will Be Fire, Carroll draws on his own interviews and original reporting, reveals new information, and weaves together previously unconnected threads. There Will Be Fire is journalistic nonfiction that reads like a thriller, propelled by a countdown to detonation..  Indigo / Amazon

 “There was no book harder to put down this year than this one…  Carroll wrote this book after exhaustive interviews with those directly involved, and he makes it clear how much history would have changed if those two minutes had a different outcome” —NPR

“[T]he Brighton case, seen as a police procedural, is quite something.”
—The New Yorker

“Thoroughly reported and thrilling” —New York Times Book Review

“Intelligent, fast-paced, and compelling, There Will Be Fire propels us into a pivotal moment in the tangled history of England and Ireland, and, with unusual intimacy, reveals its lasting impacts. Combining superb investigative journalism with the hair-raising action of a thriller, Carroll unearths the unexpected legacy of the deadly 1984 Brighton bombing, while exploring deeper themes of warfare, vengeance, and the enduring dream of a united Ireland.”
—Nathalia Holt, author of Rise of the Rocket Girls

“The Brighton bombing of 1984 was arguably the most potent attempt to decapitate the British state since the Gunpowder Plot. Rory Carroll’s brilliant reconstruction combines the heart-stopping intensity of a great thriller with an acute exploration of the political context. This was a moment on which history turned, and Carroll brings it alive for us in all its horror, drama, and humanity.”
—Fintan O’Toole, author of We Don’t Know Ourselves

“In There Will Be Fire, Rory Carroll brilliantly presents a terrifying, violent assassination attempt on British prime minister Margaret Thatcher in excruciating, vivid detail. It was a meticulous plot that shifted history, stunned a country, and forced investigators into a cat-and-mouse game with terrorists determined to send a message. Carroll is gifted at keeping readers on edge as he turns back the clock and forces us to ask so many questions. It’s a true crime story that had an incredible impact.”
—Kate Winkler Dawson, author of All That Is Wicked and American Sherlock and host of the hit podcasts Buried Bones and Tenfold More Wicked

“A must-read! It’s a rare thing indeed when a big, important book penned by an author with an assured literary voice is also a roller coaster of a page-turner—but There Will Be Fire manages to be just that. I can think of no writing that so thoroughly, and so lucidly, examines not only the politics but the human face of the Irish Troubles. Scrupulously researched and perfectly realized, this book stands as a stellar example of what reportage should be.”
—Jeffery Deaver, author of The Never Game and Hunting Timerelevant today, it’s a page-turner.”―Adam Zamoyski, author of Poland

  See also:

There Will Be Fire as reviewed by Kirkus Reviews  – February 15, 2023

About the Author: Rory Carroll Rory Carroll is an Irish journalist and author known for his work as a foreign correspondent for The Guardian newspaper, where he has covered major international stories across multiple continents since the late 1990s. During his career, Carroll served as The Guardian's Baghdad bureau chief during the Iraq War and later became the newspaper's Latin America bureau chief based in Caracas, Venezuela. His extensive reporting from Venezuela led to his 2013 book "Comandante: Hugo Chávez's Venezuela," which provided an in-depth examination of Chávez's rule and legacy. As The Guardian's Africa correspondent based in Johannesburg, Carroll reported on significant events across the continent including the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide and political developments in Zimbabwe. He later served as the newspaper's Los Angeles correspondent, covering US politics, culture and technology. His reporting has garnered recognition within journalism circles, with coverage spanning political upheaval, social movements, and cultural transformation across different regions. Carroll's work is characterized by detailed observation and analysis of complex political situations and their impact on local populations. Biography Credit: Forage