Paced brilliantly and has the twists and turns of a thriller novel despite being a true story. Superbly researched.

This is more than simply an account of the attempt to assassinate Thatcher and her cabinet. It is also an exploration into the history and development of “the troubles” and covers the Mountbatten and Neave killings as part of the build up to Brighton.

Carroll is studiously detached and non judgemental. Brighton bomber Pat McGee is not portrayed as a hero, nor is the British establishment painted as the villains.

The Long War ultimately is deemed a failure, not so much by Carroll as by its participants. The heroes, if any exist are surely the Police, riven by inter departmental rivalries who triumph in identifying McGee using hard work, skill, determination, and luck.

Numerous vignettes and anecdotes lighten the story. Initial attempts to establish a casualty list were hampered by the number of Tories who had booked rooms in assumed names ,with assumed spouses, to cover illicit liaisons. Who were the casualties and survivors and how many were there? Everyone lost their clothes, so Marks and Spencer was opened up at 7am to enable delegates to buy replacement clothes for the conference later in the morning which went ahead- paid for by a Conservative party tab.

Remarkably, Thatcher left the police to get on with the job of tracking down the bombers with no interference or pressure.

However Carroll succeeds in pursuing a fundamental point. McGee came very close to succeeding in his assassination attempt- what would have happened if he had?

Those, like myself, familiar with the overall study will be enthralled by the detail. Those unfamiliar, will find this an invaluable insight into one of the great political stories of the late 20th century