 "Robert v. Edward I & II" | 2008-05-03 |
| - Reviewed By leafsfan2028 |
| An interesting read, but you had better like history. No glamour here, just fact telling. I was struck by the ongoing hatred for the Scots on the part of Edward I and Edward II. Bruce gets the last laugh. |
| |
| "Robert the Bruce - As real as it gets" | 2006-09-12 |
| - Reviewed By marchinek |
| This is a great biography of Robert the Bruce. Ronald McNair Scott gives a nice full and fleshed out story of Robert the Bruce and his rise to throne of Scotland. Mr. Scott does a great job following Bruce through his Grandfather and Father's initial competition and ultimately his own attempt for the Throne after the deaths of King Alexander and his last remaining heir. Like most noble families in Scotland of the time they had land and family links to England. The Bruce, Balliol, and Comyn families all dynastic ties and claims to the throne but in the end the Bruce family won out. Mr. Scott does uses well known sources for his biography like Barbour, Fordun and Barrow. Of course they glorify all that Bruce does and spends minimal time on his faults. Mr Scott gives us a general bio that is great for the novice to Scottish history and those reading their first book on Robert. There is a lot of personal story here with some supposed quotes to help you feel you are with Bruce when he knights Wallace, accepts the Guardianship, or when he murders his primary rival John Comyn and claims the throne or when he wins his great victory against the English at Bannockburn. But Mr. Scott doesn't stop there. We see him continue to firm up Scotland's independence against Edward I, II and finally III. We get a vivid view of his great Lieutenants, James Douglas and Thomas Randolph. Bruce finally sees peace in "old age" at 55 and dies with a son and grandson to succeed him. But in the end he was a man with all the faults ordinary man and for all he gained he equally paid a price in family, pain and life. After his death the English rise again and his heirs continue the struggle. But that is another story for another book. Robert the Bruce, King of Scots by Ronald M. Scott is the life of the Bruce as history remembers him today. |
| |
 "Hail to the King of Scots!" | 2006-07-27 |
| - Reviewed By User: AYEWCGH9OYC26 |
| Scott's "Robert The Bruce" is a truly enjoyable and fascinating book. One is shown the growth of the playboy Lord of Annandale to the courageous, self-sacrificing warrior king who risks everything to lead his people to freedom. A chunk of history I was not too familiar with, Scott fills in the gaps and describes the situations and major characters in an engaging manner. Highly recommended! |
| |
| "Another brave heart..." | 2006-06-02 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2N3YFSV5WXQQ2 |
This is one of the most well written books on Scottish history that I have had the pleasure to come across. Its thoroughly gripping whereas other books about this time period have positvely made my eyes glaze over.
It takes a deeper look at the politics and war of the time and introduces you to Bruce's fascinating followers James Douglas and Thomas Randolph. This book is a must for those interested in history.
|
| |
| "Underdog Wins" | 2006-04-28 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2TUXXRUR3ILOF |
Bruce was born of a royal line, and his father had a claim to the crown. His family held land in both Scotland and England, and therefore was in the aristocracy of both countries.
Only six months had passed since he was crowned King, and now his kingdom had shrunk to a little island six-and a-half miles long and one-and-a-half miles wide. Assailed by English and domestic foe, Bruce hid in a cave, and he and his merry men endured great cold and hunger. It was one of the most colossal gambles in history. Against him were the most powerful nobles of Scotland. He had no knights (except himself), little money, and few horses.
So, who wouldn't want to read a story about a guy with physical strength, cheerfulness in adversity, resourcefulness in danger, brilliance in tactics and strategy, a leader who could animate and inspire all who followed him,a man of great charm and dignity, calm, assured, with a lively sense of humor and a beguiling courtesy?
Tracked by bloodhounds, Bruce stuck to the high country, engaging in guerilla warfare. Bruce proved to be a master of strategic mobile warfare. Within two-and-a-half years the hunted fugitive in the heather was ruler of 2/3 of Scotland. |
| |
| "The Book to Start With." | 2006-02-23 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2CON4GD056OGB |
THIS is the book to start with if you are interested in Robert the Bruce or this time period. It's honestly more FUN than you can imagine. I kept stopping to read passages aloud to people.
As sober HISTORY, a better work is G.W. Barrow's ROBERT BRUCE AND THE COMMUNITY OF THE REALM OF SCOTLAND. But I would recommend that you read Scott first, because careful history and good storytelling are not quite the same thing, and by focusing on storytelling Scott gets to tell the tale in chronological order instead of hopping back and forth through history in order to document every single piece of information. Ideally, this book would have twenty footnotes to each page telling you that this "fact" is actually just an educated guess, or that this story is disputed by some historians. But that would really slow things down.
One problem I have with Scott is his habit of implying that every woman who supported Robert the Bruce politically was sleeping with him -- or at least wanted to. Reading Barrow, you will see that there is not much evidence for this. Scott's annoying habit of implying otherwise is sexist and kind of sleazy. And the Countess of Buchan, in particular, deserves better treatment from posterity than THAT.
However, SOME probably-not-true stories are too good not to tell -- such as the business with the spurs and the sixpence. And Scott is the only historian I've read from this time period who tells it properly.
This reads like one of the best novels you've ever read. What is really amazing is that when you move on to the more sober, responsible histories, you will find out that a lot more of it is true than you could have thought possible. The book does a particularly good job describing Stirling and Bannockburn in a way that is both clear and exiting.
|
| |
| "Fascinating Story" | 2004-10-07 |
| - Reviewed By manizales |
| Ronald McNair Scott has taken the legend of Robert the Bruce and shown exactly why this man has become revered throughout Scotland. What many readers may not understand is the complex series of events that unfolded prior to the popular histories that exist. Scott has wielded a strong sense of storytelling to bring both the personal and political side of Bruce to life. His willingness to delve into a myriad of events surrounding medieval Scotland and England and to come out of it with an easily read autobiography is a testament to both his tireless research and authorship. I would recommend this book not only to readers interested in history, but for anyone who enjoys a riveting tale of adventure and patriotism. |
| |
| "An Inspiring Read" | 2004-05-03 |
| - Reviewed By Anonymous |
| This book is very well-written and exciting to read, unlike many books on medieval history. Although the author relies heavily on source material from an epic completed 54 years after Robert Bruce's death, this book vividly brings to life the story of the Scottish struggle for freedom. Bruce's military genius and the Scots' heroic determination to fight against staggering odds combine to form a gripping tale which this reader found impossible to put down. |
| |
| "The Real Hero of Scotland" | 2002-09-24 |
| - Reviewed By rogerknowsbest |
| If you enjoyed the movie Braveheart, and would like to look more in depth in the characters and events surrounding the Scottish War of Independance, this book will not fail to intrest you. Although portrayed as a relatively minor character in that film, Robert the Bruce was military and political genious and the driving force behind Scotland's independance. |
| |
| "The Bruce Legacy." | 2002-09-03 |
| - Reviewed By Anonymous |
| Ronald McNair Scott in this work has given us a fast paced easy to read account of one of the greatest military leaders in history. Robert the Bruce is not always appreciated in America because he lacks the Hollywood image that Mel Gibson has lent to William Wallace. Wallace was no doubt a great hero of Scotland but it was Bruce who not only defeated the English but posed a very real threat to actually annex English territory. Scott does have a tendency to state as fact that which is only theory or an educated guess but given the state of affairs in 13th and 14th century Scotland any other tact would have led to a huge and hard to read tome that would have added little to the general understanding of Bruce. By deciding to write in this style Scott brings this great hero of Scotland to life for the reader and lets us see the greatness that was Robert The Bruce. Bruce's early decisions during the Wallace wars are explained by Scottish politics. Bruce's grandfather had laid claim to the Scottish throne but Edward I decided in favor of John Balliol, Lord of Galloway. Wallace always fought in the name of King John making it very hard for any of the Bruce faction to lend their full support to the cause. Once he established himself as King, Bruce faced the same problem from the Balliol faction. This divided state of affairs could very well have doomed Scotland had not Bruce taken action. He began with an action that seems to have haunted him for the rest of his life when he struck down the "Red" Comyn on the alter of Greyfriars church. Slowly the rest of the Balliol faction was subdued until Bruce was the unchallenged King of Scots. Scott manages to go into some detail of Bruce's battles with the English without getting the reader lost. In fact, I was able to clearly understand what happened and as I was reading these accounts I could almost see what was going on. Scott's ability to describe events with words is his greatest asset. One feels as if he is actually there side by side with The Bruce. This book is not the deep study of Robert The Bruce that some people may be looking for. It is however a good place for any reader to begin to understand the history of Scotland. After reading this book anyone who wishes to dig deeper will be ready for the challange. For someone who is simply after a quick and easy to understand history of Robert The Bruce I doubt you will find a better source. |
| |
Expedited Available
