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Auld Enemies: The Scots and the English
This unique work stands as a record of the long contest of verbal warfare shared between the neighboring nations of Scotland and England. Documenting the many battles between the two countries, this book illustrates how a war of words and propaganda often accompanied the fighting, and how, even as Scotland and England eventually became allies, the verbal barbs continued, becoming sharper, more wide-ranging, and funnier.
176 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2002
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About the author
David Ross
51 books4 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
David Sutherland Ross is a fully fledged member of that well-established species, the Scottish literary exile. Born in Oban, Argyll, he was removed at an early age to his ancestral county of Ross and Cromarty, where he grew up and went to school. Furnished with a little knowledge about all sorts of things thanks to a Scottish education, he migrated to London expecting to become a journalist, but became a publisher instead.
Having learned from blurb-writing how to represent a tangle of ill-assorted elements and random events as a unified whole, he realised he was eminently qualified to write the history of Scotland, and produced Scotland: History of a Nation. Nowadays, as chairman of a small Scottish-based publishing company, he combines publishing with writing and the compilation of anthologies, including Awa’ and Bile Yer Heid, a collection of Scottish insults and invective. Although he enjoys it all immensely, sometimes he wonders whether it isn’t too late to try something completely different, like utilising his ability to do water-divining; or perhaps opening a beach restaurant in Bali.
His favourite place in Scotland is the summit of Ben Venue; his favourite Scottish food, new-baked scones with raspberry jam; his favourite Scottish book, The Scottish National Dictionary, and his favourite Scottish phrase, “Just a sensation.”
David Sutherland Ross is a fully fledged member of that well-established species, the Scottish literary exile. Born in Oban, Argyll, he was removed at an early age to his ancestral county of Ross and Cromarty, where he grew up and went to school. Furnished with a little knowledge about all sorts of things thanks to a Scottish education, he migrated to London expecting to become a journalist, but became a publisher instead.
Having learned from blurb-writing how to represent a tangle of ill-assorted elements and random events as a unified whole, he realised he was eminently qualified to write the history of Scotland, and produced Scotland: History of a Nation. Nowadays, as chairman of a small Scottish-based publishing company, he combines publishing with writing and the compilation of anthologies, including Awa’ and Bile Yer Heid, a collection of Scottish insults and invective. Although he enjoys it all immensely, sometimes he wonders whether it isn’t too late to try something completely different, like utilising his ability to do water-divining; or perhaps opening a beach restaurant in Bali.
His favourite place in Scotland is the summit of Ben Venue; his favourite Scottish food, new-baked scones with raspberry jam; his favourite Scottish book, The Scottish National Dictionary, and his favourite Scottish phrase, “Just a sensation.”
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
December 11, 2021
I finished this and wondered what the reason for it is.
It has a lot of quotes and poems regarding the animosity as well as the friendship between the English and the Scots. It also includes a lot of bad jokes about the people of both nations. It just lacks a substance beyond these.
The book doesn't even try to reach any conclusions about the "auld enemies". It reads more like a slanging match from history. I couldn't recommend this to anyone of any nationality. It lacks a narrative and a point. There is nothing wrong with the writing or the research but the concept is one that I do not see appealing to many readers.
It has a lot of quotes and poems regarding the animosity as well as the friendship between the English and the Scots. It also includes a lot of bad jokes about the people of both nations. It just lacks a substance beyond these.
The book doesn't even try to reach any conclusions about the "auld enemies". It reads more like a slanging match from history. I couldn't recommend this to anyone of any nationality. It lacks a narrative and a point. There is nothing wrong with the writing or the research but the concept is one that I do not see appealing to many readers.
Displaying 1 of 1 review