Customer Reviews

The Great Feud

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Thomson has produced an entertaining account of the Campbells and the
MacDonalds, undoubtably the most famous feuding families in Scottish
if not world history. The selection of photographs, many taken by the
author, is impressive, as is the list of historic sites by country
provided for the enterprising tourist. Unfortunately, the narrative
tends to bog down in the last section, which takes the rival families
into the broader world beyond their Scottish roots, with a seemingly
endless list of persons of some note, such as superstar model Naomi
Campbell, or even ill repute, like JFK mistress Judith Campbell, who
happened to have either surname or variation thereof. Thomson also
repeatedly misuses the term 'ethnic cleansing' in referring to the
Highland clearances. The Scottish Highlands were not cleared of
people based upon ethnicity in favor of one group and against another
but cleared to make way for the mass introduction of sheep
farming. This could be termed 'people cleansing' perhaps but not
ethnic cleansing especially since the clan chiefs removed their own
people, whose welfare they betrayed in favor of profit and
greed. Finally, the far too numerous date or factual errors reveal
very poor editorial control. For example, the Battle of Crecy was
fought in 1346 not 1369 (p. 17), King Henry VIII of England died in
January of 1547 and so was not involved with the Battle of Pinkie
fought in September of 1547 (p. 54), the Battle of Dettington was
fought in 1743 not 1742 (p. 97), the famous 'Khaki' election took
place in 1900 not 1906 (p. 146), and Frank Sinatra and his cronies
were known as the 'Rat Pack' not the 'Brat Pack' (p. 159). This book
is not without its merits and a second edition with suitable
corrections and a price reduction would be welcome.

Oliver Thomson has done a fairly good job of telling the story of what is probably the greatest feud of all time. He does a very good job of explaining why tension developed between the two great families and why they took the sides they did in various wars. The story is a little shallow at times but for the most part he tells the story well. One of the things he handles best is explaining the split between the Stewarts and the Campbells who had been long time allies, often against the MacDonalds. For some reason he keeps saying the various clans were involved in ethnic cleansing. Scots were removing Scots to make room for sheep not killing off another ethnic group. Hitler was involved in ethnic cleansing, not the Scots.

The biggest problem is that he handles the feud in the first half of the book. The second half of the book is about as interesting as watching grass grow. Thomson takes the clans into the rest of the world and for the most part just lists person after person with either surname who did anything at all. One person is even mentioned who started a candy business. For someone who is interested in the feud the second half of the book is a complete waste of time bearing no relation to the subject at all. Even for a member of the Clan Campbell like myself it was for the most part a waste of time.

In short, the first half of this book is fairly good but the second half is awful. First half - four stars. Second half - no stars. Total - 2 stars.

This book is written from Clan Campbell's viewpoint. The author thanks a Campbell (but no MacDonald's) in his foreward. The bibliography shows that the author made little effort to get both sides of the feud. The author degrades the MacDonald Clan every chance he gets, while sugar-coating and making excuses for the Campbell attrocities. Both sides did wrong. I expected a balanced approach. You will not get it in this book. The adjectives describing the Campbell's are usually complimentary, while the descriptions of the MacDonald's are always negative. The author also perpetuates the stereotypes that Highlanders were backwards and had no redeeming qualities, while the Campbell Clan and Lowlanders were superior in every way. The author thinks very little of the MacDonald Clans military victories. If this were more balanced the murder of John Tannister (one of the major reasons, if not the reason, the MacDonald's hated the Campbell's) would have received more than one sentence in the book and would have given the details of how he was murdered in cold blood. Meanwhile, the act committed by a MacDougall (not a MacDonald) was given the better part of a chapter. I would recommend Feuds, Forays and Rebellions, History of the Highland Clans 1475-1625 by John L. Roberts over this white-washing of Scottish history.

The Campbells and the MacDonalds were two great and influential clans of the Scottish highlands who were caught up in a political and territorial rivalry that often broke out into bloody violence. Beginning with the violent death of a Campbell chief in 1996 at the hands of the MacDonalds, this famous vendetta and feud lasted through generations of conflicts, battles, duels, skirmishes, and assassinations that branched out beyond Scotland to Europe, India, the West Indies, America, and Australia. In The Great Feud, historian Oliver Thomson chronicles the history of this great rivalry as well as the lives of numerous clan descendants that included politicians, poets, terrorists, sports figures, entrepreneurs, and a mistress introduced to President John F. Kennedy by Frank Sinatra. Thomson makes the past come alive with a roster of colorful characters and memorable events from the 13th Century to the 20th Century and the founding of two of the most famous American commercial empires: McDonalds' restaurants and the Campbell Soup Company. The Great Feud is entertaining, informative, exceptionally well written, and recommended to both students of world history and non-specialist general reader history buffs.

I really enjoyed this book. Being a newly active member of the Clan Donald, I had always seen references to the Macdonald/Campbell feud but never understood it or the history. Mr. Tomson tells the story from the beginnings with the events that led to the centuries old competition between these two great clans. Now it makes sense to me why people snicker at the Clan Donald and Campbell's tents being next to each other at the highland games or the little battles between them. The history of the Lords of the Isles and Earls of the Campbell family are easy to read and enjoyable. The second half of the book is just various stories of people of the name Campbell and Macdonald who ended up in rivalries or succeeded or failed in different endeavors. A fun easy read, yet very informative. Good book to have on the shelf for members of either clan.