John Murphy

The Scarlet Shamrock John Murphy

In the turmoil of the 1960s, two strikingly different countries, Ireland and Vietnam, each shared a common conviction-the unification of its country and the expulsion of foreign aggressors. One man, Ned O'Shea, lands in the very heart of this darkness. "The Scarlet Shamrock" is the debut military thriller by John Murphy that charts the perilous journey of a partisan caught up in the brutal throes of two wars. Fierce loyalties clash and betrayals abound. Fast-paced and richly evocative of a turbulent time in world history, this absorbing story charts two legendary conflicts through the lens of one relentless warrior. At the height of "The Troubles" in Northern Ireland, IRA operative Ned O'Shea will stop at nothing to banish the British from his beloved Irish soil. When a traitor reveals Ned's involvement with a plot to assassinate an English official, the Irish patriot is forced to flee his homeland. He slips away aboard a Polish freighter bound for Boston. There, he assumes a false identity and joins the Marine Corps, which leads him to another clash in Vietnam. "The Scarlet Shamrock" offers a vivid and arresting look at a world in chaos, and one man's rigorous resolve to honor both his native land and his newly ingrained Marine commitment. As the United States observes the 50th anniversary of its involvement in Vietnam, this tome, as did the novel "All Quiet on the Western Front," depicts the discord and trauma experienced by those who both lived and served in this period of history.