This book is superb and should be read by anyone with even a fleeting interest in Irish politics and events. As a biography it is a wonderful account of one of the few truly great 20th century Irish political icons. As an historical record of political change and development in the Irish Republican movement in the 1970s and 1980s – the repercussions of which still resonate today – and the unique role played within it by Bobby Sands, it is an extraordinarily detailed, formidable and unmatched piece of political, social and personal research. And yet the book is also an enthralling read, breathlessly taking the reader through the tumultuous times of one man and his far too short but generation-changing life. Many, many books have been written about Ireland. Very few have achieved the level of empathy for the subject as Nothing But An Unfinished Song. The Sands’ family should feel proud and hugely indebted to the author for placing Bobby Sands in a pivotal position in Irish Republican struggle.

Denis O’Hearn – Bobby Sands: Nothing But an Unfinished Song. Pluto Press. 2006