Book Review
The Yank: Valuable insight into the mindset of an unapologetic former IRA man
Former US marine John Crawley considers the Good Friday Agreement a sell-out, but his evident sincerity to ‘the cause’ makes him a surprisingly sympathetic narrator
John Crawley hated his fellow IRA volunteers referring to him as “the Yank”. “Jesus, lads, will you call me the Arsehole, the Eejit, the W***er?” he once berated them, pointing out that anyone mentioning his nationality during a police interrogation might as well be using his real name. Unfortunately for the Chicago man, it stuck – although one elderly republican sympathiser in a safe house compromised by dubbing him “that lad with the white teeth”.
