Reviews
The Tobermory Cat is a fun story for children
The Tobermory Cat is the enduring tale of one feline’s quest to fill his empty stomach. Illustration is vivid, with a charming rusticity and acres of pastel illustrations. Besides its educational value, which will help younger readers to become more familiar with counting from one to ten, Gliori’s story is faithful to her setting: full…
Read MoreA cookbook interspersed with classic comics
The Sunday Post’s favourite matriarch, Maw Broon, brings us a pleasing compilation of family-orientated bakes to suit any occasion. Interspersed with favourite comic scenes from 10 Glebe Street, these recipes are perfect for those wanting to master the basics and reacquaint themselves with enduring Scottish classics like the delicious Selkirk Bannock or Empire Biscuit. Bake With Maw Broon, published by DC Thomson, £14.99. [review rating=”3″ align…
Read MoreAn analysis of the 2014 independence referendum
This is a close commentary on the Scottish Independence referendum from widely acclaimed journalist and Alex Salmond biographer David Torrance. The diary provides an inside perspective on the fraught 100 days leading up to 18 September 2014. As Torrance bikes around Edinburgh on his beloved bike he interviews politicians and ordinary voters. It’s all in…
Read MoreA handy guide to Scotland’s spiritual background
The Traveller’s Guide to Sacred Scotland is a user-friendly guide to early Scottish settlements: from the Neolithic Age of cupmarked stones to the tired remains of the 16th century, when religious institutions fell victim to the violent throes of the Reformation. Marianna Lines also examines Scotland’s geographical idiosyncrasies in the context of inherited folk tales…
Read MoreThere’s been a murder – on the very first page
Murder on Page One lives up to its title. Straightaway the reader is engulfed in a bloody murder, as Lorraine McNeill, a literary agent is found dead. A serial killer is on the loose. Short scenes are interspersed with some feisty badinage between DI Noel Osborne, a piggish throwback heading towards an early retirement, and…
Read MoreA history of the Borders – delivered on foot
In compelling study Walking The Border, Ian Crofton documents his trek along the Anglo-Scottish Border, on foot or by train, digging deep into historical archives and listening to the stories of those along the way. In a larger sense, Crofton calls into question the borders which encircle us, restrict us, define us in a world…
Read MoreLight fantastic celebrates Scotland’s unspoiled beauty
A testimony to Scotland’s impressive array of unspoiled places of beauty is showcased in Scotland’s Still Light. Andy Hall’s well accomplished photography is coupled with the words of Scottish literary giants such as Liz Lochhead, Norman MacCaig and Edwin Morgan. Their contributions nicely supplement the curves and crags, the skies and shores of Scotland’s wholly…
Read MoreWhen the Vikings came to Strathclyde
Strathclyde and the Anglo-Saxons in the Viking Age is critical exploration of early medieval Strathclyde. It examines the neighbouring peoples that challenged its authority, taking into account the multitude of corrupted sources that distort our understanding of this period. From the Damnonii of the Clyde, to the emergence of Alba, which combined Pictish and Scottish…
Read MoreCelebrating the wonderful sights of Scotland
Pete Irvine steps off the beaten track with this Scottish guidebook, Scotland: The 100 Best Places. The author is most famous for his Scotland the Best books, but this handsome coffee table homage to Scotland gives readers the chance to share his favourite ‘magnificent’, ‘reflective’ and ‘human’ places in this great land. Packed with gorgeous…
Read MoreThe memories of 57 Great War veterans preserved
From his interviews with 57 veterans of the Great War, mainly from the north east of Scotland, Jock Duncan has captured first-hand accounts of the horror and survival of one of the darkest periods in our history. A substantial glossary is useful for those less familiar with the north east dialect of the soldiers. In…
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