Customer Reviews

The Mark of the Scots: Their Astonishing Contributions to History, Science, Democracy, Literature, andthe Arts

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I am always leary when I hear about Americans who try to write books about Scotland. Mr Bruce's book is incomplete, inconclusive, innaccurate in many places and, at best, opionated and not entirely factual waffle. Indeed some of the people included in this book have so tenuous a link to Scotland that they patently should not be included as Scots, while at the same time there are some enormous ommissions in both people and events.

Let me give you some examples from only one page.

For example, Lawrence Olivier, the great actor, is included in this book of Great Scots simply because as a child he wore a kilt on Sundays. (page 247.) At the same time, Sean Connory, only gets a perfunctory mention in passing in relation to other people.

Bea Lille ("known as the funniest woman in the world 1894-1989" p247)was born in Canada and had Irish ancestry. However, she gets in the book because a Scotsman managed to get a part in a play about her life. Oh, and by whose criterion was she the funniest woman of the 20th Century?

And by far, the greatest stupidity of all in this book is it's sporting discussions - stupid because Mr Bruce's misunderstanding about the role sporting life plays in the Scottish culture merely underlines the weaknesses in his book.
For example, on the one hand American football has a passage only to say that there has been "no evidence that Scottish Americans have made any significant development" whilst soccer, which was invented in Scotland and has been played between villages originally hundreds of years ago gets only the most fundamental treatment. From soccer also came rugby in England and a host of other sports which have made an impact worldwide. Why is this never mentioned?

His ignorance about Scottish 'soccer' is displayed in his treatment of the historically significant Celtic and Rangers support, which he tries to gloss over merely by a writing a joke. His opinions on other matters cannot be regarded as being as factual and universally agreed as he tries to present them, eg as to the greatest Scots players, and his basis for evaluation of said players are even more ridiculous. For example, Kenny Dalglish gets quoted for winning some domestic competitions but not for his European triumphs, which are far more significant. (ask an American sports fan - the local divisional title or the World Series, and you get my point!!) Please note, my issue is not with his opinions on who were great Scottish stalwarts, but rather on the way in which they were chosen and the way Mr Bruce presents it as though all Scots share the same opinion.

I could go on at length by his other 'opinions' regarding so many of his choices. As great as he was, Bobby Orr is not the automatic choice of the greatest hockey player ever. Wayne Gretzky is regarded by many as the holder of that title.

In my opinion, Mr Bruce, an American who doesnt understand the Scottish culture let alone the influence it has on the rest of the world, who has 'padded his book out with people who have the most tenuous links to Scotland, would be better placed moving to Scotland and living there while he does some research!!!!

What is interesting is how Mr Bruce has tried to back up his book with the proclamations that he is Scottish simply because he has arms from the Lyons Court in Scotland. The Lyons Court is actually nothing more than a small hotel owner in the north of Scotland who calls himself Lord Lyon and for the princely sum of $1.75 million you can buy the 'title' of Barony of Macdonald and apply to the Lyons Court for a personal coat of arms, not too dissimilar to the arms Mr Bruce has.

If you want a book that accurately reflects the mark of the Scots, try " How the Scots Invented the Modern World: The True Story of How Western Europe's Poorest Nation Created Our World & Everything in It" by Arthur Herman.

A MESSAGE FOR MR BRUCE

When you write about Scotland the next time remember two things.
1) If it has nothing to do with Scotland then leave it out. We dont need a book on historical influence that focuses on the things that Scottish culture hasnt touched (re examples above on American Football and Lawrence Olivier)
2) If it has to with Scotland, BE FACTUAL, and if you really must be so opinionated, try and back it up with sound reasoning, or you could actually try talking to some Scots who might give you a flavor about what the Scottish people really think!!

Aptly sub-titled "[the Scots] astonishing contributions to History, Science Democracy, Literature and the Arts," in little more than 350 pages, Mr. Bruce presents a well documented, enlightening and enjoyable compendium of Scottish achievement in a easy-to-digest manner. This is a user-friendly guide to the global impact of Scottish thought, emotion and efforts. And the book's copious footnotes and citations are an excellent starting point for further research.

Duncan A Bruce has written an eminently readable book that will surely appeal to even those of non-scots extraction.To those of us who are scots,this fact-filled,yet fluid book gives us cause for immense pride.The list of Scottish achievements is simply unbelieveable.Highly recommended.

This is the definitive book on Scottish achievement. An exhaustive research, but entertainingly written. A must! And a bargain for any one of Scottish blood.

Modesty must be an ethnic trait. For centuries no one trumpeted the extraordinary characteristics and achievements of this island race. There were few parades, few national days, few public reflections on our own remarkable "crowd". Now it is done. Bravo Mr. Bruce!

This is all we need - yet another book telling us how great we Scots are. Recently, we've had Hermann's "How the Scots Invented the Modern World," Buchan's "Capital of the Mind: How Edinburgh Changed the World," and Lamont's "When Scotland Ruled the World: The Story of the Golden Age of Genius, Creativity and Exploration." Enough already!!!

This pathological need to hear our praises continually sung and to have the sound of our backs being patted forever ringing in our ears is pathetic. Bruce's new book takes this national self-obsession mania to new heights by taking a leaf out of the Scottish Rugby Association's book and granting Scottishness to anyone even remotely related, cobber. Thus we are told to our eternal and insufferable conceit that a fat American pill popper and donut chomper who had a few hits with cover versions was ... gasp! ... Scottish, because his name was Presley. "Awl-right!!!" as Neil Kinnock (another great ersatz Scot) once proclaimed. Oh, and while you're going on about Neil Armstrong of the famous Borders name, what about Louis Armstrong? Or Diana Ross for that matter!?

Instead of burying their noses in a badly compressed pile of laurels, Scots should sit up and look around at their garbage infested streets, grafitti disfigured walls; the constant vandalism, drunkeness, and violence that make their living environment intolerable; and the cozy political cronyism, high taxes, and public service inefficiency that make all these pats on the back sound so damnably hollow.

Scots might have once made a mark in the world, but now Scotland's just a land of obese, junkie, drunken neds, who cannae e'en kick a ba', and their dysfunctional parents and siblings. Pride doesn't even enter into it anymore.