Padre Mac: The Autobiography of Murdo Ewen Macdonald of Harris

by Murdo Ewen Macdonald

From a croft in the Hebridean island of Harris to the grim confines of the Nazis' notorious prisoner-of-war camp Stalag Luft III and the hallowed of Glasgow University, the life of Murdo Ewen Macdonald was one of extraordinary variety and richness. Macdonald was ordained as a Church of Scotland minister in 1939, and joined up in 1940. After volunteering in the First Parachute Brigade he was sent to North Africa, where, during a catastrophic mission in which he was severely wounded, he was taken prisoner in 1942. At the infamous Stalag Luft III he supported countless prisoners through their POW experience and assisted the 76 men who took part in the famous Great Escape. After the war he served in various charges in Scotland before being appointed Professor of Practical Theology at Glasgow University, a post which he held to his retirement in 1984. In this much acclaimed book he looks back over his long and eventful life.

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

Reviews

[Sandra Tait · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story, but too many descriptions of people he knew

[Alan Macdonald]

This book relates Murdo Ewen's childhood and adolescence in The Isle of Harris, from 1914-1928, in ,then, a largely monoglot Gaelic-speaking Community. Then his experience in Kingussie Secondary School, Strathspey, then his education at St. Andrews University. Later chapters relate his experiences as a Prisoner of War, Kriegie, for 18 months in Stalag Luft III Camp, from December, 1942, until January, 1945. This is where The Great Escape happened, and one of his friends was murdered by The Gestapo, with 49 others..It describes their "death-march", from Poland to Bavaria in hypothermic conditions in January,1945.
Later chapters relate his experiences as a Church of Scotland minister in Partick, Glasgow, and Edinburgh, as well as his short ministry in Portree, Skye, in 1939-1940. Later chapters tell of his career as Professor of Theology at Glasgow University, and his mountaineering exploits in Scotland,The Alps, and Africa, and how he became the 151st.Munrost, in 1977, having climbed all Scotland's 284 Munros. His writings also reveals his extreme dislike of Margaret Thatcher, and the Tories, and his love for his native toungue, Gaelic.
This edition is available online, www.theislandsbooktrust.com