Reviews
Exciting page-turner on the streets of Glasgow
The Longest Shadow is a great example of the ‘tartan noir’ genre that is currently going from strength-to-strength. This offering is the third book in the Gus Thoroughgood series and follows the Detective Sergeant at break-neck speed as he pursues his quarry through the streets of Glasgow. A fast-paced and immensely enjoyable page turner that…
Read MoreHistorical adventures after Culloden
I’m normally a fan of historical novels so Son of a Jacobite sounded right up my street. Beginning at Culloden in 1746, Thomas Lovat enters the world on the same day that his father is killed in action. Inspired by the author’s family heritage to the Clan Fraser of Lovat, the novel takes its protagonist…
Read MoreThe perfect book for Scottish lighthouse fans
If, like Sarah Kerr, you are an avid pharologist (the technical term for lighthouse enthusiasts) then this guide is the perfect purchase for you. It’s the only one of its kind to provide a comprehensive listing of more than 600 lighthouses in Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and Channel Islands. The…
Read MoreCharting Scotland’s long history through verse
An anthology of poetry charting Scotland’s journey through the high and low points of its history using the medium of verse. This unique poetic saunter through the centuries also includes a useful little explanation of the background and the events that led to the penning of each poem. This book is the perfect way to…
Read MoreWorld War I – as seen first hand in the trenches
Mud and Bodies is a fascinating collection of letters and extracts from the war diaries of Captain NAC Weir during the period 1914-1920. The diaries were found by his grandson shortly after his death and provide a first-hand account of the life of a young soldier on the Western Front during WW1. It includes an…
Read MoreCelebrating the life of activist the Gaelic Guerrilla
Roy Pederson tells the story of language activist John Angus Mackay who became known as ‘the Gaelic Guerrilla’ as a result of his tireless eff orts to successfully save the Gaelic tongue from extinction in Scotland. As someone who is not a particularly ardent enthusiast for books on language history, I struggled to make my…
Read MoreBe afraid, be very afraid, of the Woman in Black
The horror genre is one that’s always fascinated me from a young age. I was terrified by the Hammer Horror films, resulting in regular nightmares, as a result of too many views of Dracula: Prince of Darkness and The Devil Rides Out, but no matter how frightening I found them, I always came back for…
Read MoreLive, love and laugh with Doddie Weir’s book
They say you shouldn’t laugh at your own jokes, but when you’re Doddie Weir this doesn’t apply. There was barely a page which went by where I didn’t chuckle to myself. A rugby legend and determined MND campaigner, Doddie has a wealth of life lessons to share. Uplifting, sad, motivational, funny, and life-affirming, the book…
Read MoreThe biggest secrets of the Cairngorms revealed
I defy anyone to look at the front cover of the beautiful The Secret Life of the Cairngorms and not have a wee smile on their face. Illustrated with a stunning selection of Andy Howard’s photographs, the book celebrates the wildlife and landscape of the Cairngorms National Park in all its glory. Anyone who has visited…
Read MoreCelebrating the capital in words and pictures
Edinburgh means different things to many people. In this book, the product of a collaboration between photographer Allan Wright and poet Gerda Stevenson, the interaction of their dual perspectives on the capital makes for a different take on the traditional Edinburgh coffee table book. Eighty-seven photographs are accompanied by 22 new poems, some in Scots,…
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