King Robert The Bruce

by Alexander Falconer Murison

1899. From the Famous Scots Series. An historically accurate account of King Robert the Bruce and the prolonged and successful struggle of the Scots against the unprovoked aggression of Edward I and Edward II, the most memorable episode in the history of Scotland. Contents: The Ancestry of Bruce; Opportunist Vacillation; The Coronation of Bruce; Defeat and Disaster: Methven and Kildrummy; The King in Exile; The Turn of the Tide; Reconquest of Territory; Recovery of Fortresses; The Battle of Bannockburn; Invasion of England and Ireland; Conciliation and Conflict; Peace at the Sword's Point; and The Heart of Bruce.

Genres: History

98 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2005

Reviews

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

A highly objective review of the Bruce's life based on primary sources like the narrative poem by Barbour. Also contains some priceless nuggets of information and insights about the Bruce's three most trusted lieutenants: his larger than life and sole surviving younger brother Edward who eventually became High King of Ireland (and who was more keen on battle and conquest than his famous elder brother Robert, if that were even possible); the Bruce's distinguished nephew Thomas Randolph, probably the least known of the four but of huge importance in the incredible, stirring struggle for Scottish independence; and last but certainly not least: James Douglas aka The Black Douglas, one of the most famous, daring warriors of the age and an indispensable ally of the Bruce.
I've always been fascinated by the contradiction that is the Bruce, also my favourite historical figure: he started out as a largely unremarkable English Lord (Earl of Carrick) with a claim to the Scottish throne who suddenly found himself with his back to the wall after murdering John Comyn, who was the other main pretender to the crown of Scotland. He subsequently snatched up his one hope at legitimacy which was to have himself crowned King of Scotland, to the huge displeasure of the highly militant and awesome English ruler King Edward I (also known as the Hammer of the Scots as well as Longshanks) whose troops soon had the Bruce scurrying across the west of Scotland, soaked through and starving, in the company of his 200 most loyal servants. The story that follows is incredible by the standard of any age: in time (and through a lot of blood, sweat and tears) the Bruce earned himself the right to be heralded as a true, genuine Scottish patriot. Unlike most other historical figures whose achievements and personal deeds are often exaggerated by annalists and historians, I often get the impression when reading about the Bruce that not even half of his daring achievements (or those of his three lieutenants who also fought and raided alongside their men) have been adequately documented by historians.
Overall I think it's fair to say that his life story is evidence that (as recently seen with Donald Trump) no initiative or movement is too small if it becomes the rallying standard for prevailing political sentiment amongst the people, regardless of the dubious background and motives of that movement's leader. In short: winning excuses almost everything, so long as you keep on winning.
The Bruce must also be one of the earliest champions of self-determination. To my mind his story proves that achieving self-determination is never a clean process for a people seeking to claim nationhood and it's inevitably often very messy. That said, if self-determination is achieved, the rewards can be sweet if it is used both wisely and prudently.

PS this book is available for free download on Project Gutenberg.

[Noella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dit boek gaat over het leven van King Robert The Bruce, die ervoor zorgde dat Schotland onafhankelijk werd.
Het eerste deel van het boek vond ik nogal saai, een droge opsomming van feiten, over de afkomst, jeugd en jonge jaren van Robert.
Ongeveer 1/3 ver in het boek begon het wat interessanter te worden, met regelmatig wat anecdotes, die het lezen wat aangenamer maakten.
Maar ik vond het boek ook wat rommelig, wat betreft bronnen en namen en data.
Zo beschrijft de auteur dikwijls een situatie, volgens een bron, ertussenin zegt hij dan wat een andere (of meerdere andere) bron(nen) hem vertelt, soms nog met wat commentaar, zoals 'dit is waarschijnlijk verzonnen, of niet juist, want...). Dan weer beschrijft hij iets wat op een bepaalde datum plaatsvindt, zegt dat dit waarschijnlijk niet juist is,volgens andere gegevens waarover hij beschikt. Ofwel vertelt hij hoe het na die datum verder gaat met die situatie of die persoon, zodat je na dit gelezen te hebben de draad kwijt bent van waar of wanneer het vervolg van het verhaal zich nu afspeelt.
Hetzelfde met de namen. Velen droegen dezelfde naam. Vooral de naam Edward wordt dikwijls vernoemd. In het begin was het voor mij verwarrend of hij het nu over koning Edward I van Engeland had, of over diens zoon, dan nog prins Edward. Daarna, na de dood van Edward I, toen Edward II dus koning van Engeland was, is er weer verwarring of de Edward waarover hij spreekt deze Edward is, of de broer van Bruce, Sir Edward The Bruce. En tegen het einde, komt ook nog Edward III in het plaatje voor, na de afzetting van zijn vader.
Het beste om te lezen vond ik nog de voortdurende stommiteiten van Edward II, die eigenlijk alleen maar geïnteresseerd was in wraak op de dood van Comyn, en daardoor niet echt strategisch handelde, zodat Bruce hem steeds een stap voor was.
Ik twijfel echter of ik het vorige boek van deze auteur, over het leven van William Wallace (dat ik eigenlijk eerst had moeten lezen) nog zal lezen. Als het in dezelfde stijl geschreven is, is dat niet erg bemoedigend om te lezen.

[Anne Tanner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Battle after battle, such was Robert the Bruce’s life. I’m sure this is a learned account of his life, but I skim read some of the less exciting battle parts. No doubt this was a bloody and dangerous time to be alive. Reminds me somewhat of the 2020s! We haven’t come that far in 700 years, sadly. An interesting character and no doubt one of Nicola Sturgeon’s heroes. Not bad for an Englishman.

[Deanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have given this book 3 stars because of the great information it gives of Bruce's path to becoming King of Scotland. I am prejudice because I am a direct descendent of Robert the Bruce.

Objectively it has many typing/printing errors. Of Course the author clearly states he does not give all the sources as he tells the story. He gives a narrative of Bruce's action and movements. As a person who wanted to know more about Bruce, I appreciated this as it gave a smoother telling of the story. There are many people and places discussed and it would have been too confusing to chop the story up any more. This is not a book of great writing, but if you want a overview of the events of that time in Scotland, it is a good start. If more in depth info is wanted the reader at least has an idea of the times, the people and the actions. It will be a reference for me as I continue my journey for more information of my Scottish past.

I read an ebook edition of this book on my nook.

[Laura]

Free download available at Project Gutenberg.