Books
The roles of two Scots in the rise of British India
Scotland and the Indian Empire: Politics, Scholarship and the Military in Making British India is an academic account of two Scots. It centres on Neil Edmonstone, acting Governor-General of India and Chief Intelligence Officer of the East India Company, and John Baillie, political agent for Bundelkhand. Author Alan Tritton details precisely how they oversaw the…
Read MoreWhen a family went to war with itself over Jacobite Rising
There are books aplenty detailing the Jacobite Rising of 1715, but Rosalind Anderson’s The Jacobite Rising of 1715 and the Murray Family: Brothers in Arm stands out from the crowd. Looking at it through the lives of an influential Perthshire family, the Murrays, she traces the brothers’ rebellion against their father to follow the Jacobite…
Read MoreA gripping read with a contemporary feel
Stay Mad, Sweetheart’s synopsis didn’t sell it to me. Exploring issues of workplace discrimination and ‘the grey areas of consent’, Kist’s book is highly addictive thanks to a plot full of suspense and fascinating protagonists who face uphill struggles with gender inequality. Laura, a skilled yet modest data scientist, decides to put her technological know-how…
Read MoreAn adventurous tale to appeal to early teens
Using Smailholm’s natural beauty as the backdrop to a secret, magical world, Williams’ 16th-century tale is full of imagination. Wynn, daughter of Laird and Lady Hoppringle, uncovers a miniature world unfurling beneath the brambles at Smailholm Tower – a scene reminiscent of The Borrowers and Alice in Wonderland – and works to break the curse…
Read MoreTaking a look round a grave matter in Edinburgh
Across the centuries, countless notable (and less so) Scottish figures have been laid to rest in the capital. Golledge, a local historian, explores the individual history of sites such as St Cuthbert’s, Greyfriars Kirkyard and Old Calton Burial Ground, revealing both how losses were mourned and lives celebrated. An interesting insight into the connection between…
Read MoreThree women linked through time by prejudice
Anchored by the presence of the iconic Bass Rock, this novel by Evie Wyld is a catalogue of brutal male dominance, following the lives of three women separated by centuries but linked by prejudice. And while countless authors have written of female victims and male villains, Wyld’s thought-provoking plots separate this book from many others…
Read MoreThe man behind ‘think global, act local’ in focus
Author Patrick Stephen is incredibly well versed on the life of Patrick Geddes, the biologist, sociologist and town planner behind the ‘think global, act local’ concept. The author’s contention is that there’s much to learn from the sage, particularly with reference to the current climate emergency. Geddes, who would ‘see the problem and throw himself…
Read MoreSeparating Robert the Bruce facts from the fiction
Few figures from Scotland’s history have captivated so many generations, across both Scotland and the world, as Robert The Bruce. In Stephen Spinks’ book, Robert The Bruce: Champion of a Nation, he tries to distinguish facts from the myths and legends which have grown over the centuries. Spinks creates a detailed picture of the context…
Read MoreA crime thriller that will grip you from page one
By the fifth line of Dugald Bruce-Lockhart’s debut novel, I was totally invested in the plot of The Lizard. Lulled into thinking the protagonist a relatable character – he is a student from the University of St Andrews suffering from an aching heart – Alistair Haston is a seemingly ordinary young man seeking to win…
Read MoreA look at life on St Kilda without its people
Home to a small population until 1930, Alex Boyd offers a window onto how St Kilda has remained relatively untouched since its last inhabitants left. It gives a sense of how people would have lived and what’s being done to protect the site. Isle of Rust is a visual response to Jonathan Meades’ essay (included…
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