Reviews
How a Scotsman took cricket to South Africa
In 1877, young Scotsman James Douglas Logan emigrated to South Africa. Within a few years he had made his fortune through business, politics and his association with the most favoured of imperial pastimes – cricket. This is the fascinating story of how Logan, the son of a Borders railwayman, was instrumental in the development of…
Read MoreCelebrate the spirit of Scotland with this guide
Discover Scotland’s most iconic spirit through the words of world-renowned whisky expert Charles MacLean. Lavishly illustrated with stunning photography by Lara Platman and Allan MacDonald, this 288-page wide ranging and evocative portrait of Scotland’s distilleries belongs on the bookshelf of any whisky enthusiast. Dividing Scotland into eight distinct regions, this fascinating book describes the ‘cultural…
Read MoreAn anti-rhino poaching adventure for young adults
The story of Finn Summers’ African holiday takes unexpected twists and turns in Annabel Claridge’s latest novel. The tale about the illegal rhino horn trade and a bid to save these animals has relatable characters and excellent descriptions of the surroundings transporting you into the story alongside Finn. The Rhino Farm, which raises awareness of…
Read MoreA handy guide to Scotland’s skiing scene
This is, so the blurb informs us, Scotland’s first guide to off-piste skiing and snowboarding. The book focuses on the mountains around Ben Nevis and the Nevis range and contains route descriptions and gradings as well as entry diagrams and some stunning photography of each of the featured ‘Back Corries’ or off-piste runs. It’s a…
Read MoreA chaotic childhood led to a life in nursing
Mary J MacLeod’s childhood memoirs tell the chaotic story of her upbringing – from an idyllic childhood, her mother’s death changes everything. Passed from one family member to another, she finds herself seen as more of a housemaid. The story follows her early life and then through the war as she breaks from the shackles…
Read MoreWhen the landlords kept their tenants in state of terror
In None Dare Oppose, a study of Highland landlordism, author John MacLeod paints a portrait of Victorian Scotland. For two decades, the people of Lewis lived in terror, oppressed by corrupt land owners, before rising above the regime and marching to Stornoway in a gripping finale. MacLeod captures the essence of the time with vibrant characters and…
Read MoreAn exciting thriller with clever plot twists
The body of a woman is found bludgeoned and dumped in the water of Loch Lomond, while Iain Fraser of Helensburgh, who put her there, is living with his guilt. Nearby, DI Alex Morrow and her team have been shadowing a woman they believe to be involved in drug smuggling, but she disappears without a…
Read MoreOpening the windows of the memory with photos
Old photographs can feel very remote to the modern viewer. However, in this collection of short stories based on old photographs, Alexander McCall Smith ingeniously proves that with a little imagination, photographs, no matter how old, can transcend time and place. Smith creates big stories from the tiniest of visual clues to take the reader…
Read MoreHow Glasgow survived the devastation of WW2
Glasgow At War 1939-45 is an important account which focuses on the devastating impact of the Luftwaffe’s relentless bombing of the city in WW2. The text is at times a little dry, but the sections where Armstrong retells the horror of the raid on Clydebank in March 1941 which killed over 500 and left only…
Read MoreThe Bad Fire takes Bob Skinner into retirement
It takes some skill to write 31 novels in a crime series and ensure that the narrative, plot and characters don’t go stale. But The Bad Fire, Quintin Jardine’s latest offering to the Bob Skinner series, takes the veteran Chief Constable in a new direction – retirement. Despite a greater focus on his daughter Alex,…
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