Scottish Queens, 1034-1714


Book Description

From Lady Macbeth of evil repute to the tragic Anne, Queen of a united Engand and Scotland, this accessible book provides lively and revealing miniature portraits' of these largely forgotton women. Rosalind Marshall's aims are to discuss the nature of Scottish queenship while exploring the personalities behind the throne, asking how these women managed to cope with the difficulties that inevitably followed an arranged marriage, usually in a country foreign from their own. Not surprisingly, the very readable biographies are at their longest when discussing some of the more familiar names such as Margaret Tudor, Mary of Guise and Mary Queen of Scots.




Scottish Queens, 1034–1714


Book Description

The lives of the Scottish queens, both those who ruled in their own right, and also the consorts, have largely been neglected in conventional history books. One of the earliest known Scottish queens was none other than the notorious Lady MacBeth. Was she really the wicked woman depicted in Shakespeare's famous play? Was St Margaret a demure and obedient wife? Why did Margaret Logie exercise such an influence over her husband, David II, and have we underestimated James VI's consort, Anne of Denmark, frequently written off as a stupid and wilful woman? These are just a few of the questions addressed by Dr Marshall in her entertaining, impeccably researched book.




Scottish Queens, 1034-1714


Book Description

A collection of mini-biographies examining Scotland's queens throughout the ages.




Heroines of the Tudor World


Book Description

The stories of the most remarkable women from European history in the time of the Tudor dynasty, 1485-1603.




The Folk Tales of Scotland


Book Description

The classic folk tales of Scotland were passed down from storyteller to storyteller, and from the first sentence they held the attention of the listeners and readers as though a spell had been cast over them, transporting them to a magical realm where mermaids and men, selkies and sailors, ogres and princesses all mingle and are miraculously transformed. First published in 1956, the Montgomeries, distinguished folklorists, gathered these captivating stories from all parts of Scotland. This collection became a classic of the storytelling tradition retold in a simple, dramatic style, appealing to adult and child alike. Now published by Birlinn Limited in a handsome gift edition and illustrated with Norah Montgomerie's own original drawings, it is a book to be treasured for years as the key to an enchanted, timeless world.




Flodden


Book Description

In the breadth of bitter-sweet Scottish history there is no more poignant, not more important, battle than Flodden. Before Scotland's disastrous defeat at the hands of the English under the Earl of Surrey, a proud country under its dynamic Stewart king, James IV, was emerging as a distinct and flourishing nation within Europe. With defeat the inevitability of Scotland's Reformation and union with England is hard to deny. Flodden was an ignominious and disastrous moment for the Scots, all the more so for being a largely unnecessary encounter, fought with superior numbers and arms, which left the country weak, exposed and leaderless. In this bestselling study of one of the most famous battles in history, Peter Reese recreates the drama and calamity of the battle fought just south of the River Tweed on 9 September 1513. Drawing together the political, military and historical background to the conflict, he examines the two armies and their leaders and explains the crucial tactical moves both before and during the encounter. The result is a thoroughly researched yet always accessible and realistic account of the battle Scotland has tried to forget.




Sookin' Berries


Book Description

Introducing Sookin' Berries, her collection of stories for younger readers, Jess Smith writes: 'I have been a gatherer of tales for most of my life, and I suppose it all began when I was a wee girl. I shared a home with parents, seven sisters and a shaggy dog. It could be said that I lived a different sort of life from most other children, because 'home' was an old blue bus. We were known as tinkers or travellers, descendants of those who have wandered the highways and by ways of Scotland for two thousand years'. Acclaimed for her autobiographical trilogy, Jessie's Journey, Jess is on a mission to pass on the stories she heard as a girl to the young readers of today. 'If you are aged from around 10 going on 100, then you're a fine age to read, enjoy and hopefully remember forever these ancient oral tales of Scotland's travelling people. What I'd like you to do in this book is to come with me on the road; back to those days when it was time to pack up and get going, and to take the way of our ancestors. I want you to imagine that, as my friend, you are by the campfire listening to the magical Scottish stories that have been handed down through generations of travellers'.




101 Champagnes and other Sparkling Wines


Book Description

The definitive guide to champagne and other sparkling wines. Champagne is delicious; we love its flavour, we love its fizz. Champagne's association with success, partying and fun are as ingrained in the wine as the bubbles themselves. As the godfather of champagne, Dom Pérignon, famously declared: 'Brothers, I'm drinking stars'. But there's more to fizz than just champagne. Prosecco's meteoric rise in popularity has opened up our taste buds to other sparkling wines: from the glacial hills of Treviso, the lava slopes of Mount Etna, rural Brazil to the more genteel South Downs of England, the choice is vast. There has never been a better time to enjoy a glass of bubbly. Navigation is important as the new and exotic vintages aren't all wonderful, and this is where Davy Zyw can help. As one of the country's leading experts in sparkling wine, Davy explains why each of the 101 entries has made the cut. This is the ultimate ice-bucket list for fizz fans, and every bottle in this book will knock your socks off.




Tom Morris of St. Andrews


Book Description

This is the first biography in over 100 years of the great Tom Morris of St Andrews, who presided over one of the most illustrious periods in the history of golf, who - more than anyone before or since in any game - stamped his individual character upon his sport and how, in large measure, made golf what it is today. Born in a humble weaver's cottage in St Andrews in 1821, by the time of his death in 1908, he had become a figure of international renown. When he was buried with all the pomp and ceremony befitting an eminent Victorian, newspapers around the world reported his funeral, followed by his internment below the effigy of his son, Tommy, amidst the ruins of St Andrews Cathedral. In the course of his long life, he witnessed huge social and scientific changes in the world, none more so than in the game of golf that he had, in many respects, overseen and directed. By the time of his death, the game had expanded to become the most popular and geographically widespread of all sports and the essential recreational pursuit of gentlemen. Tom Morris was a sporting hero in an age of heroes, as well as golf's first iconic figure.




Historical Dictionary of the British Monarchy


Book Description

Historical Dictionary of the British Monarchy, Second Edition contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has more than 800 cross-referenced entries that cover significant events, places, institutions, and other aspects of British culture, economics, politics, and society.