{"product_id":"siege-at-jadotville-the-irish-armys-forgotten-battle-9781504758727","title":"Siege at Jadotville: The Irish Army's Forgotten Battle","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Irish soldier has never been a stranger to fighting the enemy with the odds stacked against him. The notion of charging into adversity has been a cherished part of Ireland's military history. In September 1961, another chapter should have been written into the annals, but it is a tale that lay shrouded in dust for years.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe men of A Company, Thirty-Fifth Irish Infantry Battalion, arrived in the Congo as a United Nations contingent to help keep the peace. For many it would be their first trip outside their native shores. Some of the troops were teenage boys, their army-issue hobnailed boots still unbroken. They had never heard a shot fired in anger. Others were experienced professional soldiers but were still not prepared for the action that was to take place.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLed by Commandant Pat Quinlan, A Company found themselves tasked with protecting the European population at Jadotville, a small mining town in the southern Congolese province of Katanga. It fell to A Company to protect those who would later turn against them. On September 13th, 1961, the bright morning air of Jadotville was shattered by the sound of automatic gunfire.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe men of A Company found their morning mass parade interrupted, and within minutes they went from holding rosaries to rifles as they entered the world of combat. This was to be no Srebrenica; though cut off and surrounded, the men of Jadotville held their ground and fought.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is their story.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePower, Declan:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDeclan Power\u003c\/b\u003e is a security and defense analyst who has worked throughout Africa and the Middle East. He was a career soldier who served in the three combat arms of the Irish Army, attended the military college, and served within the higher echelons of Defence Headquarters.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Blackstone Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50492710977810,"sku":"9781504758727","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_54080c99-9f1b-487c-bddb-1d1ba6efdd56.jpg?v=1730604270","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/siege-at-jadotville-the-irish-armys-forgotten-battle-9781504758727","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}