Double Agent

My Secret Life Undercover in the IRA

By: Kevin Fulton

Narrated by: Stephen Armstrong

Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

'I am a British soldier,' I told my reflection. 'I am a British soldier and I'm saving lives. I'm saving lives. I'm a British soldier and I'm saving lives....'

Kevin Fulton was one of the British Army's most successful intelligence agents. Having been recruited to infiltrate the Provisional IRA at the height of the Troubles, he rose its ranks to an unprecedented level. Living and working undercover, he had no option other than to take part in heinous criminal activities, including the production of bombs which he knew would later kill. So highly was he valued by IRA leaders that he was promoted to serve in its infamous internal police - ironically, his job was now to root out and kill informers.

Until one day in 1994, when it all went wrong....

Fleeing Northern Ireland, Kevin was abandoned by the security services he had served so courageously and left to live as a fugitive. The life of a double agent requires constant vigilance, for danger is always just a heartbeat away. For a double agent within the highest ranks of the IRA, that danger was doubled. In this remarkable account, Kevin Fulton - former intelligence agent, ex-member of the IRA - tells a truth that is as uncomfortable as it is gripping.

©2019 Kevin Fulton (P)2019 Bonnier Books UK

Newry - Dundalk

Book was a great read,
Grew up in the troubles took it all for granted.

Wow

You may think Fulton’s claims are entirely self-serving. You may think he was misguided or a traitor and has questionable personal mantras he’s created in order to live with himself. You may think he’s an unsung hero of an insane conflict where both sides lost sight of of any moral clarity. I found myself researching his claims in Irish newspapers, on Google and YouTube and found a lot to support the veracity of the facts as he related them. One thing’s for sure: this is one hell of a tale, and whatever you think of this man and his motives, he got spectacularly screwed by the British spooks of the time. His story and other identical stories are still under investigation. What a read.

Trust Nobody!

If anybody wants to know about the British "dirty war" in Ireland, then this is as good a book as any. Written by an undercover ex-British soldier from Northern Ireland who infiltrated the Provisional IRA and rose to a reasonably high rank in its organisation before being 'sold out' by his handlers to [allegedly] protect an even more important undercover agent that they had working within the IRA. At times Kevin Fulton (a pseudonym) comes across as very naive and clearly too trusting of his employers, while at the same time happy enough as an IRA man to take it to whatever level it needed to go to to convince the IRA of his loyalty, including some very serious crimes. This is a thoroughly engaging book, which is notable for what is left out than what is actually in it, but even so it tells the story from and insider's point of view on how those British agents worked in the undercover war against the IRA.

Great story!

The story of Ireland fighting for her independence always fascinates me and this was a great story.

After a Second Try...

I reviewed this book harshly the first time I tried to listen. Once again, this is just further proof that sometimes you need to stop a book and delisted later. It can be a mood, whatever that makes all the difference. And I found this book to be a most compelling read after taking another look. Kevin Fulton's story is very complicated and sad. How he was abandoned by his British handlers, while infiltrating the IRA, is shocking. The Omagh bombing in 1998 could have been prevented had authorities acted on his tip. He literally was abandoned by those he trusted. He committed some atrocious crimes as a part of the IRA, but it is plain he felt deep remorse for what he did. He did it with the purpose of informing for British intelligence. But this came with a steep cost.

Stephen Armstrong's narration is incredible. What a story. The IRA's violence and cruelty know no bounds, and he captures Fulton's anguish perfectly.

Things are never quite what you think

And the government NEVER, EVER has your best interest in mind. You are only around in the intelligence world for as you are useful, then you will be burned and thrown to the wolves. A sad tale indeed.

Dupe or sociopath?

Listening to this audiobook, one is meant to believe that the author is an incredibly gullible dupe, motivated not by ideology or religious zealotry, but by a tenuous rationalization of the patriotic duty of a soldier. Which conveniently allows him to skirt any responsibility for his atrocities (notwithstanding the legal constraints outlined restricting what he can say).

It's apt that the first line of the book is "All I ever wanted was to be a British soldier". It has the faint echo of Henry Hill in the film "Goodfellas" who says "As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster." Like Hill, this author, is short on credibility, and has trouble recognizing his own culpability in his crimes, preferring to blame his handlers in British intelligence for the crimes he "allegedly" committed for the IRA. While there's little doubt of the truth of the despicably immoral activity of intelligence agencies worldwide, it leaves the author in the position of seeming to be either incredibly stupid, or a sociopath. My impression is the latter. There is half-hearted relief expressed at near-misses (of course, the hits are coyly referenced through legalese), but little in the way of recognition of his own behavior. He even rationalizes his activity in body counts, pro and con, people he's killed versus people he's saved (though I don't know if NOT killing someone is the same as saving them). All his energy seems focused on placing blame on others for putting him in that position.

That being said, it is an engrossing listen. It's not particularly well written, but it delivers what it promises, the secret life of an undercover agent, though lacking a bit in self-awareness and accountability.