Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Given the negative image of the IRA in the States due to Britain's dominant narrative of the Troubles, I feel like it is always difficult to get a neutral look at the IRA and the party of Sinn Féin. Aoife Moore does a good job to provide insight into the rise of Sinn Féin and the role it plays in the politics of Ireland. But unless you have prior knowledge of the political situation of Ireland and the history of its struggles for independence from the British Empire, it can feel very confusing at first.

I generally shy away from books about politics because I just can’t get into them. But having visited Ireland a few times, I’ve found Irish politics to be very interesting. My first time in Ireland, my husband and I embarked on a road trip through the UK from London to the home I lived in in Ipswich, up through Scotland. And then we took a short flight to Belfast. Belfast is unlike any other place I’ve been. It is a beautiful place full of a rich history, and one of my favorite places in the world. But Irish politics is not just a footnote in history there. It is very much real and, at the time in 2019, still very much in play. I visited every historical place I could in the few days I was there (some of which I won’t name), and found the people to be incredibly kind and inviting. But I couldn’t help but notice the signs pasted all over the city, “British troops not welcome here.” Needless to say, although everyone was so incredibly nice, I did not tell them where I was born, despite that I have lived in the US most of my life.

This book is a great look into the history of Irish politics and what went into making it what it has become today. There were a lot of names I recognized from previous readings, and some I didn’t. Some turned on a metaphorical lightbulb for me, making some of those unnamed places I visited make a bit more sense. For me, this book was very easy to follow and extremely well-written. However, if you don’t know anything about the history of Irish politics or Ireland itself, it may be a tad hard to follow the timelines. It is absolutely worth a read, though, in my opinion. Hats off to the author for risking a lot more than just her career to get this book out there. I understand some of what it took, and as a reader, I greatly appreciate the look into what was clearly years of intense work.

Huge thanks to Independent Publishers Group | Penguin and NetGalley for sending me this ARC for review! All of my reviews are given honestly!

An intriguing and necessary insight into the history of Sinn Féin and its rise in popularity as a political party in Ireland. It's a well-researched, and well-articulated book. Great read for anyone interested in Irish politics, however some prior knowledge to the political landscape of Ireland is essential.

Moore's books is intended to provide a fair and accurate account of the rise of the Irish political party, Sinn Fein. And to be fair, Moore does this, documenting the legitimisation of Sinn Fein in 1974 through to its current incarnation today. Along the way, the narrative looks deeply into the culture and history and personalities of those within and those pulling the strings of the party.

What the reader will find when picking up this tome are the following, summarised in dot points below, and in no particular order:
* the efforts of the party leadership to change the party's image were undercut by forces within the movement;
* the party was and is in a state of perpetual flux;
* the party is still tied and subservient to its historical paramilitary and political baggage;
* there is a deep seeded culture of bullying, cover-ups, political disfunction, paranoia and suspicion, scandal, chaos, malfeasance;
* it has a top down structure and hierarchy that is not driven by grass roots culture;
* the party leadership worked to control its members and centralise power and no deviation from the party line is tolerated;
* the party narrative was and is driven, controlled and censured by dominant personalities who didn't care for change until the politics became popularly unpalatable.

From available sources, historical documents, and anonymous interviews, Moore has managed to put together a history of the party. The narrative, however, goes back and forth with the introduction of each new character and key events to give perspective and context to the overall story (Irish storytelling is never linear).

I personally, would also have preferred two things:
1. that the actions of the Sinn Fein were viewed also in context of the actions of its political and paramilitary opponents, though understand that this would have increased what is already a decent lengthy tome;
2. that the detail on the hierarchical structure of the party had been documented earlier in the book to aid the reader is grasping where each organisation was placed.

I have previously read a great deal about Irish history and politics leading up to the early 2000s, so I was keenly interested in what Moore (who implies that the reader has a certain level of knowledge already) had to say and what she could add to what had previously been written. There were some snippets I found of interest whilst there was much that confirmed and substantiated what I knew and suspected from my own readings and research.

Overall, from an outsiders' perspective, Moore achieves her intent. A worthwhile read for those for whom this subject matter is of interest.

I was intrigued when I saw this title. Sinn Fein has long been an active political party in Ireland, but it has been years since I heard anything about it. Of course, the primary reason is I don’t live in Ireland. I was, however, interested in an inside look at the party’s history and their vision of the future. The Long Game provided a detailed look at both.

Moore is a journalist who is able to remain impartial on her subject while still asking questions that prompts the reader to critically look at Sinn Fein. This book is not for those looking for an overview of the party, but for those who want Sinn Fein’s full history. The detail was amazing and I was surprised that all the information did not become overwhelming. Instead, each piece added to the story and helped bring Sinn Fein in focus.

I highly recommend for those interested in Irish politics, Sinn Fein itself, and/or a non-fiction book that will keep you turning the pages.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I had a frustrating reading experience with this book. The author assumes a level of familiarity with Irish politics that not all readers may have. I am not Irish and really would have appreciated a background on the political landscape in Ireland (e.g. political parties, the government structure, historical context). I had to keep stopping to look up who or what the author was referring to for context to better understand what was being discussed. I have read other nonfiction books about the Troubles so I was not wholly unfamiliar with many of the key names or events mentioned.

There is not a clear central argument or a structured presentation of information, It reads more like an exposé or extended tabloid piece. The author is a journalist so I guess this is to be expected.

Thank you to Netgalley for this e- copy of The Long Game by Aoife Moore in exchange for a honest review. This is a riveting, well - researched account of the inner workings of Sinn Fein ,the political party and some say Iegitimate face of the IRA. Headed by Gerry Adams a man who long disavowed any allegiance to the IRA even though his hand has been complicit in many a murder, this book reveals many of the secrets, crimes and inner workings, and everyday occurrences that happened in the Sinn Fein government through the years and now under new leadership. . Now the most popular political party in both Northern and Southern Ireland , Sinn Fein has undergone many struggles to remain a political party that represents all of Ireland.. This book definitely offers new information about the Troubles and the years since.

Having read a number of books about the IRA in the past few years, I have always wondered about it's transition into the political party of Sinn Fein. As an American, my education on global politics is sorely lacking but I want to know more.

The Long Game by Aoife Moore is a fascinating journalistic approach to how Sinn Fein came to power and the complexities therein. Looking at both the past and the future of the party, Moore clearly paints a picture of the Provos rise within politics.