About the Book
An ordinary boy. An extraordinary witness.
Brendan Magill was born into the tight knit streets of North Belfast, with its rows of terraced houses and tiny kitchens. The kind of community where everyone knew everyone but secrets were everywhere. Then The Troubles arrived on the doorsteps.
North Belfast Blues is an unflinching, often funny, deeply human account of a city he loved and hated in equal measures.
By turns tender, brutal and laugh out loud, it is a portrait of a place and its people - and a vocation that asked everything of those medics who served it.
- 202 pages · Paperback
- Posted from Belfast within 2 working days
- Secure checkout · Card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal
Where to buy
Also available in-store and on Kindle
Physical locations
- No Alibis — Belfast
83 Botanic Avenue, Belfast BT7 1JL
noalibis.com - Secret Bookshelf — Carrickfergus
38 Scotch Quarter, Carrickfergus BT38 7DP
What readers are saying
Praise for the book
★★★★★
4.6 average · Goodreads & press"This is a remarkable book in which Brendan pulls no punches—an uncompromising story of the Ambulance Service during Northern Ireland's Troubles, and a testament to the men and women who served."
"Thoroughly enjoyed this book, couldn't put it down. Written with great depth, humour & compassion, it had me laughing one minute & in tears the next. A true story of growing up & working through the worst of times, but with the best of people."
"A beautiful reflection on how his formative years helped shape an adult driven by empathy and compassion. An honest and heartfelt memoir—a balance of heartbreak and warmth, sprinkled with humour, that had me both laughing and crying."
"A powerful book of resilience whilst operating on the front line in some of the darkest times. A must-read journey of strength, determination and camaraderie, filled with laughter, sadness and teariness. The most powerful book I have read around the lived experience of people impacted via the Troubles."
Order Your Copy
Drop a message
Send a note to the author
Share your thoughts or ask a question, and the author will receive it by email.