The Yank: The True Story of a Former US Marine in the Irish Republican Army is the story of a man who plighted his troth to the Irish Republic and has remained faithful to it through thick and thin.

In what was considered “The Armed Struggle” by those who pledged allegiance to that Republic and referred to as “The Troubles” by a simplistic media, many like Crawley, would also pledge heart and hand. Some would stay the course, and others would waver or even sell out, while others would find the peace of the grave.

For your reviewer, there are two aspects that attracted me to the story of John Crawley, the eponymous Yank of this autobiographical tale.

First, it is a history of the era from the view of a man intimately part of struggle.

Second, and for the shallow fellow that your reviewer is, we share some demographics, more or less.

John Crawley was born on Long Island on the 6th of May, 1957 about eight years after me, in probably a similar Irish-American Catholic milieu with a bit of a difference. My family was definitely American, and it was expected that I would go to college despite my mediocrity as a student.

What stands out about “The Yank” is that there was little mediocre about Crawley’s youth. Post-secondary education was not his destiny, but he would pursue a course of study, applying himself fervently.

His excellence was noted almost before he started basic training with the Marines.

There, he was called out of training and offered the opportunity to attend the 50-week Chinese language course at the Presidio in San Francisco. This is elite training and would have marked him as a star.

John would turn it down. He was not going to be deterred from his goal of being part of the IRA.

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