Customer Reviews

Kenneth (Coronet Books)

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Kenneth MacAlpine, Son of Alpine King of Dalriada, Prince of Galloway. At the risk of sounding arrogant, if you have dealt with any Scottish History, you had to have heard stories of this Hero of Scotland. I have heard stories that there was a battle between his Dalriada Kingdom of Scots and the 'Pictish' Kingdom of Alba. (Hey, I'm just re-telling the story as I heard it.) In this battle, Kenneth kills the King of Alba, and taking up the defeated sword, lays his sword across it, and begins to dance the Scottish Sword Dance. This is not history, but fanciful story. I also thought that Kenneth was a MacGregor, giving that Clan its Motto.

However, the story that you find in this telling of Scotland's first King, Kenneth, is none of this. In Nigel Tranter's book, "Kenneth," you find a warrior faced with a tenuous alliance, a segmented Celtic People, an uncertain Celtic Church, war with the Southern Saxons and raiding of the Norse Vikings. We meet Kenneth making his first impact with the assorted Celtic Royalty in a battle that, according to this story, changes its direction when the King of Alba sees a cloud in the shape of an 'X'. This is the mark of St. Andrew, Jesus' brother and, by some accounts, first disciple. This white cross in a blue sky, becomes the mark and symbol of the Celtic victory over the Saxons, and allows Kenneth to shine as a leader of men and action.

Within the course of this fictionalized history, we find Kenneth developing a concept of a united Celtic People to defend their common interests and traditions. Kenneth leads a successful expedition to defeat the Norse Viking raiders of Iona, achieving the name 'Viking Slayer'. We see situations where his leadership stops fellow Celts from raiding each other, and the roots of unity begin.

Unlike an American Hero / Leader, Kenneth is painfully slow on the uptake of the idea to become a uniting King of the 'Scottish' people. And the means of uniting Alba, Dalriada, Galloway, Skye, Strathclyde(?) and Man in a new name and a definition of a new people happens late in the book and through a very 'normal' series of successions. The use of the traditions of the Dalriadan Kings being seated on the Stone of Destiny to be coronated and anointed King is very powerful. It echoes the images Tranter uses in his book, Macbeth the King.

The 'After Words' that concludes this work mentions something about the MacGregor claims to Kenneth. But as a story and 'illustrated' history, it's great reading. If you can find it, get it. Amazon sent me three copies and I have given away two. I have since made two more people fans of Nigel Tranter's writing and I am glad to have done it.

Mathew Allen December, 1998 mvallen@uswest.net or mallen@j2ca.com

This was the second book by Nigel Tranter that I read (the first was The Wallace, which was also great). I could not put this historical novel down, and was disappointed when it ended, not with the end of Kenneth' s life, but with his becoming king of a united Pictland and Scotland. I wish that the author had continued the story!

Anyway, the book brings Kenneth Mac Alpin to life: his strengths, anxieties, and loves. He is a man with a vision--to unite the Celtic peoples of Alba (Pictland), Dalriada (Scotland), Strathclyde, Galloway, Wales, Man, and even Ireland--all under threats from Norsemen, Angles, and Saxons in the ninth century.

Even though the history from this period is murky, Tranter is very convincing, and in accord with most of the credible research, especially on the merger of the Picts and the Scots. It seems clear that Kenneth did not conquer the Picts, but became the king of a unified kingdom, which needed him because of internal strife and external threats.

The book is particularly exciting when Kenneth combats the Norsemen, in both Scotland and Ireland. Tranter dispelled my mistaken notions of Vikings as noble warriors; rather, they are depicted as cruel plunderers. I had to get out a map to follow all the travels and battles. It would have been great if Tranter had provided one, but I finally found one in my house!

Kenneth's love for the Pict princess, Eithne, is very tender, as written in this book, and the reader is made to feel Kenneth's longing for her.

The book is great history, romance, and adventure.

AN EFFORT TO READ. MILITARY SEQUENCES DESERVE 4 STARS; BUT PERSONALITIES NEVER GRIP MY INTEREST NOR EVOKE
ANY INVOLVEMENT ON READER'S PART.

A GOOD HISTORY LESSON, BUT DRY.

It is an easy book to read and uses actual people from history to tell the story Scotland's early beginnings. Kenneth was one of Scotland's best early King's and deserves a book about him. This book is still available in England, at Waterstones.