Product Description

The story of how Robert Bruce outwitted Edward I, the shrewd and ruthless King of England, defeated his son Edward II, and in doing so regained Scotland's independence. Professor Barrow describes the dazzling and tragic career of William Wallace, the English military occupation of Scotland that was its consequence, and the emergence of Robert Bruce as the centre of Scottish resistance. The author pieces together from the surviving evidence a vivid and almost day-by-day account of Bruce's daring tactics, his crowning at Scone in March 1306, his defeat by the English three months later, and his life as a fugitive.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #156236 in Books
• Published on: 2005-06-17
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 560 pages

Review
This towering history set a new academic standard for academic writing. -- Alec Salmond The best book on Scottish history ever written. -- Gordon Menzies It is described on the dust-wrapper as ' the best book on Scottish history ever written ' . Such hyperbole is rarely deserved; in this case it surely is. -- MICHAEL PRESTWICH English Historical Review This towering history set a new academic standard for academic writing. The best book on Scottish history ever written. It is described on the dust-wrapper as ' the best book on Scottish history ever written ' . Such hyperbole is rarely deserved; in this case it surely is.

About the Author
Geoffrey Barrow was Sir William Fraser Professor of Scottish History and Palaeography, University of Edinburgh, 1979-92, where he is currently Professor Emeritus.

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.