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The Wallace (Coronet Books) Paperback – January 6, 1994
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At the end of the 13th century, Scotland was a blood-torn country suffering under the harsh domination of a tyrant usurper, the hated Plantagenet, Edward Longshanks. During the appalling violence of those unsettled days, one man rose to become leader of the Scots. That man was William Wallace.
Motivated at first by revenge for the slaughter of his father, Wallace vowed to cleanse his country of the English and set the rightful king, Robert the Bruce, upon the Scottish throne.
Though Wallace was a heroic figure, he was but a man - and his chosen path was to lead him through grievous danger and personal tragedy before the final outcome . . .
Praise for Nigel Tranter:
'One of Scotland's most prolific and respected writers' Times
'Through his imaginative dialogue, he provides a voice for Scotland's heroes' Scotland on Sunday
- Print length448 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherCoronet
- Publication dateJanuary 6, 1994
- Dimensions4.5 x 1.13 x 7.13 inches
- ISBN-100340212373
- ISBN-13978-0340212370
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- Publisher : Coronet; Revised ed. edition (January 6, 1994)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 448 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0340212373
- ISBN-13 : 978-0340212370
- Item Weight : 9.8 ounces
- Dimensions : 4.5 x 1.13 x 7.13 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #219,960 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #18,686 in Historical Fiction (Books)
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The depiction of the Battle of Stirling Bridge in particular was fascinating. I had not realized that the William Wallace of Mel Gibson's "Braveheart" had met the English in the "Battle of Stirling," leaving the Bridge for some future film maker to exploit. The Battle of Stirling Bridge was far more interesting than was the Battle of Stirling as portrayed in the film, but since the movie was filmed in Ireland and Stirling Bridge was located in Scotland, some improvisation was neccessarily required.
Like most heros, Wallace began with one agenda and this grew into another. His original motive, revenge for his father's death, led him to become the leading warrier in the land, and he never lost a battle until he forgot what his especial military skills consisted of. (Taking on superior numbers by enlisting the land, winning the battle, and moving on quickly without a thought to occupation.) His single failure took place at Falkirk, when he chose to engage King Edward of England in a pitched battle against far superior, better equiped, and better trained soldiers. Edward "Longshanks" came off as a ruthless, invincable fighting machine. No matter what you threw at him, his 100,000+ man army kept lumbering toward you slowly, surely, feeling its way, avoiding every trap and trick. For the first time in his fighting career, nothing was working for Wallace, and Tranter leaves you with one of those hollow feelings in your stomach, as you start to see the inevitable.
All of the moving parts of Scotland's history were incorporated; the politics, the church, the tension between and among King Edward of England, France, the Lowlanders, the Highlander Clan Chiefs, the Lords, The Bruces, the Comyns, and the common everyday people.I have only made one trip to Scotland and in hindsight, was amazed at how much of Will Wallace country I had traversed. This story ranges from Carlisle to Ayr, from Carrick Castle to Lothian, from the Ettrick Forest to Loch Lomond, and of course from Stirling Castle to Perth and beyond.
At the end of the day, I felt that I finally understood the man, William Wallace, but more importantly, that my understanding of 13th Century Scottish history had grown immeasurably.
Motivated at first by revenge for the slaughter of his father, Wallace vowed to cleanse his country of the English and set the rightful king, Robert the Bruce, upon the Scottish throne. Wallace, as portrayed by Tranter in this brilliant novel, was a strategic leader with a commanding presence, yet humble when it came to his own skills and achievements. He drew men to him and they came by the thousands. Of course, King Edward could not stand for that and would have an end to Wallace.
Tranter’s descriptions of the hidden locations where Wallace and his men hid from the English are excellent and his command of the players exceptional. He brings to life the difficult years and the contribution of one man who stood alone and became a national hero. His treatment of Wallace’s death is sensitive and well done. Yes, there are battles and violence but well worth the read.
Ok, ok, so maybe these historical inaccuracies can be overlooked, they are only details of arms and armor in a novel that is little more than a catalogue of military exploits. But what about the battle of Falkirk? Tranter describes Edward's heavy horse plowing through the staked ropes and snapping the pikes with ease, while according to actual history it is the pikes that utterly defeated the heavy horse charge. It was only when Edward moved his archers up to fire into the schiltroms, making holes in the formation, that the heavy horse could ride in and break it up.
Such inaccuracies could be overlooked if there was a compelling story here, but there just isn't. Even the death of Wallace's beloved wife is described, the impact on Wallace included, in just one page! The entire novel is purely from Wallace's point of view (third-person), so we never know what is going on in Edward's (or anyone else's) mind. What are Wallace's motivations? Yes, yes, freedom for Scotland, but this is never poignantly depicted.
All in all, I was not overly impressed with this novel (especially given all of the 5/5 ratings). Now this wasn't a terrible novel, but it just doesn't deserve the praise it's been getting here. I love history and historical fiction, but maybe after reading Penman ("Here Be Dragons") and Cornwell ("The Winter King"), I expect too much.
2.5 / 5
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A previous reviewer was disappointed about the quality of translation into kindle format. It always annoys me when little effort has been made to digitise books but the version I have is at least as good as any other printed book I've read; very occasional spelling mistakes but otherwise excellent.
I really like the language of Nigel Tranter, akin to some of Robert Louis Stevenson. The English language seems to be a dying art and this is refreshing to read.




