Imprint
- Hachette Books Ireland
- Hachette Books Ireland
The Murderer and the Taoiseach: Death, Politics and GUBU - Revisiting the Notorious Malcolm Macarthur Case
Harry McGee
Ireland, True crime, Social & cultural history
A shocking, page-turning account of the notorious Malcolm Macarthur case in 1980s Ireland
'An incredible and compelling story' MATT COOPER
'Gripping, unpretentious, brilliant and unputdownable' BUSINESS POST
A Murderer. A Leader. The Scandal of an Era.
In the summer of 1982, Irish aristocrat Malcolm Macarthur embarked on a brutal killing spree in a doomed plan to remedy his financial woes.
Two weeks later, in a sensational turn of events, he was arrested in the home of Attorney General Patrick Connolly. The scandal attracted worldwide headlines and resulted in untold damage to then Taoiseach Charles Haughey. The words he used to describe the dark events - grotesque, unbelievable, bizarre and unprecedented - coined the era-defining phrase GUBU.
Here, award-winning political journalist Harry McGee retraces the happenings of that long hot summer and beyond. From the cat-and-mouse game to track down an unpredictable killer to Macarthur's extraordinary capture, he considers both the life and psyche of a murderer, and that of the leading political figure of the time - a man similarly driven by greed, status and a sense of himself as existing above the law.
Including previously unknown aspects of the trial and interaction with Malcolm Macarthur himself, The Murderer and the Taoiseach is a compulsive journey through tragedy and scandal.
'Brisk, illuminating, crackling with detail' TONY CONNELLY
'A brilliant account of shocking crimes and the dramatic political crisis they caused' DAVID McCULLAGH
Praise for The Murderer and the Taoiseach: Death, Politics and GUBU - Revisiting the Notorious Malcolm Macarthur Case
-
Journalist Harry McGee goes a lot deeper in his compelling new analysis of those murders - Irish Independent
-
impressively researched and vividly written ... This is a Gubu book for very different reasons, gripping, unpretentious, brilliant, and unputdownable - The Business Post
-
This gripping book reads like a thriller - but is sadly all too true. Considerable research and original material are skilfully woven into a fast-paced, brilliant account of shocking crimes, and of the dramatic political crisis which they caused. A highly readable and important book - David McCullagh
-
This remains an incredible and compelling story more than forty years on. It is done justice with Harry McGee's keen eye for detail and is told with great style - Matt Cooper
-
GUBU marked the loss of Irish innocence, a collision of politics and evil that was as shambolic as it was banal. McGee's narrative is brisk and luminous, cracking with detail, characters and analysis, bringing the twin legacies of Malcolm Macarthur and Charles Haughey to a gripping finale - Tony Connelly
-
McGee is a natural storyteller with a telling eye for detail, and he recounts the tale with gusto - Irish Examiner
Find a book you’ll love, get our Word Up newsletter
.png?auto=compress&w=150&h=60&fit=crop&fm=jpg)
.png?auto=compress&w=150&h=60&fit=crop&fm=jpg)
Hachette Australia acknowledges and pays our respects to the past, present and future Traditional Owners and Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuation of cultural, spiritual and educational practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Our head office is located on the lands of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation.
