Product Description

Revised edition of the authoritative biography of one of Scottish history's most compelling characters,'Bonnie Dundee', the leader of the first Jacobite rebellion, killed in victory at Killiecrankie, in 1689. Fully-researched and compelling account by the editor of the Letters of Graham of Claverhouse.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #681899 in Books
• Published on: 2000-06-27
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 267 pages

Scots Magazine, November 1989
a worthwhile and absorbing account of one of Scotland's great and essentially attractive warriors

Scottish Field, November 1989
a continuous,lucid narrative that offers a convincing portrait of Graham and of Scotland in the 17th century

From the Publisher
This fully-revised edition of Andrew Murray Scott's book, based on extensive research of primary sources, is a compelling biography of one of Scotland's great historical figures.

Customer Reviews

Good, but not enough personality
Although I did like this book, I came away feeling like I didn't
know much more about Dundee as a person, wich made it difficult to place his actions in context. Also, the author does not always explain his point of view enough for it to seem well-researched instead of simply giving Dundee the benefit of the doubt unquestioningly. We see much of Dundee as a letter writer and Dundee the general but little enough of Dundee the man.

However, it does give a good view of the Scotland of 1688 as a society unto itself, rather than merely a good hunting ground for English nobles on holiday. It also strives to see the Highlanders themselves as objectively as possible, making them neither the boorish northern cousins of the English or chivalric knights.

Taken altogether, it provides a good look at the Scotland of the era and at the Jacobite cause before 1700 and the Act of Union, but a slightly enigmatic picture of Viscount Dundee.

Tragedy
'Bonnie Dundee' by Andrew Murray Scott is an excellent biography detailing the life of John Graham of Claverhouse, the deposed King James's commander of Jacobite forces in Scotland following the 'Glorious Protestant Revolution'.I think it is fair to say that the previous reviews sum up the book fairly well as the reader is left with the impression that Dundee remains somewhat of an enigma on completion of the book.
However one has to remember that much of history and the characters written about is done on the reputation of the character concerned,tales handed down generations,letters written by or about the character and of course propoganda, especially when written by a victorious enemy. The whole picture is very rarely seen.The book 'For King and Conscience' is probably somewhat stronger on attempting to understand 'Dundee the man' probably because it details the man's life pre-revolution in greater detail.This piece is superior in detailing the Highland campaign Claverhouse embarked on following his raising of the Stuart standard on Dundee Law.The contrasting characters of Hugh Mackay and Dundee are revealed during this campaign, excellently described by Scott and one is left in no doubt that the Jacobite commander was in a different class to the Williamite general although Mackay emerges form this piece better off perhaps than in others.
Entertaining from beginning to end and Scott's description of the beautiful but unforgiving Highland landscape where the encounters took place is first-class.The author intends from the beginning to portray Dundee's story as a tragedy in the long Jacobite struggles-another life lost for a master who really did not deserve such devotion-and in this i believe he argues the point very well.Obviously the vast majority of men who served the House of Stuart during these years did not share this ideal and fought for more complex reasons-self-interest being at the forefront of these-but what emerges from the evidence used by Scott is a man with a strong sense of duty,loyalty and ability, very smilar in fact in this sense to his kinsman and predecessor, Montrose.Perhaps the greater tragedy about both men and their ultimate demise was that they were moderates, tolerant men in an intolerant age,badly let down by the men they fought for and Scott portrays this competently to the reader.

Very commendable
I liked this book, especially I like the author striving to transmit the sense of tragedy Dundee's life inspires. He correctly relies on Dundee own letters to build a psychological profile of him, and even if the great Viscount remains as elusive and enigmatic as always, some new hint is given, which is worth of further exploring, especially the (lack of) relationship between the young Dundee and William of Orange, and what COULD have been Dundee's private motivations for exposing his precious life in his last battle, losing it. The author feels very much for his subject and I cannot help to humbly suggest him to write more about what he only hints. He also provides an useful review of other writings about Dundee.