An earnest and fast paced historical narrative. Have an intense person centered telling of a specific aspect of the Troubles. The connection between Ireland and Philadelphia was clearly laid out and fascinating to learn about.

My thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company or an advance copy of this history that looks at the Troubles in Northern Ireland, by telling an American story about a group of men who supplied the IRA with weapons, their own troubles by doing this, and the legacy these weapons left, both in war, and in peace.

I have red hair, an apostrophe in my name and was born in the Bronx, so nine times out of ten people know that I am of Irish descent. I am a third generation Irish American, who grew up with grandparents who came on boats, my parents both born here, and older and newer immigrants. Every wedding had songs about a united Ireland, every funeral songs about the wearing of the Green, or songs about the Thompson gun, used by the IRA early in the century against the British. And their fellow Irish citizens. I had no idea about the Troubles. It never came up, my parents were from Cork and Galway both in the South, so I don't remember anything but songs that sounded kind of cool. Maybe I first heard about the problems in Northern Ireland watching a 20/20 special on ABC. I remember something. Maybe doing a heritage project for school. As I aged I read more about the old Sod and found that Irish history is a lot of did you hear what he said, and a lot of say nothing. The truth is in the eye of the survivor, and even the survivor might not be sure. As time has passed, and feared figures fade, more about the history of the troubles are coming to light, stories tracked by journalists and families wanting to know more. Wanting to know why a loved one died. Ali Watkins is a dogged reporter of the old school, tracking sources, papers, asking questions following up, and knowing when to walk away. The Next One Is for You: A True Story of Guns, Country, and the IRA’s Secret American Army is a history of the arming of the IRA as seen from America, by a group of men, radicalized by what they heard and saw, who risked their place in the land of opportunity, to arm those fighting in the old country.

The book's genesis was the tracking of one gun, bought in America and used in Northern Ireland for an article. This task proved to be almost Sisyphean as so many guns were sent from America to Ireland by a group of men who did this not for money, but to help their people in the only way they knew how. Watkins first writes of the situation in Northern Ireland explains the problems among the Irish people, those who want British government, the Catholics who were treated horribly by the government, losing jobs, being arrested at the drop of a hat, their property destroyed. Watkins also goes into the problems that the Irish always have. Yes they like to fight, but sometimes they are not picky with who. The many different groups wanting different things even in the IRA caused problems for funding and arming. Watkins than looks at Philadelphia, a hot zone for radicalized Catholics, and the campaign started by five men to get weapons, Armalites especially, a rifle that made a difference, and soon became the subject of songs to the IRA. Something that governments in three different countries soon began to have problems with.

I really enjoyed this book as Watkins was able to break down much of what makes reading about Irish history at this time so difficult. There was a lot going on, many people to keep track of, and lots of history to remember. Watkins really keeps everything moving, and the profile Watkins paints of these American gun runners is fascinating. Most of them were married, lived middle class lives, had kids, worked with their hands. Yet they set up a system to supply weapons that changed history in many ways. Watkins details their lives, their risks, and looks at people in Ireland changed by the appearance of so much modern weaponry. A book that looks at policy, the human price, and how humans never ever seem to learn anything from history.

I am interested in understanding about the Troubles. As an Irish-American in the NY-metro area, my family and I have been involved in organizations, fundraisers and politics for generations. I was young when the Troubles started up and did not fully understand what was going on. The IRA became a dirty expression among my family. One local organization locally, Project Children, brought from Northern Ireland for week long breaks from what was going on at home. And, we had relatives involved in fundraising, in western Pennsylvania. They were known by Gerry Adams personally. We don't know what their involvement was with Northern Ireland, nor do we truly want to know. "The Next One is For You" did an excellent job examining the Philadelphia Irish connection to Northern Ireland. It was a powerful insight to the importance of American support. The Troubles were a turbulent, complex time with many victims and a great deal of duplicity. The book mostly laid out the complexities in a clear, linear fashion. What I did not like about the book, was the repeat of some information in several instances. I received an advanced digital copy from Net Galley.

There is a strange feeling I get whenever I read a book on the Troubles of Northern Ireland. I have still not traveled to the motherland (shame on me), but I grew up steeped in Irish culture around quite a few Irish people fresh off the boat like my grandparents. I've always been proud to be descended from people who have had to overcome quite a bit, to put it mildly. At the same time, I am grew up a middle class American and the Troubles often felt like something I didn't deserve to have an opinion on. All of this is to say, I did not go into Ali Watkins' book, The Next One is for You completely free of bias and complicated feelings. Based on Watkins' epilogue, I might hazard to say she felt the same way.

Watkins tells the story of the Philadelphia Five. These were men who were funneling weapons to the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) otherwise known as the Provos. If you think the word "Provisional" seems weird and wonder why I didn't just say "IRA" then buckle up because the Troubles cannot be explained easily. In fact, I would venture to say anyone new to this subject will read this book and think Watkins could have simplified things. I can assure you that this is probably one of the more simplified stories of the Troubles. (Good luck trying to jump into a story of the Irish Civil War cold.)

Watkins digs into how the Philadelphia Five used an organization called the Irish Northern Aid Committee or NORAID as a front to purchase and ship the weapons to Northern Ireland for the Provos. (Fun fact: NORAID's current headquarters are in my hometown of Pearl River, NY. I told you I grew up around a hell of a lot of Irish people.) Watkins mainly tries to keep the overall story readable while explaining what is happening in the U.S. and Northern Ireland while explaining the rise of Sinn Féin. Yes, that is another organization born out of the IRA and yes, I told you it is really hard to explain all of this in a short review.

Ok, now I just explained the absolute basics. To try and wrap this thing up, I think Watkins does a great job looking at the interplay between American supporters of the Provos and how the guns made their way across the Atlantic. There are numerous side stories like a Catholic priest who administers to the political prisoners or an IRA member who has a VERY bad first night with a weapon. Watkins prose is easy to read and the various narratives feed into each other. I highly recommend it.

(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Little, Brown and Company.)

This is such an interesting look at the troubles. A look that we don’t often see- the American side. The juxtaposition of Geraldine’s story and the story of the gun smuggling in Philadelphia was so well done. I just wish we knew more.

While I think I’ve heard before that Americans were running guns to the IRA, this was a story I had never heard. Watkins does a fantastic job introducing the players and their stories. She also allows you to root for them, which I appreciate. These were real people fully believing in what they were doing. This comes across so clearly.

This is meticulously researched. Following the story of only ONE gun, but telling the story of many. This is a must read for anyone interested in Ireland and the troubles.

This was a really interesting concept for guns and their history in the world. Ali Watkins did a lot of research and worked with what I was expecting form this type of book. I really didn't know anything about this and can't wait to read more from Ali Watkins.