In this fully illustrated introduction, acclaimed historian Dr Aaron Edwards provides a concise overview of one of the most difficult and controversial actions in recent history.

Using personal testimony from both sides of the sectarian divide as well as military involvement, this book reveals the complicated yet fascinating history of modern Britain's longest military campaign. Codenamed Operation Banner, the British Army’s deployment in Northern Ireland spanned 38 years of ‘the Troubles’. Upwards of 10,000 troops were on active service during much of the campaign, which saw armoured vehicles, helicopters and special forces deployed onto the streets of Ulster. Dr Aaron Edwards considers the strategic, operational and tactical aspects of Banner, as the Army’s operation morphed from high-profile peacekeeping into a covert war against the IRA, providing an important reference resource for the academic or student reader, or anyone interested in the history of Northern Ireland.