Books
Remembering the woman who changed hospice care
Care for the terminally ill is something that people take for granted, but an academic is to speak about the woman who shaped things to the way we know them to be today. Cicely Saunders will be the focus of Professor David Clark’s talk at the Boswell Book Festival in Ayrshire next month, the world’s…
Read MoreSix finalists are in the running for £25,000 prize
Six books have been revealed as being on the shortlist for the £25,000 Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction. The Walter Scott Prize, which celebrates its tenth anniversary next year, was founded by patrons the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch to honour the legacy and achievements of Sir Walter Scott, inventor of the historical novel.…
Read MoreCelebrating the contents of the Royal Collection
Biographies come in all shapes and forms, all of which will be celebrated in Ayrshire next month. Michael Hall, editor of The Burlington, a magazine dedicated to art, has written a biography of the Royal Collection. One of the most extensive art collections any where on the world, Michael’s book accompanied a BBC Series, entitled…
Read MoreSpanning the Gaps by Anne-Mary Paterson
What’s the story? Anyone who drives through the Highlands can’t fail to notice the many railway bridges as they pass by. This book by Anne-Mary Paterson celebrates these, with the many and varied structures in the area, and celebrates the fact that unlike the north-east of Scotland, the majority of these are nearly all still…
Read MoreScottish writers turn back time to their childhoods
What’s the story? Acclaimed best-selling romantic comedy novelist Jenny Colgan, from Prestwick, and award-winning TV writer/producer Steven Moffat, from Paisley, have turned back the clock to their childhoods. The pair, both committed Doctor Who fans, have written novelisations of TV episodes in the style of the classic Target books of the 1970s and 80s. They’ve…
Read MoreWhisky – The Connoisseur’s Journal
What’s the Story? The Whisky Journal provides readers with a well organised and attractive way to record information from tasting notes to ages. With the inclusion of extensive whisky knowledge, invites amateur drinkers to connoisseurs to learn more about how to drink whisky in the ‘correct’ manner or how to store the drink accordingly. Traveling…
Read MoreBook review: The Aberdeen Line by Peter H. King
What’s The Story? Captain Peter H. King — with more than 60 years experience in the merchant shipping industry explores the history of one of the world’s long forgotten shipping lines. Founded in 1825 by the 21-year-old George Thompson Jnr, the Aberdeen Shipping Company developed over 100 years to become one of the most highly…
Read MoreBook examines returning wild lynx to Scotland
A new publication is looking at pros and cons of reintroducing lynx to Scotland. Published by Scotland: The Big Picture, it looks at what thing could be like if the Eurasian lynx returned to Scotland. The Lynx and Us – by ecologist Dr David Hetherington, with stunning photography of wild lynx from Laurent Geslin –…
Read MoreBook review: Japanese Whisky by Brian Ashcraft
What’s the story? Japanese whisky has been around for less than a century, and this book by Brian Ashcraft, with Idzuhiko Ueda and Yuji Kawasaki, highlights the rapid growth in the industry, revealing the secrets of the master distillers of the Far East. It features never-before-published archival images and interviews chronicling the forgotten stories of…
Read MoreThe life of Thomas Telford to be marked at festival
Thomas Telford is one of the most influential Scots of the last couple of hundred years – and yet he’s largely anonymous in the land of his birth. Many may know and recognise his name, but his contribution to not just Scotland, but the rest of the UK, often passes under the radar. A civil…
Read More