Product Description

The central theme of this study is the interplay and tension between Bruce and the concept of a Scottish nation, of which Bruce aspired to be leader. This edition takes account of the work and evidence in recent years.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #646497 in Books
• Published on: 1988-06-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 440 pages

Customer Reviews

One of the leading figures in Scottish history, and a fantastic (if long-winded) book none-the-less.
Geoffrey Wallis Steuart Barrow is widely considered to be the most prominent Scottish historian of the 21st century, and what is possibly his best known book only adds to the legitimacy of this view.

Covering the time period from the death of Alexander III to the death of Robert I in 1329, Barrow has released four editions to this book, each time adding to and refining the text. Reading it, it is obvious why Barrow is considered the leading authority on medieval Scottish history, and specifically the wars of independence.

It is ill advised that this book be read cover-to-cover; Barrow does not write in a style that is easily read, cramming as much information as possible into each page and often stemming off into tagents that may not have anything to do with the topic he was writing about a moment before.

However, for students studying the wars of independence and other areas linked to this period of Scottish history or for those extremely interested in the period(and I mean 'extremely' interested; this book is not an easy read), this book is an invaluable asset. As the leading historian in this period of history, the opinion that Barrow provides within this book is extremely useful in essay writing.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book for anyone studying Scottish History at Advanced Higher or University level.