We live in an age of terrorism and like to think that the United Kingdom is a reasonably peaceful place, largely untroubled by the atrocities committed by foreign fanatics.

Clive Bloom’s new book tells for the first time the full story of attempts to set up a British Republic.

Colourful and revealing, it throws light on the links between English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh republicanism and shows how the anti-terror state was born not in 2001 but in the 1790s.

Contrary to popular belief we too have a hidden tradition of terrorism that official history has chosen to ignore.

Since the 1790s, almost 23,000 British subjects have fought and died on British soil for the ideals of revolutionary republicanism.

Campaigns have included:

    three bloody civil wars in Ireland

    the bombing campaigns by the IRA in British cities

    two Welsh uprisings

    one Lowland Scottish civil war

    one crofter’s rebellion

    one uprising in Derbyshire and another in Kent

    five attempts to assassinate the entire cabinet and seize London

    numerous attempts to murder the royal family

    an almost continuous history of terrorism from the Fenians of the              

    1860’s to the Tartan Army of the 1970’s