There Will Be Fire: Margaret Thatcher, the IRA, and Two Minutes That Changed History by Rory Carroll

“There Will Be Fire: Margaret Thatcher, the IRA, and Two Minutes That Changed History” is a compelling narrative by journalist and author Andrew McCarthy that delves into a pivotal moment in British history—the attempted assassination of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) in 1984. The book explores the tension-filled political landscape of the time, the motivations and strategies of the IRA, and the personal and public repercussions of the attack.

Focusing on the 1984 Brighton hotel bombing during the Conservative Party conference, McCarthy provides an in-depth analysis of how this two-minute event not only targeted Thatcher but also symbolized the broader conflict between the British government and the IRA.