Michael Collins and the Invisible Army - Desmond Ryan - 1968 - Paperback - Anvil Books Ltd.

The son of a Clonakilty farmer, with no more formal education than took him into the GPO in London as a boy clerk, Michael Collins, by the force of his personality, his native genius, and the curious power that emanated from him, made himself the man to whom the citizen soldiers in Ireland's Invisible Army looked for leadership, guidance and action. He gave them all three while he was himself a hunted man with a price on his head, depending on the loyalty of his friends for a bed to he on after days of unremitting activity, of life and death decision-making and of meticulous attention to the time-absorbing details that came to his desk from the many-sided fronts of the revolutionary movement. He expected the same standards from all who held rank and office. Those whom he upbraided with raking tongue for their slackness and lack of initiative became his enemies and they were not a few. They never forgave him for what they regarded as his arrogance and bumptiousness. War, especially on enemy-occupied territory, cannot be fought with kid gloves, soft words, and half-hearted effort. Collins gave short shrift to failures and excuse makers, while to those who did his bidding he gave his heart and they, in turn, became his hero-worshipping friends. The civil war that surrounded them all was a national tragedy heightened and intensified by the death in action, in his own county, of the most dynamic figure of the Anglo-Irish and civil wars.

The Invisible Army is the story of that elusive force which that stilJ more elusive leader created and controlled to fight for the people who have yet to reap the full harvest of freedom which was his ideal. It is an absorbing, exciting and heart-breaking story
- Manchester Evening News.

Throughout Michael Collins moves as the chief figure in the narrative, and there is much exceedingly clever character-drawing by Mr. Ryan in his handling of the minor types—the Volunteers, the intellectuals, the Dublin journalists, the men and women "in the street"
- Manchester Guardian.

Here we get behind the distortions and legends of war and see him (Collins) as he was, a wild, courageous leader in a ghastly conflict—Leeds Mercury.
No Englishman can talk intelligently of the "Irish Problem" until he has read such a book as this
- Listener.

Magnificent material lay ready to the writer's hand—and he has used it magnificently
- Daily Herald.

It is strong meat In parts and everyone will not agree with its
sentiments
- Catholic Times.

Men more Intimate than he was with Collins have attempted as much, but in neither the most formal nor the most familiar studies has the real Collins emerged as he indubitably emerges in Mr. Ryan's pages
- The Irish Times.

Nothing to compare with it has yet been written on this period—Irish Independent.
It is generally a powerful book and remarkably well-written
- Irish Press.

Mr. Ryan's work .. . lifts the curtain on a period of Irish history
that w*ll go down the ages as one marked
by heroism, tragedy and pathos
- Cork Examiner.