Charlie One: The True Story of an Irishman in the British Army and His Role in Covert Counter-Terrorism Operations in Northern Ireland

Seán Hartnett grew up in Cork in the 1970s where he observed the worst
of the northern Troubles with fascination. Despite his family’s strong
republican ties and his own attempt to join the IRA, Hartnett shocked
family and friends when he changed allegiance and joined the British
Armed Forces.
In 2001 Hartnett returns to his native Ireland, but this time as a member
of the British Army’s most secretive covert counter-terrorist unit in Northern
Ireland, Joint Communications Unit Northern Ireland aka JCU-NI, the FRU,
14 Intelligence Company, or simply ‘The Det’. For the next three years
Hartnett is directly involved in some of the highest profile events of that
period, from the arrest of John Hannan for the bombing of the BBC in
London, to the tragic murder of David Caldwell; the prevention of the
murder of Johnny ‘Mad Dog’ Adair and some of the biggest blunders by
British Intelligence in the history of the Troubles, including the true story
behind the murders of Corporals Howes and Wood at an IRA funeral
in 1988.
‘Charlie One’, the call sign for the most wanted targets of British
Intelligence operations in NI, documents the journey of an Irish Republican
serving in Britain’s most secretive counter-terrorism unit. Filled with roller
coaster emotions and explosive revelations of British Intelligence covert
capabilities and operations, Charlie One provides a truly unique, detailed
and unbiased account of the secret war fought on the streets of
Northern Ireland.