Setting the Truth Free: The Inside Story of the Bloody Sunday Justice Campaign

While several books have been published on the 1972 Bloody Sunday massacre during a peaceful civil rights march in Derry, Northern Ireland, very few have the powerful emotional impact of this volume by Campbell, an Irish journalist and niece of the first person slain on that tragic day. Campbell, the press officer for the campaign to find justice for those killed and wounded, not only tells the tale of her murdered 17-year-old uncle, Jackie Duddy, but also details the planning of the march, the wanton slaughter by the British troops, and the traumatic remembrances of the survivors. She doesn’t hold back when she describes the 1972 Lord Widgery Report as a “whitewash” that blamed the marchers “”for the fact that the Derry community was labeled “terrorist” for years. A need to seek justice, as Campbell writes, motivated the Irish community to protest and pressure the British government to launch a real inquiry into the shootings. The 2010 release of Lord Saville’s report placed the blame on British troops, forcing British Prime Minister David Cameron’s apology before Parliament to the nation. Detailed, courageous, and highly charged, Campbell’s book is a testament to a community’s triumphant quest for truth despite government obstacles. Photos. (July)