Not for Glory

The Black Douglas Trilogy #3

by J.R. Tomlin

James, Lord of Douglas, known to his foes as the Black Douglas, leads a flank of the Scottish army in crushing a vast invading English force at the waters of the Bannockburn. Fresh from battle, James revels in honors heaped on him by the Scots and in the hatred of the enemy. When King Robert the Bruce orders him to push their advantage and force the English to the peace table, they both know the only way James can do so is by fire and the sword--the only language King Edward of England understands.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Scotland, Historical, 14th Century, Medieval

234 pages, Paperback

First published February 18, 2013

About the author

J. R. Tomlin is the author of nineteen historical novels.

She has close ties with Scotland since her father was a native Scot, and she spent substantial time in Edinburgh whilst growing up. Her historical novels are set for the most part in Scotland. Her love of that nation is traced from the stories of the Bruce and Sir James her grandmother read to her when she was small, to hillwalking through the Cairngorms where the granite hills have a gorgeous red glow under the setting sun. Later, her writing was influenced by the work of authors such as Alexander Dumas and Victor Hugo.

When JR isn't writing, she enjoys hiking, playing with her Westie, and killing monsters in computer games. In addition to spending time in Scotland, she has traveled in the US, Europe and the Pacific Rim. She now lives in Oregon.

Reviews

[Caddy Rowland · Rating 4 out of 5]

This final in the series about James Douglas was my favorite, I wish I could give half stars because this is a solid 4 1/2.

In this book, Jamie and many others become much more fillied out in my mind. Before I got glimpses of him as someone other than a fighter, but this book made him human, and I loved that.

It is obvious in all of these books that the author knows her stuff and has done a lot of research. I could see, hear, and smell the battles. I could feel the distain of Jamie's wife and the lust and love between him and Marioun. In fact, the drama of emotions between Jamie and the king, Jamie and others in the story ran deep and real for me.

I always felt the battles were well written from the beginning and with this book it was rewarding to see more "home" life and between battle life.

I would recommend this series.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the story of the Black Douglas but in books 2 & 3 her proofreading had gotten a bit sloppy, this worse in book 3 of the trilogy which in a couple of cases you wound up interpreting what the sentence was rather than what she intended to write. A bit annoying.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

As we near the end of the Black Douglas trilogy I find myself sad. I have so enjoyed this read. I'm the type when I'm reading something like this, I madly google and become familiar with the era. Sir James is exactly what a knight should be. Faithful to his oaths, even unto death. And I had read much of the Declaration of Arbroath when a friend told me what the title came from. The words are moving in and of themselves. But put them in the context of our story, they become profound. Again, even if you don't necessarily read historicals, I can highly recommend the four books she's written of this era.

[PR · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read all four if it is of interest to you...

BI read all 4 books of this series...and I am glad I did...though so many typos and terrible editing made it frustrating, at times. This author is clear most of the time keeping the reader aware of who is who in a very full court of folks in the trail of King Robert the Bruce and the men and women involved in the lives of Sir Jamie Douglas.
I appreciate so much the level and amount of research it took to write these novels. An awareness of the complexity of this time period in history needs to be fully explored to understand each country involved points if view.
This series covers really completely the Scots position as a smaller and less powerful country and their ambition and dedication to the cause of freedom for their present and their future.
She writes very well. I do wish her books were a tad more immediate and that the feelings of the characters were more fully explored.
I am reading, as well, the series of four books about Thomas Randolf, who was Robert the Bruce's nephew. I am anxious to read books two, three and four in that series, to get a feel for one of the other main players in the Scots side of their war for freedom from the English encroachment on their sovereignty and territories...a constant challenge.
War is a constant threat even with truces and peace agreements...and depending on the Monarch at the time or era or years of reign.
I do recommend the entire series...both series...to anyone interested in the Scottish people and what they were email king to lose to gain their freedom as a country of their own.

[Scot · Rating 3 out of 5]

Final book in the trilogy of the life of Jamie Douglas, serving Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland, in the ongoing wars with the English that consumed his lifetime. Jamie is a hero easy to root for--he is smart, kind, crafty, strong, and always wins in battle. Yet he is humble. In this book we see his relationship over the years with his son William, and his advancing responsibility as not only a martial but a political advisor to the king. The story just seemed to go forward without connecting events or significance very well, and characters would be introduced and emphasized--like his wife who didn't love him--then largely ignored, which was frustrating. There was less connecting with characters in this book than the earlier ones, and the ending just sort of petered out. Also, as mentioned earlier, the series needs better editing for grammar and punctuation errors.

[Nance Roepke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am really rating this 2.5. It is the third book in the trilogy. I rated the first two books as 3 but I was worn out by Duncan's story by this book. This is a Trilogy about James Duncan who was a part of the Scottish Rebellion in medieval times. So they are mostly about battles and about how amazing James Duncan was. Because it focuses on battles I never connected to Duncan himself. And I thought that the battles were inconsistent in that some of them were just telling the battle occurred and others are more descriptive and violent. In addition there were sex scenes in all three books but they really distracted from the flow of the books. I didn't feel that the author provided good connections and that it could have used a better editor. The books weren't bad but they weren't great and I was tired of them by book 3.

[Lesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome

I am sorry to see this series end. I had preconceived notions about James Douglas, all of them wrong. He spent 24 years of his life in service of his king. He was a fierce warrior and brilliant tactician. There was little of his personal life in this series, however, I think that highlights that his life was devoted to the service of his king.

This series had far to many editing and proofreading errors to mention. But, after a while I understood the meaning without dwelling on the errors. Hopefully, other books by this author will have better editing. I could deal with the issue because I was immersed in the story, however, some readers may be too put off.

All in all, a fascinating read about a time in history that I have been studying. Thank you.

[Paul Bourke · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fitting end to a wonderful trilogy

I thoroughly enjoyed the Black Douglas Trilogy. The final chapter was equally enthralling as the earlier novels with the characters maturing and developing into people you cared for. Like all the stories there’s so much suffering in war and famine which reminds me how we are lucky to live in the times we do. It’s well worth reading this series if you have a like or love of Scottish history and medieval times. Give it a go. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

[Andy Andetson · Rating 4 out of 5]

James Douglas IS the historical backbone of Scottish resurgence...

I loved this Trilogy and Tomlin’s painting of believable characters. There was so much truth to the oppressive English King’s treatment of his fellow countrymen, it was easy to hate him completely. I was so saddened by the deaths of Sir Robert and Sir James...would that it could have been different to having given their all their entire adult lives in fealty and blood.

[Harold Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Scots achieve victory and James Douglas is faithful to the Bruce.

I once again enjoyed the author's riveting tale of Scotland's battle for freedom from the the English. Description of battles and techniques used by the Scots to defeat larger armies were interesting. The heart of the Scots for independence flows throughout these novels! I recommend this trilogy to those who wish to appreciate what has gone before.

[Eileen Briesch · Rating 4 out of 5]

To the end with heart

So James Douglas sticks it out with Robert the Bruce in a never-ending war for Scottish Independence. They win a peace, but it's fragile. I enjoyed this trilogy immensely. This author is a good storyteller. But can they edit the e-books better? I swear the typos, missing words and grammatical errors got worse in the third book. The worst: the author used the word "thrown" when "throne" was needed. Please, get a copy editor. I'm available.

[Caitlin Sumner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok

Unfortunately I found the kindle edition to be full of formatting issues and had part of a chapter missing. There also seems to be some confusion in the timeline as it jumps back and forth and becomes confused in places. I’m not sure if this was intentional or another formatting issue, but it makes for a hard read.

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This 3rd book needs editing! I don’t mind typos but the story was harder to follow than the first 2 installments. I still very much enjoyed the book but it could have been great if more care was given.

[Aaron Knowles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable read

A very enjoyable read. Very interesting and o was engrossed from the first chapter of the first book of the trilogy. It was great to get a different main character other than King Robert and James Douglas did not disappoint.

[Kd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bleeding History

I mean this not as a pun but found no better phrase to capture my sentiments. Ironically, the English (or Anglo Saxons) of an error past, led by the venerable Alfred the Great would have appreciated such a fight for freedom

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good tale about the battles that James Douglas led for King Robert the Bruce of Scotland, with a small piece of his personal life thrown in the mix. Truly loyal to the Bruce line and to Scotland until the end, James Douglas was a true Scottish hero with his techniques of guerilla warfare.

[Garry Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finally finished the third book of the series and hope to continue to read more about Scotland.
They were interesting to read, but my ancestors were from Aberdeen, Scotland.
It was a long series ...

[Murdock Hendrix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story, plenty of action, intrigue & heroes.

[Martin Rea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great end to the Douglas trilogy. One of my favorite Scottish historical figures. This is up there with Nigel Tranters outstanding Bruce trilogy.

[Barbara Hilliard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awsome book!

Loved this trilogy. Would highly recommend. I was sad over the ending. Did not know Douglas died at the Crusades.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful end to the series. Admittedly, I teared up. Hoping to find other good books set around this time.

[Gary Cook · Rating 2 out of 5]

2½* To complete the trilogy worth reading but I will not read Freedom's Sword

[Natalie Shtivelman · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Thomas Hunter Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I ended the series very much

Both the earlier books get a 5 for me the only reason I drop this book to a four is due to some editing issues.

[Therese · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book picks up where the second book of the trilogy left off (1314), and if you read the first two books, I would highly recommend doing so because Not for Glory doesn’t retrace anything that has been written before. Some people say these books stand alone, but I disagree unless you know your Scottish history really well. Against all odds, the Scots make headway against the English even though they are outnumbered. The Scots after all, are not fighting for glory, but for freedom, their homes, way of life and everything that is near and dear to them. They couldn’t have asked for a better leader than King Robert, and Robert had a loyal man he could completely trust at all times in James Douglas, who will burn anything and everything as opposed to letting the English have it, including his home. The Scots paid a price, such a heavy price, more than most of us will ever begin to comprehend. But how I wish both Robert and James (especially) could have lived a little longer to appreciate all that they had accomplished.

There is a story in all of this, and I would have liked to have seen it come through and not just have battle after battle after battle because there were times of peace. And as in the previous two books, this one badly needed a proofreader and editor. The misspellings, grammar, punctuation, etc. keep “bumping” me whenever I’m trying to read smoothly forward. Reading these books felt more like work, but I wanted to learn more about Scottish side and what had happened after King Alexander died without an heir. A better trilogy would be The Bruce Trilogy by N Gemini Sasson.

[Paul Burnette · Rating 4 out of 5]

According to The Bruce, the English “. . . are moved only by a desire to conquer, by greed. We are moved by love of our homes and our people. We are not here for plunder nor prisoners nor riches. We are here to defend our homes and all that we love.” The Bruce has said, “we have strengths they have not counted.” And though the Scots are seriously outnumbered by Edward II’s armies, especially at a disadvantage to the heavily armored English knights, they have fought and won with bravery and superior strategy. This third book of the Black Douglas trilogy begins shortly after the Scots’ victory at Bannockburn (1314) and continues through the rule of the Bruce and shortly after. Jamie Douglas leads a life in which warfare began at age 15 and has continued almost uninterrupted for all his days. He continues to outwit and outfight nearly every foe, avoiding direct battle, choosing the high ground, trying to put the English into a situation where they must finally make peace with the Scots and recognize Robert the Bruce as King of Scotland. The one conflict James has most trouble strategizing for is the animosity of the woman he married. He succeeds in war, in serving his king, in restoring his own holdings, even expanding those, he wins a new love, but has little or no success with his marriage. No glory there for our Jamie.

[Beth Jantz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very much liked these books, all three. They were a bit heavy on the fighting, but the author is justified in my opinion because the time period was a bit heavy on the fighting. The books did a good job of acquainting me with the Scottish perspective of the time period in question. Previous to reading these, I had personally only read books about the English perspective. It was quite refreshing to view the events from a Scottish angle. After reading these, I look forward to reading Tomlin's other book.

Having said that, I feel compelled to note that the editing on the Kindle edition was bad enough to be distracting. There were misspellings, deleted words, and rearranged sentences everywhere. In particular the repeated use of the phrase "by the Holy Rude," which I assume is supposed to be "by the Holy Rood," made me cringe and want to smack an unknown transcriptionist. While I can't fault the author for these errors as I'm fairly sure they weren't made by her, it does bear mentioning because I read these books through the Amazon Unlimited program and I would have been slightly annoyed had I purchased them instead. Perhaps a new edition with some care taken in the editing department would be in order.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This author researches her subject and puts pen to paper in a unique way. This last book of the Douglas trilogy was filled with the continuing wars between England and Scotland in the14th century. Misuse of personal pronouns tripped me a couple of times.

The story of the yellow icicles was both funny and endearing. Two little boys standing on the upper level porch in freezing weather urinating on people below is all I can write about the incident. I hope the fellow below did not have his mouth open as he looked up to determine the source of the leak. Robert the Bruce made a dying plea that his heart be cut out and taken to Jerusalem for burial. Douglas died trying to honor his king's last request.
Thank you, Ms. Tomlin, for a book well written and a good read.

[Tim Bowie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last of The Douglas Trilogy, Not For Glory continues the stories of Robert de Bruce and the Black Douglas in their war for independence from the brutal oppression of England in the 14th century. I read the ebook versions of most of my books, and the editing of this particular book was unfortunate, but did not detract from Tomlin's story. She obviously researched her subjects and wove a tale both believable and heart wrenching.

[Farzana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dreaded the ending though I knew how De Bruce and the Black Douglas met their ends. And I hate that James was killed stupidly in Spain when Scotland needed him but he had to follow his King's last wishes. The series takes you though an epic and worthy journey and should be read by all Scottish history fans.