A Rebel and a Traitor: A Fugitive, the Manhunt and the Birth of the IRA
‘[A] rich, stylish and immersive epic’Irish Independent
‘Deeply researched and fascinating’The Guardian
‘[Rory Carroll is] an exceptionally gifted storyteller’ Max Hastings
‘A gripping read’ The i Paper
‘A thrilling account of one of the most unpredictable, memorable and poignant figures in our history’ Irish Times
The Irish Times No.1 Bestseller
From the master storyteller behind 2023’s critically acclaimed KILLING THATCHER
A Rebel and a Traitor is the story of a rogue imperial consul who sought to forge a new nation in the middle of a war – and the mercurial spy chief who sought to destroy him by any means.
The rogue consul was Sir Roger Casement, a decorated diplomat who turned his back on the British empire and instead joined the rising Irish cause at the turn of the 20th century. At the book’s centre is the manhunt for Casement led by intelligence officer Reginald ‘Blinker’ Hall, the legendary British spy chief who pioneered codebreaking, early mass surveillance and media manipulation.
As he did for the critically acclaimed Killing Thatcher, master storyteller Rory Carroll has combed diaries, letters, police reports, memoirs, court transcripts, secret service archives and declassified government files in the US, Britain, Ireland and Germany to create a page-turning history, and a story that still echoes through Anglo-Irish relations. A Rebel and a Traitor raises profound questions about honour, courage and the price of patriotism.
‘Rory Carroll’s earlier book about the attempted murder of Margaret Thatcher showed him to be an exceptionally gifted storyteller, and this book confirms his talent … A terrifically readable account of a fascinating figure’ Max Hastings, The Times -
‘A gripping read’ The i Paper -
‘A Rebel and a Traitor takes its place beside books such as Ben Macintyre’s A Spy Among Friends and the superb A Spy Among Traitors … [It] is a rapidly paced, expert marshalling of a huge range of characters and locations, written with brio. It is a thrilling account of one of the most unpredictable, memorable and poignant figures in our history.’ Irish Times -
‘Carroll entwines the two parallel stories — hunted and hunter — in a pacy, effective narrative, culminating in a thrilling interrogation at Scotland Yard… Rory Carroll has found a fresh way to tell Casement’s well-established story.’ Financial Times -
'A page-turning account…as gripping as its predecessor [Killing Thatcher]. Carroll tells his story masterfully. It’s a page-turning book.’ The Arts Desk -
'Carroll is a dab hand at a quick pen portrait… Carroll elucidates the historical context of Casement’s scheme with balance and verve… told like an old-school espionage tale’ The Telegraph -