Recruited by British Intelligence to infiltrate the IRA and Sinn Féin
during the height of the Northern Ireland Troubles, they were 'agents of
influence'. With codenames like INFLICTION, STAKEKNIFE, 3007 and CAROL,
these spies played a pivotal role in the fight against Irish
republicanism. Now, for the first time, some of these agents have
emerged from the shadows to tell their compelling stories. Agents of
Influence takes you behind the scenes of the secret intelligence war
which helped bring the IRA's armed struggle to an end. Historian Aaron
Edwards, the critically acclaimed author of UVF: Behind the Mask,
explains how the IRA was penetrated by British agents, with explosive
new revelations about the hidden agendas of prominent republicans like
Martin McGuinness and Freddie Scappaticci and lesser-known ones like Joe
Haughey and John Joe Magee. Bringing to light recently declassified TOP
SECRET documents and the first-hand testimonies of agents and their
handlers, Edwards reveals how British Intelligence gained extraordinary
access to the IRA's inner circle and manipulated them into engaging with
the peace process. With new insights into the spy masters behind the
scenes, their strategies and tactics, and operations in Europe, the
United States and beyond, Agents of Influence offers a rare and shocking
glimpse into betrayal at the heart of Irish republicanism during the
vicious decades of the Troubles.
