Book review: Road Without Signposts by Barbara Morris

What’s the Story? Road without Signposts is a sequel to One Missed Step. The book tells the story of the continued drama within the Wilder family following the death of Kate’s mother. Only two months since Kate’s family was changed forever, she is now fighting an internal battle of what is right and what is…

Read More

Book review: The Book of Bere

What’s the story? Liz Ashworth shares the story of bere, an ancient type of barley native to Orkney. For over 4,000 years the grain was milled and grown on the islands; a staple of the Scottish diet. The Book of Bere sees Ashworth reclaim bere as a superfood in an age where the population is…

Read More

Book 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 More

Book 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 More

Book review: Flodden by Gary Mill

What’s the story? Flodden is a fantastic mixture of Scottish history and thoughtfully constructed fiction. The novel focuses on the epic battle between Scotland and England which took place on the slopes of Branxton Hill in Northumbria in 1513. It tells the story of King James IV of Scotland and a young arrow maker named…

Read More

Book review: The Accidental Recluse

What’s the story? Johnny Jackson, now 75, used to be a famous film director returns home to Scotland for one last film and a civic honouring. After living in seduction for 30 years in Japan and working alongside – Akira and his control freak niece, Erin. His trip back home reminds him of his struggles…

Read More

Book review – The Story of Edinburgh by John Peacock

What’s the story? The Story of Edinburgh by John Peacock details the rich history of Scotland’s capital city from as far back as 8,000 BC to the modern day. John Peacock shares his knowledge of how Edinburgh was affected by worldwide developments such as industrialisation, immigration, wealth and poverty and how new transportation systems exposed…

Read More

Book review – The Day She Saved the Doctor

What’s the story? To mark International Womens Day 2018, BBC Books have released Doctor Who – The Day She Saved The Doctor. Containing a quartet of short stories, these have been written by four women – two of whom, Jenny T Colgan and Susan Calman, are Scots – with a female cover artist, it’s very…

Read More

An alternative take on Mary Queen of Scots

Book review: Mary Queen of Scots – A Study in Failure By Jenny Wormald What’s the story? Mary Queen of Scots is a highly detailed and occasionally damning account of the life of one of Scotland’s most famed monarchs. No stone is left unturned and no mistake of Mary’s left unpunished as Wormald truly immerses the…

Read More

When business boomed for the Archangels

Book review: The Archangels Share By Kenny Kemp, Graham Lironi and Peter Shakeshaft What’s the story? The book tells the tale of Archangels, a business angel syndicate founded in Edinburgh in 1992 by Barry Sealey and Mike Rutterford. It follows their story of leading the way in terms of investing in new promising businesses and…

Read More