Posts Tagged ‘review’
Magical tales from ancient Scots mythology
The Old Grey Magician is a compilation of short stories featuring Fionn and his crowd of men (the Fianna) and his poet son, Ossian. The Old Grey Magician is a mystical figure who frequently appears throughout Celtic mythology, often taking on different forms and shapeshifting. This book is one of the first collections featuring a…
Read MoreAn epic tale set during the time of Culloden
Surrey-born author Kimberley Jordan Reeman has created an epic 782-page book that is not for the faint hearted. Set in Scotland in 1746 during the bloody military occupation of the Highlands, gut-wrenching atrocities set a distinctly dark tone from the outset. But when English soldier Mordaunt saves an infant from the horrors of 18th-century rebellion,…
Read MoreThe tragic story of a Scots soldier – in his own words
So many Scottish families have their own stories from World Wars I and II. This is the biography of Charles Grant Tennant, a pacifist who joined the Army at the outbreak of the Great War and died in May 1915. Cumbrae-based Fergus Boyle has assembled a fascinating first-hand account of the life of his great-uncle,…
Read MoreDetective solving a murder crime back in time
Seventeenth-century detective duo MacKenzie and Scougall are asked by a Highland clan to solve a case, after a young lawyer’s body is found near Edinburgh. Their investigations are set against the political turmoil of the time, with Jacobite rebels and Bonnie Dundee, as they try to fi nd out just who wanted Aeneas MacLeod dead.…
Read MoreThe bravery and sacrifice of brave Scot Jane Haining
The true story of Scottish heroine Jane Haining is a truly harrowing one. As matron of a Hungarian residential school that housed Jewish orphans, Jane protected them with all her might, refusing to flee the country in 1944 – a decision that ultimately led to her death. Her story of self-sacrifice is portrayed by Miller…
Read MoreThe general who led an incredibly military career
General Sir Ralph Abercromby led an extraordinary life – he twice served as an MP, was appointed governor of Trinidad, Commander-in-Chief of Ireland. He was highly respected by his troops and this in-depth, absorbing read covers the French Revolutionary Wars, a critical time in Europe’s tumultuous political history. Though it requires intense concentration, and with…
Read MoreCrime writer celebrates Scottish landscapes
Ordinarily known for her best-selling crime writing, Val McDermid has departed from her typical style, providing a unique take on the Scottish landscape. In My Scotland, she revisits the places she has known all her life, collating a lifetime of remarkable memories in one beautifully presented book. Relating tales in an eff ortless style, she…
Read MoreMonsters and more in a book for the wee ones
For a child, there’s nothing scarier than a story with monsters – but they always lose in the end. Lea Taylor has tapped into traditional Scots stories of our beasties, and written some new tales which will terrify and entertain children in equal measure. With stories like The Greedy Trows of Orkney and Kelpie Capers,…
Read MoreScotland’s Islands beautifully captured in print
Scotland’s incredible natural beauty is captured perfectly in the lavish Scotland’s Islands, which is so beautifully presented to the reader. The photography of island enthusiast Allan Wright is stunning and shows off places we may have visited, and indeed many places that most of us won’t have seen, capturing the soul of each area and…
Read MoreSome exciting adventures set in the 1930s
The Gamekeeper’s Son is a real boys’ own adventure book from the heart of 1930s Morayshire. This delightful set of mini stories recounts the upbringing of author Ron Stewart, the son of a gamekeeper, and his adventures with his father, friends and local wildlife. With short, episodic chapters, we get an often comic account of…
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