For decades the IRA has been one of the world's most feared, ruthless - and impenetrable - terrorist organizations. But during this time Ed Moloney, former Irish Journalist of the Year, has been infiltrating its top ranks and gaining access to its most closely-guarded secrets. Now, for the first time, he breaks his silence. This is the inside story of the IRA: its inner workings and top-secret meetings; its most dangerous informers, bombers and gunmen; the deadly rivalries and betrayals that tore it apart; and the years of behind-the-scenes negotiations with the British and Irish governments. At the heart of the story lies one man: Gerry Adams. Ed Moloney discloses shocking material on his career as an early IRA leader in Belfast and his unrelenting rise to power, asking the question: how could a man who condoned terrible atrocities also be the guiding force behind the ceasefire and the peace process?