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Read any good books lately that will fit our parameters? Please submit your review for this area.
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Please Note: Links mentioned
within the author's reviews are not necessarily clickable. If you wish to access the information, please copy and paste
into your browser. **********************************************
A PARCEL OF ROGUES. The authors description; May 2022
A Parcel of Rogues is a quirky, tongue-in-cheek, madcap comedy set in Glasgow and the Isle of Skye. The author JAMES
FINDLAY SLEIGH, doggedly hacked away writing this novel for over half a century(!) and thus suspects he might remain a one-book
author. Opportunistic and crafty, the protagonists, Gourlay and his crony McMinn, become bumbling members of a group dedicated
to setting Scotland free. One professional reviewer wrote,"This is a funny book, one brimming with deliciously irreverent
insights".
If you type my full name, JAMES FINDLAY SLEIGH, into a search engine, a remarkable and global range booksellers who carry
my novel is listed. The novel is available on Kindle for $9.95, in paperback for $19.95 ($16.13 at Abe Books), and in hardcover
for $29.95.
=============
Our own Bob Morehead has published a book of his poetry titled "A Collection of Lyrical Verse". It includes his
losing poem in the last McGonagall contest. He notes:
Aspiring persons are permitted to preorder procurement of my poesy at this place:
https://pegasuspublishers.com/books/coming-soon/thoughts-on-being_-a-collection-of-lyrical-verse?fbclid=IwAR0hWEQV49WkaEdQte_OEc_vssV0gWsSfFAGgnT0vnVFRh_3NaRDNdub3Co
======================
SCOTLAND the WORST
By Charlie Maciejewski
This book is a tongue in cheek compilation of less than complimentary comments made about people and places in Scotland
by (generally) wealthy visitors in the 18th and 19th centuries. It is a contrast to the current well deserved reputation
of Scotland as a tourist destination. It will hopefully provide a bit of light relief during these strange times.
The quoted comments were made at a period when many Scottish ancestors left Scotland through necessity or choice to seek
a better life. No doubt the authors of these comments would be surprised at just how much Scotland has improved, the success
emigrants made of their new lives, and that the Scottish national identity still perseveres and indeed grows.
The book can be ordered from the publisher Luath Press Ltd, 543/2 Castlehill, The Royal Mile, Edinburgh EH1 2ND, website
https://www.luath.co.uk. They currently have free shipping for international orders of over Ł30 ($42) should a few members
like to get together to purchase copies.
*************************
The Scenery of Dreams: The True Story of Robert Louis Stevensons "Kidnapped".
By Lachlan Munro
Inspired by the authors retracing of the footsteps of David Balfour and Alan Breck from Mull to Edinburgh,The Scenery
of Dreams; traces Stevensons inspiration in writing;Kidnapped,; one of the worlds best-loved adventure stories - the book
that Stevenson himself was most proud of. The extraordinary feature of Stevensons classic, however, was that for the most
part it was true, inspired by real characters and events, and this offers his readers a glimpse, not only of his creativity,
but into a fascinating period of Scottish history - the aftermath of the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745.
After describing the book's early origins, written when Stevenson was gravely ill, the author then takes us into the substantive
world of Highland and Jacobite history, filled with amazing real-life characters such as Cluny MacPherson, Rob Roys wild sons,
and of course, the legendary Alan Breck, accused of the mysterious;Appin Murder;
The book is available on Amazon.
****************************************************
Afore ye sail awa -- Jim Frost's
The Scotland They Left is available for purchase. Fill in the gaps of what you know
about the Scotland your Great-Grandparents knew.
Copies are available from JIM FROST @ $20 per. Paper & spiral bound. Contact Jim at: 330-882-0342,
or [email protected].
============================================================
Farming Stories from the Scottish Borders: Hard Lives for Poor Reward
By Colin Whittemore (U. of Edinburgh, UK)
ISBN 9781910456743, Paper, $14.95 USD
156pp, B&W Ills., 2017
Published by Old Pond Publishing, an imprint of 5m Publishing (UK)
Distributed in North America by ISBS Publisher Services
https://www.isbs.com/products/9781910456743
Engaging, enjoyable and informative, Farming Stories from the Scottish Borders takes the reader through three centuries
of change in the countryside, including two farming revolutions. Farming issues, past and present, are illustrated by recounting
the lives of country people, from farm worker to estate owner. Focusing on the Scottish borders, but reflecting lives across
the UK, these tales give historically factual accounts of real life people and their ups and downs in dealing with the forces
of nature, the varying states of economic depression that swept through the countryside, and the everyday conflicts that arise
in family life. Based on painstaking research and many interviews, as well as the author’s own personal experience
of a lifetime in farming, Farming Stories from the Scottish Borders tells of the struggle against adversity and the human
story behind modern farming ways. It will appeal to anyone who has an interest in the history of the countryside and the people
who live and work in it.
_____________________________________________________
*******************
ANIMALS OF SCOTLAND
By Robert Sibbald
Translated by Dr Lee Raye
Ancient Scottish nature
comes to life in this new translation of Robert Sibbald’s classic natural history. Animals of Scotland was the first
ever wildlife handbook for Scotland. Written in Latin three hundred and fifty years ago, this forgotten text has only now
been translated into English by Dr Lee Raye of the Linnean Society.
This text describes a pivotal moment in Scottish
history. In the seventeenth century, the wolf, the bear and the beaver had disappeared from across Scotland. Eagles still
fished for salmon in the eastern estuaries, and wildcats chased hares across the Highlands, but the ecosystem was starting
to fail. Robert Sibbald knew that Scotland’s animals were in decline, but tragically, he never connected the dwindling
of the environment to the hunting of individual species. Animals of Scotland is the sad, sobering story of the intensified
exploitation of Scotland’s natural resources for medicine, food and profit in the face of an environmental catastrophe.
Print book on Amazon: $16.99
Kindle ebook: $10.34 (or free with print book)
You can also contact the author
on Facebook.
***************************
If I Settle
on the Far Side of the Sea
By Dr. Brian
Thompson
This is a first person
account of the author’s journey from a childhood in Yorkshire (England) and
adventures there, followed by crossing the Atlantic at the age of 16 to wind up
in East Liverpool Ohio. There he lived
with his 83 year old Great Uncle until his marriage at the age of 18 and a move
to the Cleveland area.
His life had many twists
and turns - good and bad. He persevered through
it all with determination and a devout faith.
Those from the Cleveland area may recognize several local references. It
is interesting to see them from Dr.
Thomson’s viewpoint.
At age 76 the author is
still working full time in three professions:
attorney at law, certified public accountant, and lay minister. He declares
that the motto of the State of
Ohio is true, “With God all things are possible.”
The sales price of the
book is just $15.00. The best thing is to have people buy it from invisiblep.com. It is also available at
Amazon.com.
If you can catch him, the
author carries extra copies of his book in his van. ****************************
DEACON
BRODIE
A
Double Life By David Hutchison
When respected Gentleman
and City Councillor, Deacon William Brodie, chases his love of gambling, he is
drawn deep into a double life. Before long the open respectability of day gives
way to a hidden life of crime at night, and soon, Brodie is on a trajectory to
disaster — one which leads him to the gibbet.
Set in the Edinburgh of 1788, Deacon Brodie: A Double Life is a
fact-based novel which shows Brodie's love for gambling and risk sweeping him
into a life of crime. Betrayed by an accomplice, and revealed as a
"Gentleman by day, thief by night", Brodie escapes the city, is
captured in Holland, then faced with a trial before a city where once he was a
leading citizen.
When he is sentenced to be hanged, his closest friend has a different idea and,
in full view of everyone, Brodie takes his riskiest gamble yet . . .
Deacon Brodie: A Double Life, a
re-imagining of Will Brodie's last year in Edinburgh, is the first novel by
David Hutchison and is available as either a Paperback or an e-Book from Amazon
@ http://amzn.to/1OORWyC
Paperback: $12.95 and $5.99, e-book.
Visit David Hutchison @ http://bit.ly/1pC5d1K ********************************
Essays on Life
A book written 100 years ago by a
Scottish farmer is helping to brighten up the lives of disabled children and
adults in Scotland.
Farmer Thomas Mitchell (1870 - 1950)
filled several school exercise books with essays on how to live a good life,
which he presented to the local Mutual Improvement Association in Newburgh,
Aberdeenshire. With chapters covering the art of living, the value of work,
thrift, education and its values, he covers all aspects of life, with work
being a strong theme throughout. “Work is a great teacher and work is essential
to human dignity
Many of his contemporary readers feel
his thoughts are just as relevant today as they were then, and those interested
in history gain insight into Scottish rural societies in the years preceding
the First World War.
One hundred years later, his
granddaughter Sheila Harrison, thinking that the essays merited a wider
audience and looking to raise funds for Crathie Opportunity Holidays (www.crathieholidays.org.uk) a
charity of which she was chairperson, successfully submitted the essays for
publication. Crathie Opportunity Holidays (COH) is a registered Scottish
Charity which provides high quality accommodation for disabled people.
The Duchess of Cornwall, or the
Duchess of Rothesay as she is known in Scotland, is a “proud Patron” of COH and
she and Prince Charles have made several visits, the cottages being situated by
the gates of Balmoral Castle, the holiday home of the Royal Family.
The book ordered directly
from the publisher www.vagabondvoices.co.uk
is $20.84 which includes postage of approx. $6.75. The postage is per shipment
so more than one book would be cheaper.
It is also available to e-readers.
*******************************
"Whisky Tales: Tastings and
Temptations" By Linda L. Peterson
A fun filled how to guide for whisky
tasting and collecting through the eyes of a single malt Scotch enthusiast's
journey from novice to mastery. The author speaks from experience. She is well known for talks and tastings
in the Boston (USA) area.
Kindle
price: $3.99 Hard copy price: $24
Amazon.com:
whisky tales tastings and temptations: Books
============================================
LATER TARTAN GATOR by Lorraine Johnston Later Tartan Gator is
a charming Scottish/American fusion; a children’s picture book suitable for
under 7’s, full of fun and capers.Gator gets a shocking fright after some
visitors to Audubon Zoo ignore the signs saying: DO NOT FEED THE ANIMALS AT ANY
TIME. How will Gator solve his colorful problem? Will anyone or anything come to
his rescue?
(A portion of all book sales
will be donated to St Thomas Community Health Centre in New Orleans) Available
from Mascot, Amazon, The Book Depository and Barnes and Noble. Website www.LaterTartanGator.com
*******************
"Skeoch"
by Jennie Havord "An
amazing tale of 70's life on a remote Scottish farm" Southall Film
Studios
“I have to state right now that we never had any intention of
buying a farm. Least of all in South West Scotland. It wasn't one of those nice,
rational decisions that we all think we will make, when the time comes. It was
totally irrational and made absolutely no sense at all - but we made it just the
same!”
So begins a new life for Jennie and her actor husband Conrad, star
of the long-running TV series, William Tell. This is the story of their titanic
struggles against cold, wind, drought, disease, illness and ill luck of every
kind in their establishing of a home and a viable farm against the backdrop of a
mountain called Skeoch.
We feel with the author the joy of bringing a
newborn lamb back from the brink of death, and the anguish of losing a herd of
dairy cattle to brucellosis. There is the day when the hay garnered at great
pains blows away along with the barn in which it was stored, and times when
financial ruin threatens. There are deprivations, born with fortitude and good
humour, but also the delights of introducing two small daughters to life on the
farm and the natural world around it.
This is a book which envelops you
in its world and has you feeling every disaster and every triumph as if you had
lived it. It has been published by Any subject books as
a paperback and also as an e-book
and is available on Amazon under the title Skeoch. It can also be
purchased on the following link:
http://www.anysubject.com/skeoch-our-new-life-on-a-scottish-hill-farm. *************************
A Hitch-Hikers Guide to Scottish Independence Andy Pickering was a middle-aged accountant who had loathed his
dull job for thirty years. He was on his third mid-life crisis and desperately
needed an interesting project before he started self-harming. Although English,
Andy had a lifelong fascination with Scotland and was an expert on the 1745
Jacobite Rebellion, his specialist subject when he won a place on the BBC's
Mastermind. When it was announced that there would be a Scottish independence
referendum held in the autumn of 2014 and that there was now a very real chance
of Scotland leaving the United Kingdom, he resigned, hoisted up his rucksack and
set off to see what all the fuss was about. Despite not having hitched a lift
since his student days, he thumbed the route of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s Jacobite
Army from the Highlands of Scotland to the southernmost point they reached in
Derby, then back north to Inverness, the scene of their final defeat. Along the
way he talked to the people he met to find out what both the Scots and English
think about themselves, each other, and independence. The result is an
affectionate, amusing and controversial book which gives real insight into the
minds of the Scots and the English, and the possible outcome of the independence
referendum. This is essential reading for anyone with an interest in the
political future of the United Kingdom. Available
as an E-book via Amazon Kindle Store
*****************************************************
John Newlands Books
Go on to Amazon.com/ select Kindle Books/ then type in John
Newlands in search box at top.
My four books should then appear...and they are..
1) A Sprint Down Memory Lane.
2) When I had more hair than Elvis ( a continuation of
Sprint).....
3) The Brightest Star (Currently #1 Best seller in its
category on Amazon in the UK)
4) Hame made Scottish Poetry....Wi' a Free translation
for foreigners.
The first two I mentioned concern life as I remember it
growing up as a wee boy in Barrhead and going on through to getting married in
1967. These books offer a broad look at life through the 50's 60's and 70's and
are mainly humourous...but also tinged with sadness and poignancy.
The Brightest Star is about a young Guardian Angel righting
a wrong for a terminally ill girl here on Earth.
And finally my book of poems...These are daft wee poems
which cover Scottish weather...midges...Scotsmen's drinking habits....and much
more.
A Sprint Down Memory Lane by John Newlands (Feb 25,
2012) - Kindle eBook = $1.70
When I Had More Hair..Than Elvis. (A
Sprint Down Memory Lane Book 2) by John Newlands (Sep 8,
2012) - Kindle eBook - $1.70
The Brightest Star by John Newlands (Jan 25,
2013) - Kindle eBook - $1.50
Hame Made Scottish Poems...Wi' Free
Translation for Foreigners. by John Newlands (Jun 29,
2013) - Kindle eBook - Kindle purchase - $.0.99 ********************************
A Timber Idol:
Mr Punch in Scotland, by Martin MacGilp
Probably everyone has heard of
the popular puppet show of Punch & Judy, but perhaps most people do not think of it as being particularly “Scottish,”
but did you know that Mr Punch has been amusing Scots for almost 350 years? Mr Punch is usually thought of as being the “Common Man,” and as such he
is of all Nations and no Nation - he is all of us. Mr Punch has enduring popularity, and is a part of many cultures
around the world - his puppet show is funny, slapstick, and very silly! A book examining the historical evidence of
Mr Punch in Scotland has been published, and is available now.
This book examines the evidence
for Mr Punch in Scotland, from the seventeenth century right up to contemporary times. Punch’s Italian origins are considered,
along with information about some of the performers who have kept this silly, funny and entertaining folk-play alive across
the centuries. After examining the evidence for Mr Punch in many locations throughout Scotland, some direction is given to
those who would seek further information on the subject, and also to those who may desire to take up with Punch and Judy themselves.
Many illustrations, mostly in colour, show a variety of colourful puppet characters who have entertained Scottish audiences
over the years, and shows Punch, Judy, the Baby and other cast members in a number of performing situations, such as on the
street, on beaches and indoors.
Paperback. Over 200 pages,
more than 100 illustrations, several tables, appendices and an index.
ISBN 978-0-9571881-0-5
Retail price Ł25 UK Pounds plus
shipping, available from www.gilpress.co.uk. Or contact Martin MacGilp, 10
Cullernie Gardens, Balloch, Inverness, IV2 7JP, Scotland, UK.
e-mail is [email protected]
******************************************
Amazing New Year Sale on 'Max Power and the Bagpipes' book
right now:
Buy 1 copy, get 2 FREE! That's 3 great gifts for wee ones for the price
of 1 ($17.99) !
***************
Max Power and the Bagpipes
by Suse Moore and Andy Elkerton
Join Max Power and his sheepdog Haggis for a fun-filled, action packed adventure
on his Scottish farm when he tries to conjure up the wind with an old pair of bagpipes. This delightful, hardcover book for
children 3-7 years old is from award-winning children’s publisher, Jack Hook. The story is beautifully written
with fantastic illustrations and the books are printed in the USA.
Please order through www.powerfamilies.com
************************************************
author comments:
The Forgotten Rebellion
by
Ben Rudall
Scotland,
1815.Courageous and beautiful Maggie Burns becomes swept up in an elaborate plot that will destroy the heart of Scotland and
England forever. Propaganda and rumour turn the Scottish people against England, causing rebels to take up arms and fight.
Maggie is targeted by a mysterious monk to solve a mystery that will change Britain as we know it. Along with Richard, to
whom Maggie feels herself drawn, they undertake their quest. Yet, as Maggie finds out to her peril, not everyone is as they
seem and more than one person is using the art of double crossing .... Benjamin Rudall has produced an intricately detailed
historical novel, The Forgotten Rebellion, which engages the reader to accompany Maggie on her journey to find out the truth.
Written against a backdrop of the battle of Waterloo, violence, romance and history combine together to create a unique experience
of Britain in the early 1800s
$14.40
Available
from Amazon.com
************************************
author comments:
THE MAGICAL HIGHLANDS!
A DESCRIPTION AND PHOTOGRAPHS FROM SCOTLAND
This is a Photographic Journal, self-published by Raymond Eagle and printed by Friesens of Altona, Manitoba on high quality
paper. It has a soft-cover and is 8-1/2” by 11” with 96 pages. The price is $20 plus postage where applicable
(total $25 in Canada - $28 to U.S.) Contact details: [email protected] or 1-604 886 7444. Mailing address: 28-696 Trueman Road, Gibsons, B.C. V0N 1V8, Canada Here is a selection of photographs
plus the cover. I have taken the photos over the past 35 years on visits to the Highlands and the Inner and Outer Hebrides.
The book contains approximately 100 photos from full-plate to 1/4 page, landscapes and seascapes that capture
the beauty of this land of lochs and mountains. It also includes some historical text and four biographical profiles that
I wrote for "The Highlander" magazine. They are: Marjory Kennedy-Fraser, who researched and published the three
volume "Songs of the Hebrides"; Sir Hugh Roberton who founded and conducted the famous Glasgow Orpheus Choir; the Rev. Kenneth
MacLeod who collaborated with Kennedy-Fraser, and also wrote "The Road to the Isles", and Seton Gordon the naturalist/historian
whose biography I wrote, which was published in Scotland in 1990. Their lives are unique and truly inspirational.
***************************
************************************** The book,
called
Favourite Scots Words, is available for reading on a kindle from Amazon:
link http://www.amazon.co.uk/Favourite-Scots-Words-Betty-Kirkpatrick-ebook/dp/B00MFP4N2E/.
Alternatively you can download a kindle reading app for free at www.amazon.com/gp/kindle/kcp.and read
the book on your iPad or other tablet etc. Note: Favourite Scots Words, previously available only as an ebook, is now also
available as a printed book from Amazon. Favourite Scots words
This e-book consists of a series of articles
giving a
light-hearted look at some of my personal favourite Scots words. The articles
give the meaning (or meanings) and history of the words and often provide
example phrases or sentences showing how the words are actually used. A simple
guide to pronunciation is given where this is necessary.
Scots is rich in words which somehow manage
to capture the
very essence of the meaning being conveyed much more successfully than their
English counterparts. Such words include swither which means to be
completely undecided about which course of action to take and to keep changing
your mind; trauchled used to refer to someone who is absolutely exhausted
and harassed; carnaptious meaning ill-tempered; in a dwam an
expression indicating that you are not paying any attention to the present
situation because mentally you are somewhere else or are in a state of utter
blankness; snell bitterly cold, as of a winter wind;
stramash, a row or uproar.
Sadly many of our Scot words are no longer
as commonly used
as they once were because we have failed to pass them down to succeeding
generations. The words are a very important part of our Scottish heritage and we
need to make sure that they are not forgotten. I hope my book will help to do
this. ***********************************
Author comments:
The Mortal Messenger by Ruxton Brown
Jack Munro is a journalist and was
embedded with The Black Watch Regiment in Afghanistan. The indelible name “The Black Watch” has resonated across
continents for centuries and its repute in battle is legendary. These indomitable Celtic warriors hail from Scotland, a land
of great mystery.
During a skirmish in Afghanistan,
while saving a soldier’s life, Jack is seriously injured and is comatose for a month, during which time news of his
heroic deeds have spread. When he wakes from his coma, Jack is embarrassed to discover he has become a national hero. Not
comfortable with the adulation, he disappears from the limelight and retreats to Balhousie Castle in Scotland, headquarters
of The Black Watch Royal Regiment.
Jack discovers a chest of old documents
that span 500 years and engages the help of experts to decipher them. The documents tell the story behind the founding of
the United States and the International Banking System. These are secrets that shouldn’t be told - explosive,
controversial and fodder for dark forces.
Jack is visited by a spirit entity
and becomes coerced into their world - recruited by them to be their Mortal Messenger. In turn, Jack finds himself living
between both worlds, exploring history’s deceptions, secrets, and lies. However, exposing the truth is dangerous work
and dark forces are against him. Both worlds are rapidly changing and there is much work to be done.
Ruxton Brown sets the stage in part one
of this extraordinary story, leaving the reader unable to determine what is real and what is fiction. The Mortal Messenger
is a game changer in the thriller genre, as the blurred line between truth and fiction will leave the reader changed forever.
Ruxton Brown truly sets the spark that ignites a revolution, inspiring an evocative way to view ourselves.
Will be released by Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble and Apple's iBookstore in approximately 30 days.
********************
YE CANNA JOIN IN OOR GAMES
By Nancy Parsons
This delightful book about growing up in a Scottish American household is one that should be preserved and cherished
by all those who share the same experiences. Perhaps it will shed a little light on the subject for those who do
not have the same heritage. In any case, it is a pleasant read for anyone. I highly recommend it.
*************************************
CELTIC BLOOD
By
James Loftus
The author comments:
I am the author of Celtic Blood a historical novel set in 13th century Scotland. I watched Roman Polanski's MacBeth as
a small boy in the 70's and was mesmerised by this dark tale of psychological decay driven by ambition. The inevitable fate
of MacBeth who seemingly is blessed by the three weird sisters. MacBeth, inspired an ambitious novelist, me. Celtic Blood
the novel, like MacBeth the play, is driven by paranormal forces that dictate the course of lives. Celtic Blood, like MacBeth,
is driven by the same themes of love, betrayal, death, within, a weirdness where what is sometimes is not, and what can't
be sometimes, is. A longing for a more unspoilt and wilder earth where the forests are endless and untouched and man must
be all that he can, to exist for nature rules, not he.
Nigel Tranter is also an inspiration, he brings history to life.
My work is meticulously researched, and casts a light down the ages reflecting the acts of those who preceded.
This book is available from Amazon.com
*******************************************************
The book Captains of Concrete by author Sonny Moran is about North America's first
self-propelled ship made of concrete.
The book can be purchased at this Web site http://captainsofconcrete.web.officelive.com/info.aspx
********************************
The Mystery Animals of the British Isles:
The Western Isles (ISBN 9781905723423)
This award winning book covers both the Inner and Outer Hebrides and brings together for the first time reports of the
strange and mysterious animals from past centuries to the modern day.
The land, inland waters and surrounding sea are all covered; reported sightings include demon dogs, big cats, water horses,
lake monsters, sea serpents, mermaids, Albert the lonely albatross, and the fate of the great auk.
Featuring werewolves on Lewis, big cats on Mull and Colonsay, faery dogs on Uist, sea monsters in the cool waters off Skye
and dragons on Islay, while Benbecula has played host to a multitude of creatures including faery dogs, a bear, a globster,
and there is even the grave of a mermaid to be found - the only sign of a tragic tale.
Complementing the text are illustrations, maps, an illustrated spotter’s guide, a glossary, and a comprehensive index.
The book covers subjects as diverse as cryptozoology, folklore, history and mystery and will be of interest to inhabitants
of and visitors to the islands alike.
Variously described as ‘a cracking read’, ‘an excellent and valuable study’, ‘the work of
an old world story teller’ and ‘a travel guide’ The Mystery Animals of the Western Isles is in a league
of its own.
The book is available in the United States at: www.amazon.com
It is currently priced at from $19.65
**************************************
THE
SCOTTISH ARMADA
By
John Young
I have just
published an historical novel based on almost 30 years of research into an apparent piece of Scotland’s missing
history. The title is 'The Scottish Armada', which features Lord John Maxwell 8th Lord of Caerlaverock Castle near Dumfries
in Scotland as the principal hero.
I was born
in Glasgow and moved to Ayr where I started researching my historical novel as the result of locating Spanish galleons
sunk in the Solway Firth.
The story is based on the involvement of Scottish Catholic Lords with Philip II of Spain,
where a plan was agreed to land Spanish troops at Kirkcudbright near Caerlaverock Castle in 1588 and join with the Scottish
Catholics to attack England. I have documented proof that Lord John Maxwell, Earl of Morton was in Madrid with Philip
II to formulate these plans, from the translations of Philip’s papers the ‘Simancas’.
'The Scottish
Armada' ISBN 9781449023898 and is now launched and is available in 32 outlets including Amazon etc. www.bookbutler.com will give full details. I felt it might be of interest to your members. The novel was launched in Kinsale, Ireland,
where I live, on the 28th November and was well received.
The launch
in Scotland will be in the spring of 2010. If you require further information please contact me.
Sincerely John Young
Contact
John via e-mail at: [email protected]
*******************************
My Mother's Cousin and Other Memorable Characters
by Bill "Snakebite" Ferguson
Bill writes of his book: "It is a series of short stories covering my Uncle Jock's adventures from
the 2nd. World War in North Africa to his civilian life as a senior official working in the deep level gold mines near Johannesburg.
Those mines are more than two miles deep. I also write about some of his contemporaries and some of the real characters I
worked with in the same mines. I had a career in mining that spanned forty seven years, and describe what it was like
working more than 12000' underground. There are thirty four stories in the book and my Uncle is the central character.
He was my mother's cousin and he and my father, both single at the time, immigrated to South Africa in the mid-thirties. They
had worked in Knockshinnoch coal mine in New Cumnock, Ayrshire."
The book is 267 pages in length, including foreword and glossary and costs $18 (Cdn). For more
information, you may contact the author,
Bill Ferguson. Box 519, Lac du Bonnet, Manitoba, Canada. R0E 1A0
This book is a jolly good read. It provides an insight into mining operations
that can only be provided by someone who has been there, and amusing anecdotes about an uncle who must have been a real and
very Scottish character. [m.a.f.].
***************************************
My Mother's Cousin. To link to the author's Blog page, click here
*******************************************************************
Scotland: A Very Short Introduction by Rab Houston.
This is an excellent summation of Scottish history, covering everything from the Jacobites to devolution and the modern
economy. It has it all - in brief - or at least about as brief as it is possible to be and still contain information
that will be useful. This is Scotland's story without the myths. While the myths are delightful, sometimes you
need just the plain unvarnished (and unexaggerated) truth. This book has it. No doubt it should be on all our
bookshelves.
To order this book, contact the Oxford University Press, 198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016-4314. Or e-mail
[email protected]
Better yet, click here for the link to Amazon.com:
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