The Easter Rising, the War of Independence and the Civil War make up the Irish Revolution, whose legacy is the independent State that we have today. A Republic was declared by the insurgents in 1916. The First Dáil convened in 1919 and at the same time a ruthless guerrilla war began against the forces of the British Crown. Over the following years, as the news from Ireland got worse for the British, they agreed to negotiate. A Truce was followed by a Treaty in December 1921. The Dominion status granted was the cause of the Civil War which broke out six months later. The Free State Government prosecuted the war in a systematic manner, using its ever-growing army. The death of Liam Lynch, leader of the anti-Treaty IRA, on a bare mountain in April 1923 marked the defeat of the anti-Treaty side. Barry draws together the events of the years 1916-23 into this ground-breaking book.