The Scots always required strong kings, and into the power vacuum which the early Stewarts could not fill came the Douglases. When the Second Earl of Douglas is slain at the Battle of Otterburn, foul play is alleged against the Stewarts. This is the first part of the "House of Stewart" trilogy.
Nigel Tranter OBE was a Scottish historian and writer. He was the author of a wide range of books on Scottish castles, particularly on themes of architecture and history. He also specialised in deeply researched historical novels that cover centuries of Scottish history.
I’ve had several Nigel Trantet books in my library for quite a long time but had not taken time to read any yet. Mr Tranter is a great storyteller. Having had the great blessing of living in Scotland for a number of years, I was familiar with a fair amount of history as well as setting. His ability to describe a location was amazing. He took some liberties with his story but less so than authors of other historical fiction and really did a good job of staying close to reality. A hefty tome, it was well worth the time it took to read. I’m looking forward to reading more by this author.
An apt title, perfectly describing the governance of Scotland throughout many years.
Nobody writes Scottish historical fiction as well as Nigel Tranter, exquisitely researched and told.
The period following the Wars of Independence and The Bruce’s death has received little attention, so I really enjoyed reading about the period.
Political intrigue, ongoing struggle against England and the never ending inter-clan conflict made it a really good read and I look forward to continuing the trilogy.
I have never read anything by Nigel Tranter before, and I have no idea if he is historically accurate, but I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It is set in Scotland in the late 1300's, and told through the eyes of one Jamie Douglas, a natural son of James Douglas of Dalkeith. It revolves around the Stewart's and the Douglas's and their machinations within Scotland. It's the first book of a trilogy, and I intend to read the other two books as well because the story that is unfolding has caught my interest.
Jamie Douglas is a young esquire for the Earl of Douglas when he sees the earl's own armorer stab him in the back during battle. As Jamie tries to find out who ordered the murder, he runs afoul of the powerful Robert Stewart, brother of the king and Governor of Scotland. This first book of The Stewarts trilogy is exciting and historically convincing.