This was my first foray into a Nigel Tranter book and it was a rewarding experience. Overall, this book was entertaining, but for me to fully enjoy it, took some googling. I had to take breaks while I researched the Geography, and the various battles. (Falkirk, Stirling Bridge, Loudoun Hill, and others.) While this slowed down my reading, seeing actual pictures of the terrain and artist depictions of the battles, enhanced my enjoyment greatly. I am guessing that a huge portion of Tranter's readers live in Scotland and will readily know the geography, and have a passing familiarity with the history of the Wars of Scottish Independence. If, as it was with me this is all new to you, a little extra work might be required.
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.
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Top reviews from other countries
nigel rosewell
amazing historical novel
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 15, 2021Hugh Craigie Halkett
I am a fan of Tranter but this is not his best work
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 25, 2020
