For nearly 700 years debate has raged over the true nature of William Wallace and his role in Scotland's turbulent history. Was he the Braveheart of Blind Harry's legendary account, the bold, but savage, hero of the Scottish wars? Or, as some contemporary chroniclers attested, nothing but a villainous thief and vagrant fugitive? This book draws on a wide range of contemporary and modern sources to look behind the figure of legend to find Wallace's true character. Through s...

The dramatic story of Scotland as it has never been told before - as seen on the BBC**The beauty of Scotland is overwhelming and I've often thought that Scotland's popular history is just like her landscape - impossibly romantic, obscured by mist and myth and always changing.'Vivid and compelling'** Good Book GuideScotland is one of the oldest countries in the world with a vivid and diverse past, Yet the stories and figures that ...

Which king's guards massacred a group of his supporters by mistake? Who had an oversized tongue and had to slobber when they ate food? Who was so large when they died that they had to be buried in a square coffin? Who survived seven assassination attempts? As you can tell from the bizarre questions above, it wasn't all thrones and sceptres for British kings and queens. Some of them were completely batty, and others were downright vicious. On the other hand, some monarchs were an icon to th...

In "A Short History of Scotland," Andrew Lang presents a concise yet illuminating exploration of Scotland's rich historical tapestry. Written with clarity and elegance, Lang weaves together socio-political narratives and cultural insights, transporting readers from ancient Celtic times through the pivotal events of the Union of the Crowns and beyond. This work employs a narrative style that balances rigorous scholarship with an engaging storytelling approach, making it accessible for both ...

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER PERFECT FOR FANS OF OUTLANDER The true story of one of Scotland’s most notorious and romantic heroes.He was a spy, a clan-chief, a traitor. A polyglot, a deserter and a man of philosophy.Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat, was the last of the great Scottish chiefs – and the last nobleman executed for treason. In life, his wit, ambition and dubious sense of morality kept him in the thick of political intrigue. With a taste for risk and d...

Stephen's reign was one of the darkest periods of English history. He had promised Henry I that he would support the king's daughter, Matilda, as the rightful heir to the English throne, but when Henry dies in December 1135 he broke his promise and quickly made himself king. Like many of the nobles, he was unwilling to yield the crown to a woman. Civil wars and the battle for the English Crown dominated his reign, and this fascinating book examines the conflict between Ste...

**THE ONLY BOOK ON IRISH HISTORY YOU’LL EVER NEED!From invasions to rebellions, heroic martyrs to pragmatic politicians, industrial development to mass emigration, A History of Ireland in 250 Episodes by renowned Irish historian Jonathan Bardon will take you on a sweeping journey through Irish history, getting behind the historical headlines to reveal the lived experience of Irish people.**Written in easy-to-read bitesize episodes, Bardon’s original and engaging st...

In 1464, the most eligible bachelor in England, Edward IV, stunned the nation by revealing his secret marriage to Elizabeth Woodville, a beautiful, impoverished widow whose father and brother Edward himself had once ridiculed as upstarts. Edward's controversial match brought his queen's large family to court and into the thick of the Wars of the Roses.This is the story of the family whose fates would be inextricably intertwined with the fall of the Plantagenets and...

Another classic converted by eBooksLib.com. This little book is meant for those who have never read any Welsh history before. It is not taken for granted that the reader knows either Latin or Welsh.

In this vivid account, the author punctures some generally held assumptions: despite slaughter and famine, the province on the eve of the Plantation was not completely depopulated as was often asserted at the time; the native Irish were not deliberately given the most infertile land; some of the most energetic planters were Catholic; and the Catholic Church there emerged stronger than before. Above all, natives and newcomers fused to a greater degree than is widely believed: apart from rec...

Glasgow has one of the bloodiest and most tumultuous histories on record, riddled with plagues and pirate attacks, religious divides and reconciliations, bombs, executions, fires and floods. A city of slums and grandeur, of razor gangs and rebels, of sectarian violence and cultural assimilation, here you will find the best of the worst of Scotland's greatest city.

**COSTA AWARD FINALISTECONOMIST BOOK OF THE YEARFINANCIAL TIMES BOOK OF THE YEARFilm rights acquired by Gold Circle Films, the team behind My Big Fat Greek Wedding“A fresh, thrilling portrait… Guy’s Elizabeth is deliciously human.”–Stacy Schiff, The New York Times Book ReviewA groundbreaking reconsideration of our favorite Tudor queen, Elizabeth is an intimate and surprising biography that shows her a...