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Dan Lawton

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ABOVE THE GROUND: A True Story of The Troubles in Northern Ireland Kindle Edition

by Dan Lawton (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.6 95 ratings

in Historical Irish Biographies

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"An enthralling work of history told with intelligence and urgency." –Kirkus Reviews, November 2023

"Gripping, well-researched, authentic, and powerful... If you like biographies and legal thrillers, you must read this book." —Mark W. Hansen, The Los Angeles Daily Journal

In 1978, the bloody conflict in Northern Ireland, known as The Troubles, had reached a boiling point.

Hundreds of members of the Irish Republican Army, determined to drive the hated British out of the province—killing soldiers and police, detonating bombs, while arming themselves with firearms and explosives—had been arrested and incarcerated in the notorious British prison known as the Maze.

On Sunday, November 26, 1978, two IRA gunmen kicked in the front door at 8 Evelyn Gardens in Belfast—the home of Maze prison official Albert Miles. They executed Miles in front of his horrified family and vanished into the night.

In 1983, at the end of the longest and most-publicized trial in the country’s history, twenty-four-year-old Catholic taxicab driver Kevin Barry Artt was convicted and sentenced to life for Miles' murder. On his way to the Maze, in manacles and still professing his innocence, Artt prayed for an opportunity to escape.

Six weeks later, his prayers were answered—he made a daring and dramatic escape from the Maze, fleeing to California and going underground. For decades, the British government, aided by the US Department of State and FBI, relentlessly sought him while he managed to stay just steps ahead of his pursuers.

ABOVE THE GROUND: A True Story of The Troubles in Northern Ireland is a gripping chronicle of one of the darkest periods in Northern Ireland's history, highlighting themes of injustice, perseverance, and hope through Kevin's escape and struggle.

DAN LAWTON’S short fiction, essays, and columns have appeared in several journals and periodicals since 2001. ABOVE THE GROUND: A True Story of the Troubles in Northern Ireland is Dan’s first work of nonfiction. Dan is a native of Los Angeles, California, and resides in San Diego, where he is a practicing lawyer.

From the Publisher

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The rigor and expansiveness of Lawton's research is simply astonishing, and his journalistic prose is exacting and powerful. This is by turns a terrifying and heartbreaking story, conveyed with impressive skill and moral clarity.
"An enthralling work of history told with intelligence and urgency."

Kirkus Reviews

"Kevin Barry Artt was convicted of a crime he did not commit, in a legal system we now know was unjust and unfair. It took him years — behind bars — to prove he was innocent. As a staff writer for the Los Angeles Times, I wrote about his case. Now, Dan Lawton's book tells the whole story. And what a story — filled with riveting detail that reminds us that every single one of our lives can make a difference, and change happens in our fragile, broken world because that single person is willing to say, I am who I am."

Alan Abrahamson, Professor of Professional Practice, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism
Former chief columnist, NBCOlympicscom
Former staff writer, Los Angeles Times

"It is astonishing to me that this was the first non-fiction book written by the Lawton. I hope he will write more non-fiction books—although I suspect it may be hard to find another life as interesting as the life of Artt for a sequel. I also realize that Lawton's pro bono thrust into the life of such a fascinating character as Artt—and the first-hand view that put Lawton in a position to write such a compelling and personal story—is unlikely to be repeated.
"I treasure reading books that I come to realize were a labor of love by a skilled author whose motive was something higher than making money (not that it's bad to make money): to devote a sizable portion of their life to create something of lasting value to share with their fellow passengers in life. "Above the Ground" falls into that category. Kudos, and well done to its author."

Los Angeles Daily Journal

"An innocent man imprisoned for life during the dark days of the bitter conflict in Northern Ireland, then caught up in the most audacious prison break in British penal history. It sounds like the fictional plot of a blockbuster thriller. But this is the real-life background to Dan Lawton's gripping narrative. Yes, it's the story of one man's life, Kevin Barry Artt. But with his lawyer's eye and passion to expose injustice, Lawton makes this a timeless and borderless tale, forensically examining circumstance and evidence - or lack of it. With unprecedented access to a host of previously unseen documents, he gives a detailed account of the dark events surrounding Artt's conviction and subsequent escape from the H Blocks of the Maze Prison, known at the time as Europe's most secure penitentiary. While a member of Artt's US legal team, Lawton writes with compassion and even-handedness. This is no one-sided political tract. Rather an essential piece of reading for anyone who hopes to understand not only the Irish conflict, but how the rule of law can be subverted in any divided society."

Michael Beattie, former Head of News and Current Affairs at Ulster Television, and Producer of television documentaries 'Unlocking the Maze' (UTV 1983) and 'Breakout' (BBC 2008)

"The story is as old as time - injustice, oppression and the fight - in this case the flight - for freedom. But there is a contemporary feel to this Troubles tragedy. What is terrorism? How does a government fight it? What are the limits? Who are the victims? With Dan Lawton's steady hand this timeless story unfolds and enfolds with gripping prose deepened by painstaking detail and a panoramic view of all evidence."

Major Garrett
Chief Washington Correspondent
CBS News

"Northern Ireland began life as a sectarian slum and has expended immense effort to remain so, despite the Civil Rights movement, the IRA campaign, exposure of its brutality and corruption to the world at large, and various forms of a peace process that emerged only after American intervention. In the long war of more than 30 years, the security forces have presented a sinister amalgam: among them, the regular police (the disgraced and disbanded Royal Ulster Constabulary, RUC), paramilitary police (B Specials, similarly disbanded), the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR, also disgraced and disbanded), the alphabet soup of Loyalist Protestant Terror groups (Ulster Defence Association, Ulster Volunteer Force, Red Hand Commandos, etc) and the British Army itself, including the Special Air Service (SAS) - all responsible by repeated collusion for hundreds of killings which will never be investigated. The governing fiction for all these groups has been the Law, although it has actually been a system of ad hoc partisan rules designed to give the appearance of legality to radical and repeated injustice.

"Dan Lawton's story of one of the victims of that system and its history — Kevin Barry Artt — is a startling, memorable forensic analysis and account of British rule in Ireland."

Seamus Deane, Irish historian and writer

"This is an extraordinary book that works on multiple levels. It is first of all a vivid narrative of a victim caught up in forces beyond his control, meticulously researched and compellingly told. Beyond that, this account conveys the torments of the Time of Troubles in Northern Ireland in almost visceral reality. Finally, Lawton provides an incisive case study of how even the most highly-regarded legal system can be corrupted from inner rot under these trying circumstances. In short, if one were to read just one book on this traumatic passage in Irish history, this would be the recommended choice."

Alan Dowty, American author and historian

"The British judicial system was systemically partisan and incapable of justice. Less about the rule of law and more about the rule of law enforcement, British Diplock judges, without the constraints of a jury, routinely consigned men and women to prison on the word of dishonest RUC officers, some of whom were renowned torturers. Convinced that there was one innocent but convicted man he could do something about, Dan Lawton with searing intent set about kicking in the door of the rotten façade. The story of Kevin Barry Artt from his arrest, through his prison escape, to his eventual acquittal almost 40 years after his conviction, is one that helps explain the concept that state violence leads to street violence. Absorbing, Lawton pulls you into the heart of his narrative much like Artt was pulled into the bowels of the prison system."

Anthony McIntyre, Ph.D., Irish writer and historian

"This book is a gripping tale of survival and redemption which combines elements of true crime, courtroom drama, and a daring prison escape. In his well-researched narrative, Dan Lawton tells the amazing story of Kevin Barry Artt, an innocent man falsely convicted of an Irish Republican Army murder during some of the darkest days of Northern Ireland's Troubles. Artt's story brings to life the struggles of the minority in Northern Ireland during the 1970s and 1980s when the British brutally sought to break the IRA's back. "'Above The Ground' answers urgent and timeless questions: What price do nations pay when they abandon the rule of law in order to crush terrorism? Why do innocents falsely confess to crimes they don't commit? Despite the best efforts of police and paramilitaries to ruin his life, how does a victim of those efforts not become embittered? "To those still struggling to ensure a permanent peace in Northern Ireland, overcoming this past continues to impede progress of the Good Friday Agreement. Without a doubt, 'Above The Ground' is one of the best books ever written by an American about Northern Ireland and a must read for those interested in promoting peace."

Ambassador Nancy Soderberg, former deputy assistant to the president for national security affairs (1993-197); member, Council on Foreign Relations

About the Author

DAN LAWTON's short fiction, essays, and columns have appeared in several journals and periodicals since 2001. ABOVE THE GROUND: A True Story of the Troubles in Northern Ireland is Dan's first work of nonfiction. Dan is a native of Los Angeles, California, and resides in San Diego, where he is a practicing lawyer and adjunct law professor. --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0C8WPPDJT
Publisher ‏ : ‎ WildBlue Press (August 8, 2023)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 8, 2023
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 3282 KB
Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 464 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #53,063 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #1 in Historical Irish Biographies
- #46 in Cultural & Regional Biographies (Kindle Store)
- #118 in Historical European Biographies (Books)

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4.6 95 ratings

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Dan Lawton

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Dan is a writer and lawyer in San Diego, California. "Above The Ground" is his first work of narrative nonfiction. Check him out on Instagram (search for DanLawtonwriter).

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Michael Pancer

terrific book

Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2023

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This is a superbly written book about the”troubles” in Northern Ireland and source of the hatred many of the rebels had for the British occupiers.

While there is a focus on the case of Kevin Artt the book encompasses much more . Mr Artt was convicted unjustly for the murder of a prison supervisor in Ireland.
The treatment of the rebels in prison was inhumane and many jailers were targeted.
But Mr. Artt escaped and with the help of sympathizers made his way to California and rebuilt his life .
The British learned of his location and tried to extra him in a case that spends years in our federal courts and eventually the ninth circuit. The author, Dan Lawton is a well respected attorney in San Diego who was involved in the case.
But the book goes beyond that case and focuses on the heavy handed British occupiers .
R. Lawtons sources had first had knowledge about the subject matter and in fact the victims son contributed to the information knowing Mr,Lawtons sympathies were with Mr.Artt.
The book is both spell binding and informative.

3 people found this helpful

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Lori Walton

"ABOVE THE GROUND by Dan Lawton is a masterpiece,

Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2023

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"ABOVE THE GROUND by Dan Lawton is a masterpiece,

it’s a remarkable, riveting, engaging read, that spans the entire spectrum of the human spirit,

I couldn’t put it down, it held me over the edge,

this fast paced, no-nonsense, real-life, against-all-odds thriller has forever changed my life, while simultaneously opening new channels of discovery, and paths forward,

this is a combination of tragedy, travesty, nonsensical absurdity, and farce,

with the requisite perseverance, persistence, commitment, and determination of the tireless and heroic efforts of some of the participants of this epic struggle for truth, justice, and freedom,

Dan Lawton has done his job,

our job is to read, learn, and act,

Dan and his brilliant ABOVE THE GROUND has helped correct some of the most egregious wrongs in the history of the world,

this is a must read, for those interested in making our world a better place,

ABOVE THE GROUND, while sad, tragic, and frustrating, is ultimately healing,

and it superbly moves us forward through the troubles of our times,

it shines a bright light on the darkness of the forces of evil,

and drives a powerful sense of responsibility, accountability, and the privilege of still being above the ground,

read on, hold on, learn on, lead on, carry on,

good luck, Bill Walton,

4 people found this helpful

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Jeff P.

A Compelling Portrayal of Injustice and Perserverence

Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2024

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Mr. Lawton did a fantastic job weaving the historical context of The Troubles into this tale of personal tragedy. It was a captivating read that explored the horrors that a society can inflict on it's own people when absolute power goes unchecked while also drilling down to the emotions and strength of one man who must endure as the full weight of the government tries to extinguish him with a campaign of torment based on false allegations. I highly recommend the book.

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Su Barry

History and a Great Story

Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2024

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This is a well researched historical non-fiction book that reads like a dream. Artt's story, which spans decades, is a compelling and complex account of perseverance told against a backdrop of troubled history that has lamentable timeless elements of injustice. I loved the education of the book and hope to see this in the theaters one day.

3 people found this helpful

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MLBranch

If You Liked Papillon....

Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2024

Verified Purchase

I recently completed reading Above the Ground. What a wonderful, insightful and illuminating work. I was taught in elementary school by Irish nun ex pats from the old country (Erin go Braugh) who routinely made us pray for an end to The Troubles. At the time, I did not know what The Troubles were all about. In high school, I looked into the history of the conflict, perhaps spurred on by media accounts of Bobby Sands’ hunger strike and the release of the Sunday Bloody Sunday track on the U2 album, but never really understood what it was all about until I read this book. Not only does it provide an understandable historical account of the conflict, but it makes real the injustices inflicted upon Kevin Barry Artt and others who lived in Northern Ireland during this time. This true account of Mr. Artt’s ordeal, and what he endured to overcome it, is a fascinating read that is hard to put down.

3 people found this helpful

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bmclellan2

Could not put it down

Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2024

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Read it in 2 days. Excellent book. Very well written.

2 people found this helpful

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Patty J

Irish Thriller

Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2023

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If you are interested in "The Troubles" in Ireland, the IRA fight against the British crown, you must read this book. Even if you don't have a connection to Ireland, you will love this book too -- part thriller, part procedural, part story of personal redemption.

Mr. Lawton, a San Diego lawyer, represented Kevin Artt, an Irishman from Northern Ireland, who was falsely accused and convicted of the murder of a jail supervisor, when he ended up in California. The book chronicles the search for the truth and for all the years-old evidence. It's a real page turner, as any reader can't wait to find out the next twist and turn in this compelling tale. You will read about the infamous prison The Maze, the terrible toll on both the police and those wanting independence, and the relentless pursuit of the British for the escaped prisoners. Don't miss it.

3 people found this helpful

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Bella

Excellent book. Excellent author.

Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2024

Verified Purchase

Above the ground tells a very fascinating and true story! Author Dan Lawton knows how to captivate an audience with his words. An absolute page turner and I would definitely recommend picking up this book! …just be ready to not put it down for a while ;)

3 people found this helpful

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David

Shocking reminder of a time in Ireland's history that should not be forgotten

Reviewed in Canada on April 29, 2024

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It is shocking to read about how a government was able to treat people during the Troubles . . . it is criminal how evidence was hidden and covered up. It makes you wonder how many others were convicted of crimes they didn't commit during those dark years. Highly recommended for anyone interested in this part of Ireland's history.

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ABOVE THE GROUND: A True Story of The Troubles in Northern Ireland Kindle Edition

In 1978, the bloody conflict in Northern Ireland, known as The Troubles, had reached a boiling point.

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