What was it really like to police the troubles? How did you cope with the bombs and bullets? How did you deal with the gut-wrenching fear and the constant threat of violence? Colin Breen, who served for ten years in the RUC at the height of the troubles, knows. He was there.



Drawing on his own experiences and on over thirty interviews with former RUC, Special Branch and CID officers who have never spoken out before, Breen gives a frank and powerful insight into what it was really like for the men and women who served in the police during the Troubles.



Covering all aspects of police work, from handling informants, conducting interviews with notorious criminals, to dealing with the aftermath of tragic bombings, this is the real story of the RUC - the mayhem and madness they dealt with every day; the pyschological and personal toll of the job; and the camaraderie - and the drink - that helped them to cope.