There Will Be Fire

Margaret Thatcher, the IRA, and Two Minutes That Changed History

By: Rory Carroll

Narrated by: John Keating

Length: 14 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

**A Goodreads Choice Awards Nomination for Best History & Biography**

**An NPR Book We Love*

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 comes across like a thriller, propelled by a countdown to detonation.

©2023 Rory Carroll (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"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

“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

More of a research project than a deep dive book missing follow ups on anyone still alive that was involved.

In NPR’s Fresh Air, this was book review title was touted, as
“In 1984, Margaret Thatcher was nearly assassinated — a new book asks, what if?”

Where is this “what if” part?
I think the author addresses a sentence or two to that premise in less than one paragraph at most.
Which ti me was a little disappointing. Now, if I missed a large portion of the book devoted to this topic, I apologize, but I don’t see where it is. And I do t see how it deserves to be the lead of a review.

Couldn’t stop listening

Very good book. Well written and well read. Listened during an eight hour drive and never got bored.

Great story

Well written and fascinating story about the Brighton bobbing and the IRA men and women, who carried it out.

A Story Well Told

Being in the US during this time, I had no idea of the significance lot to kill the Iron Lady. Excellent job!

Nailed every angle

Extraordinary ability to inhabit the minds of all the players. Really does justice to the complexity of the subject. Great reader!

Captivating story. Excellent narration.

Excellent and thorough account. Well composed. Great choice of narrator. I couldn’t stop listening yet I didn’t want it to end!

Phrygian Cap

Great story voiced by a great reader! In a twisted way, Thatcher and the IRA may have deserved each other — both were righteous about their cause.

An evocative telling of the events

Balanced and informative letting the voices that were there illustrate the story. The context and impact on history was incredible.

OK-ish. Once. I really wanted to like this more.

Less of a story... more of biased faux history for the easily addled having not finished primary school history.

A Very British Point of View

Written from a purely British perspective with some "facts" being skewed by the author to make his point.

It's neglectful of the author not to further delve into why the Iron Lady allowed 10 Irishmen to die on hunger strike. Arrogant still not to explain how many Irish were beaten and tortured nearly to death in British prisons, only to be proven innocent...

If you haven't lived in Ireland and represented prisoners in the Kesh, you'll like this book. But for those of us who know the truth, we'll just say this is a big steaming pile of shite.

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