Jacobites

by Jacqueline Riding

The extraordinary and dramatic history of Prince Charles Edward Stuart's 1745 campaign to seize the throne of Great Britain

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Scotland, Military History, 18th Century, European History, World History

587 pages, Paperback

First published April 12, 2016

About the author

Dr Jacqueline Riding is an English art historian, historian, adviser and author. She specialises in British history and art of the long eighteenth century. She is an experienced adviser and consultant for museums, historic buildings and film. She was the historical and art historical consultant for Mike Leigh’s award-winning feature film Mr. Turner (2014) and his new film Peterloo (2018).

Reviews

[Iain · Rating 4 out of 5]

A detailed look at the Jacobite uprising of 1745 and the story of Bonnie Prince Charlie, using contemporary letters to tell the tale of the Young Pretender - from Rome to Paris and then Scotland and remarkably managing to get as far south as Derby, largely by evading battle, and then the farcical retreat and eventual defeat at Culloden. Meticulously researched and insightful, one can't help but wonder what might have been if the Prince had settled for the Scottish Crown instead of setting his sights on London. And while it was technically not Scotland v England, the fallout of the rebellion - with the crushing of the Highland way of life by the British authorities leaves a sour note that is not forgotten to this day.

[Nick Lloyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book about a subject that I knew very little about, despite a direct family connection to the Jacobite rebellions. This is a textbook case of how to fail at your military campaign. "The 45" started without much in the way of foreign support (France would not commit to a landing in SE England; critical for Jacobite success), without arms or supplies, and without even a coherent plan of what they intended to do (become King of independent Scotland? King of Great Britain?). They earned some early acclaim by means of tenacity and surprise alone, even threatening London at one point, but the rebels were forced into retreat due to their lack of foresight. The campaign only deteriorated from there. By the time of Culloden, the rebel army that remained was not much for a fighting force. It's sad, really, how many highlanders lost their lives for nationalistic pride, even knowing the campaign was doomed to failure before it set off.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars Full disclosure, I read this book because I've been hooked into the Outlander series lately. For filling in the background of the rebellion that the show/series glosses over, it was excellent. I really appreciated how this book put the rebellion in the context of the larger War of Austrian Succession, which the books completely ignore. The background on Prince Charles was very interesting as well. What I struggled with was the over-reliance on letters as the main source for the book. Not only can that be dangerous from a historic point of view, it made the book tedious as the author did not put enough narrative in between large quotes. The end was far too abrupt as well. I wanted a little more of an epilogue of what happened to Charles and the survivors sent to the West Indies. That being said, it was so hard reading about a rebellion that lead to the loss of so much Scottish culture because the Prince was bored in Rome.

[Maggie Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is no shortage of books on the Jacobites of 1745. If any author or historian is going to write another one, they have to be bringing something new to the table. Jacqueline Riding has done exactly that, offering a fresh and vivid account of the events of 1745-46 and the personalities of those involved.

Her approach is straightforward and her book very well structured. She tells the tale from beginning to end, dividing her chapters by geographical location of the main events within them. This works extremely well, taking the reader from Rome to Paris to Glenfinnan on to Edinburgh and beyond.

As an example, her account of how Charles Edward Stuart and his Jacobite army took Edinburgh is divided into eight chapters, each focussing on a particular location in and around the city. Of necessity, these chapters are full of facts and quotations from contemporary observers but this structure makes them of a manageable, digestible and enjoyable length.

The author conjures up a very real sense of place and time, choosing telling details to paint vibrant word pictures of places and people. The book is also refreshingly even-handed, presenting the historical facts without bias to either side.

Jacobites is a meticulously researched work of great scholarship. The author writes with flow and panache and the book is immensely readable.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

I picked this one up after visiting Scotland on holiday last month, although admittedly, I've had it on my reading list for a while and have just never gotten around to reading it.

I found it a bit overwhelming at times - at over 600 pages, there's a ton of detail, that, if you're a relative newcomer to the period like myself, can often bog down the reading experience. There's A LOT of people to keep track of, and Riding, while she does her best, doesn't always make it easy to remember who's who - especially when referring to multiple ducal commanders of the British Army, and the phrase "the duke" is used at various times without ever really explaining WHICH duke she is specifically mentioning. Some of the lesser Jacobite figures also got a bit hard to remember, as Riding sometimes used their title (if they had one) or their actual name interchangeably. In all honesty, maybe I should have kept some notes on the side, but that's not really my preferred method of reading for pleasure.

There were some details that I felt could have been edited down or even cut out entirely- for example, I don't really need 3 pages talking about the population size and physical boundaries of the city of Manchester in 1745, and even some of the alternating chapters detailing the British responses could have been trimmed considerably.

Riding uses a lot of contemporary evidence in her text - there's lots of extracts from letters and reports strewn everywhere through out her chapters - but even so, I began to feel it was almost too much at various moments. Particularly in the moments where the Jacobite army would occupy an English town on their march to London - Riding seemed to bombard her reader with as many quotes from contemporary letters that she had been able to find, almost as if to say "LOOK AT ALL THIS INFORMATION I FOUND" before shoving proof of it in your face - and I swear, if I read another sentence about bloody Beppy Byrom's letters I shall scream.

The ending felt... weird, and pretty weak. The contents of the epilogue did not really have any relevance, nor was it a strong finish to the book. It felt a lot like Riding had run out of steam, if I'm honest. There was also a lot of information about the trial of Jacobite officers who had not been previously prominent within the main body of text. I'll admit that when reading the information about the trials of Lords Balmerino and Kilmarnock, for example, my initial reaction was "who the hell are you and where did you come from?", which isn't a reaction you want your readers to be having in a book like this.

The text was extensively researched though, I'll give Riding that. I just wish that she didn't feel the need to shove it in her reader's face the entire time. Sometimes less is more, and I do think that the book would have benefited from being a bit more concise, if only for a more pleasurable experience for the readers.

[Chris Chester · Rating 4 out of 5]

The '45 rebellion was a lot of things. It was the last invasion of British soil. It was the last war involving the Scottish clans. It was the last gasp of the Stuart dynasty.

For the MacInnes branch of my family tree it was also the impetus to emigrate to North American and specifically Nova Scotia.

As part of an ongoing project to rethink the notion of whiteness that I was raised into, I'm trying to reclaim some sense of cultural identity by exploring my ancestral history. Jacqueline Riding's work here provides ample opportunity for that with this retelling of the last Jacobite uprising.

I remarked to my wife early on in reading it that the story of the rebellion would really make for a great BBC miniseries. There's such a satisfying narrative arc to it, with a haughty, overconfident and sort of pathetic Stuart prince jumping the gun and invading his ancestral homeland by himself, succeeding initially beyond anyone's wildest expectations, and then ultimately buckling due to various chances of fate.

It was actually hard not to go overboard rooting for the Stuart side, knowing that my ancestors were represented on the left flank of that famous battle at Culloden. Still, the modern critical eye and distrust of power, it's also hard not to get mad at Charles Stuart for blithely putting my ancestors' lives at risk for the sake of the vanity of his line.

But I guess they did survive or I wouldn't be here.

I found Riding's prose snappy for the most part. There were parts where she would dwell on the names of those in attendance at a given meeting or seemed to spend a lot of ink laying out various sides of controversies between historians that I didn't have much use for, but on the whole her work was well-researched and she gave an abundance of context so a no-nothing like me could parachute into the last of the Jacobite rebellions and still feel like I understand what was at stake and the forces at play.

Would I recommend this to anybody that DOESN'T have ancestral interest in Scotland or a keen interest in British history? No. But I'll probably buy a copy for my dad.

[scottiesandbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

“GOD bless the king. I mean the faith’s defender;
God bless- no harm in blessing- the Pretender;
But who pretender is, or who is king,
God bless us all- that’s quite another thing.”

Being from Scotland, you learn a lot about Scottish history in primary school and growing up it is much talked about but is more of a “mythical thing” than our history. It is something I’ve always wanted to look into and try and see if I know what side of the fence I would have sat on. The answer is; I still do not know. I love to think that I would be a fearless Jacobite, ready to put my life and that of my family on the line to crown the “one true king”. But that is doubtless true as I am from the lowlands so probably would have been a staunch Hanoverian and Protestant. (I am part of clan Macdonald but I have yet to find out which Macdonald this is).

If you are looking for your first glimpse into this very complex history then I think this book is definitely a great place to start. Although it has taken me nearly a month to read (in between other books), I found myself gripped to it at times; whereas with other history books I’ve found too dry to read more than a few pages a night.

I do think it’s important to look at a royal family tree whilst you are reading as it makes everything clearer! And if in doubt wiki helps! I would like to clarify it’s not the authors fault that everyone had the same names which make it complex, although at times it is hard to differentiate between “the Duke” who could be duke of Newcastle or duke of Cumberland!

My takes on the history of the 45 Jacobite rebellion are:

This was not just a fight between the Scottish and the English. However, the English Jacobites failed to rise to the occasion so it ended up being as such in the end.

The Scottish highlanders were used by both sides for their own gain. They did not care how much Scottish blood was spilled, but managed to persuade Scottish people (because of their pride, passion and patriotism) that their side was for the benefit of the country. The Hanoverian king did nothing to stop the Jacobites when they thought they would remain in Scotland and prince Charlie only cared about marching to London as fast as possible- not about freeing Scotland as many highland warriors wanted.

The bravery of my ancestors in this whole history is second to none and I now understand the sense of pride that runs through these lands. The slaughter of their families, stripping of their traditions and the banishing of our native language; Gaelic is the most heartbreaking of all of this. Not which king sits on the throne in London.

It just makes me wonder; what if things had been different? How would life be for us then?

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book covers the intrigues between Prince Charles, his father’s court in exile and their French hosts and allies, leading to a landing in Scotland against the advices of most of his advisors and supporters. It then covers his early successes in rallying loyal (although wary after past defeats and dismayed at his lack of firm evidence of either a French invasion or English Jacobite uprising) Highland loyalist army and with it overrunning the complacent and unprepared establishment forces in Edinburgh and other Scottish towns. The book the moves onto his advance into and then retreat from England (tracked by various English forces who were in practice far more worried that he would retreat into Scotland before engaging in battle, and whose largest concern was a French landing in the South East) and the increasing discord between Charles’ Scottish allies (more concerned at securing their independence) and his Irish and other supporters determined to press on to London and achieve a restoration which in the absence of any English Jacobite support became more and more remote. The book then finishes with the defeat at Culloden and aftermath of that defeat.

The book is written in encyclopaedic detail and in addition relies on a completely chronological retelling of events, broken into short chapters each of which are geographically named and based.

The downside of this approach, eschewing either theme based chapters or more lengthy sections which can then start and conclude with a summary of the main events and themes, is that the reader ends up skipping over passages looking to extract key themes for himself.

An informed review of the book (such as the Guardian’s here https://www.theguardian.com/books/201...) actually provides detail and summary which should be in the book – leaving the book itself as more of a reference book for the shelf than one which was enjoyable to read in and of itself.

[Octavia Pearce · Rating 2 out of 5]

Expected this to be really interesting because I know next to nothing about the later Stuart/early Hanoverian period, but this is not an enjoyable book to read. Way too much dependence on quotation from letters, which is particularly unnecessary when they're from some random dude who happens to live somewhere nearby counting the number of horses moving around and he's sending it to someone equally unimportant. The chapters are all really short and disjointed, and there's no map so you unless you happen to live on Skye or on the Scottish border you have to constantly google where places are to keep track of everyone's movements.

[Justin Permenter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just way, way, WAY too much unnecessary detail.

[Adam Stevenson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The low(ish) score is no comment on the quality of the book, it is a very good book but not one attuned to my tastes.

Although I am a fond reader of history, particularly literary and lowlife/social stuff, I haven’t really read any military history with the exception of ‘The Recollections of Rifleman Harris’ which was more a memoir of one man’s experiences. This book was my first of this kind of thing.

Jacobites is a thorough work, clearly well researched, adopting an even tone that feels fair in its treatment of both sides. The use of letters punctuate the narrative effectively, showing the intimate thoughts of the participants (and the frankly, dodgy spelling). Particularly entrancing was the warm relationship between James and Charles.

I found all of the stuff about information; how it’s obtained, transmitted and understood, to be the most interesting element of the book. The slowness of letters and their easy interception causes many of the mistakes, assumptions and decisions that complicate everyone’s actions. Then there are newspapers, the way they adopt positions and inform/misinform the public which affect the way the armies are received. All of this I loved.

I also loved the way the whole campaign was conducted (and repelled) with such confusion. I know about the ’45 due to its inclusion in novels and the occasional television documentary and always assumed that campaigns and wars have determination and purpose whereas everything seems as muddled as the current Brexit negotiations.

It’s just… I couldn’t help myself drifting with the army stuff. I glazed at the list of names (especially all the McDonalds, ClanRanalds &c..) and all the stuff about the armies marching had me thinking about other things, such as what I may eat next. I couldn’t even get really into the intricacies of the battles, reading of groups of men slicing others, and I was missing the personal letters.

Because of this, I was never fully gripped by the book but not because it was in any way bad but because it wasn’t quite my thing.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently discovered the breadth of my Scottish heritage. My bride and I believe I am descended form the Clan Ranald branch of the Clan MacDonald (I don't know if I am getting the terminology right; I'm still new at this). These discoveries have made me want to immerse myself in all things Scottish; hence, this book.

And what a book. I admire anyone who publishes a book, but my admiration goes through the ceiling when an author clearly demonstrates that they have done their homework. Through testimonials borne by souls on both sides of the rebellion--surely the result of exhaustive research through what must have been hundreds of contemporary letters and newspaper/magazine accounts--Jacqueline Riding delivers indisputable truths about "the '45," as the last Jacobite rebellion is known. I felt as if I were sitting in a comfortable chair by a hearty fire, listening to the stories of the rebellion being told by the people who were actually there. As mentioned earlier, Riding does due diligence to both sides of the dispute, delivering both the events and honest perceptions of them without judgment, and not favoring one side over the other. A truly engrossing read.

As a recent disciple of all things Scottish, I feel compelled to point out that there is little in this book that I had not already heard. The good news is that I heard it in ways I had never had before. The book is thoroughly annotated and pointedly documented, with 500 pages of text and 89 pages of notes and indices. One drawback: the text of the print edition is exceedingly small. It took me as long as it did to read the book because I frequently had to put it aside as I could no longer see clearly. However, the book is available on e-readers, sp that should take care of that.

[Ben Bergonzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story of the 1745 rebellion is one of the most gripping non-fiction books I have ever read. Riding tells her story by alternating between Jacobite side and Hanoverian, latterly focusing in on Prince Charles Edward Stuart for the Jacobites and William, Duke of Cumberland for the Hanoverians. The latter is shown as a good officer who looked after his men and was able to motivate them, in contrast to his historical reputation for cruelty brought about the atrocities committed in the Highlands in the name of pacification. The Prince's character is shown as much more determined than I had previously understood - the author argues that his hasty dismissal of his commanders after Culloden is due to his immediate decision to return to France, and that he did in fact take some interest in the wellbeing of his defeated troops. A corrective to the rather polemical John Prebble view, this is a fair minded and fascinating story, exhaustively researched. Its many quotations have a rich flavour of the 18th century, as for instance 'Upon the Whole, it may be said of the English Jacobites, no people in the Universe know better the Difference between drinking and fighting' (James Ray, a Scotsman in the Government army.) My only reservation is that whilst the picture researcher must have worked hard to source illustrations from maps and prints, the reproduction in the paperback edition is too small and poor quality for them to be enjoyed to the full. Still, an excellent read, equally informative and evocative.

[Nick Hazlewood · Rating 5 out of 5]

"This is the story so far..."

"There is now a general desire, among established and emerging scholars alike, to approach this extraordinary moment in British history in a balanced manner, presenting it in all its complexity, while placing it, correctly, in an international, as well as national and local context. It was in this spirit that the current history was written, and is now humbly presented."

Well if that was the intention...blimey. A massive undertaking and very clever book giving a really accessible way of following the high and lows of the Jacobite 1745 rebellion and how it ran and faded with a feel for all the main characters involved. It probably is balanced but the atrocities of the time come through and the capturing from accounts from the period or there abouts back up the feelings and decisions and drama's that went on. You feel as if you almost know the people involved...myths are questioned and dispelled and backed up too .

So overall you are left with the overall feeling of what folly and hopeless cause it turned into as the Duke of Cumberland is aided in snuffing out the Rebellion which is already struggling with a lack of support,men , supplies and food.

And then there is the trials and executions some of which described in caring but vivid detail.

A must read and sobering book that captures the end of a way of life and a dream turning into a night mare.

[W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strength of the book is the inclusion of contemporary material quoted verbatim which really brings the scenes to life. The structure of the book works well and brings the narrative together with influential events taking place in multiple locations. The tricky task of describing the deployment of regiments and forces in the various battles and military actions was well accomplished which is just as well given the lack of maps or illustrative diagrams. In a similar vein, the general lack of maps is a surprise given the focus on detail within the book as a whole.
There are a couple of geographical howlers in the edition I read: Tullibardine is not in Dunkeld but roughly 20 miles south of it. Neither is modern Fort George anywhere near close to Inverness's 'stone bridge' - it's actually about 10 miles further east. Curiously, she does go on to correctly locate Fort George later on in the book.
Overall, it is hard work at times but enjoyable and more importantly, well worth the effort.

[Scott Cupper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good. Thoroughly researched by Jacqueline Riding. It doesn't shy away from the fact that there were no clear motivations on either side. Each person had their own personal reason for joining or countering the rebellion. I came in with a very rudimentary understanding of the rebellion as Protestants vs. Catholics. Riding quickly demolishes this in the opening chapters, laying out the history. It's well-plotted, providing the reader the context and information needed to understand the events. Riding will assign motivations to people's actions. She backs these interpretations up with documentation. It provides a humanizing component making it more than just a litany of facts and letters. There's a lot of people involved. A list of names indicating who was each on each side would have been a great resource to have at the beginning of the book. And perhaps a map of Scotland? Too late, I started searching towns in Google Maps, which helped a lot.

[Susan Lorenz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book which tells a complex story in a simple and straightforward manner. As noted by another reviewer, I was attracted to this book based on my interest in the "Outlander" TV series. I was pleased to learn that several characters in the show were actual real life Highlanders. However Bonnie Prince Charlie is shown in a much better and I assume more correct light in the book as a thoughtful young leader of men trying to restore his father to his rightful throne. The TV show portrays him as a buffoon so it's good to know the actual figure was much more impressive. The one improvement I would make to the book would be to add some maps. The Jacobite army was constantly on the move and I would have enjoyed following their progress around the Scottish and English landscape.

[Gill Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. Incredibly detailed account of events leading up to the battle of Culloden, described in a balanced way. The battle itself is also described in detail.
There are moments where the build up can feel mind-bogglingly detailed and a roll call of names that sometimes require doubling back a few pages just to check that you are still following the narrative.
But it’s worth retracing steps as a reader because a very full picture of the movements south and then north again does build up.
The author has achieved Tolstoy like impact of creating an image in the minds eye of the reader as to what was involved in moving soldiers across land and in the description of battle.

[Books&Thistle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Semplicemente il più bel resoconto storico che io abbia mai letto.
L'autrice dimostra una estrema cura nella ricerca, così da fornire informazioni dettagliate su ogni fase della ribellione. La descrizione delle esecuzioni è capace di catapultare il lettore alla Torre di Londra, proprio mentre Balmerino sta salendo sul patibolo.
La lettura è stata così bella che l'ho fatta durare a lungo per potermela gustare e non perdermi un secondo.
Oltre a questo, la prefazione è stata la mia ispirazione per scrivere il mio primo romanzo storico. Grazie immensamente, Jacqueline Riding, per queste pagine che ho sottolineato, evidenziato, annotato e che, sono certa, saranno rilette.

[Pyramidhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

When read in conjunction with books like Duffy's 'The 45', this book adds lots of new details to the story of the last Jacobite Rising and therefore is a valuable addition to my bookcase (!!!) on the Jacobites.

The book contains lots of details about the historical characters, places and events, painting a very vivid and lively story of the '45, based on a great wealth of available literature. Riding tries not take sides, resulting in refreshing insights and interesting conclusions.

[Troy Bettles · Rating 5 out of 5]

The glorious '45 !

Love history & this is a period I'm a little unfamiliar with. Ms Riding's love & knowledge of her subject shines through with every chapter.French reluctance & English Jacobite apathy eventually led to the sad demise of Bonnie Prince Charlie's efforts with the slaughter & rout at Culloden. But for a brief time in 1745/46 it really looked as though the Stuart's were coming back. Highly recommended.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

A enjoyable read. I was aware of the basics of the events through studying many years ago at school and through programs such as Outlander.

Whilst the subject is by its nature heavy and the use of quotes from contemporary sources did mean that some had to be reread to fully understand them, it has meant that i have a better understanding of why the Jacobites turned around at Derby despite being a gew days from London

[Rui · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this story, and loved some of the transcripts of letters of that time. Really liked the book, although I thought it went too much into detail, and failed to give me a real epilogue, with the aftermath, especially in the lives of Charles Stuart and the Duke of Cumberland.

Would recommend it, though.

[Peter Welch · Rating 5 out of 5]

An utterly fantastic book written in an energetic and engaging manner. This is a comprehensive and highly detailed coverage of the Jacobite rebellion of 1745-46, it grips you from the very start and draws you in to the events as they unfold. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in reading about the famous 45 rebellion.

[Sarah Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book for people unfamiliar with the '45 rebellion and its background. Riding guides the reader through history using correspondence and newspaper articles, a touch that serves to make her account more vivid and entertaining than others.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Riding did a fair job with this slice of Scottish history, but she includes too many primary sources in her writing. Every few sentences there was a primary source quote, and it became cumbersome to the flow of the book.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating history of a period I know nothing about. And it's much less stirring than the stories would have you believe. Parts of the long winded back and forth of the various armies read like farce. A very measured and objective view of this period.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm ashamed to say that I didn't know much about the Jacobite rebellion. I picked up this book at Culloden and I've thoroughly enjoyed it! A fascinating story about belief in a cause, even if that cause is hopeless. I'd like to read more about the earlier rebellions.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gripping account of the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745, led by Prince Charles Edward Stuart and culminating in defeat at Culloden. Told from both the Hanoverian and Stuart perspectives with detailed references to contemporaneous letters and diaries. Most enjoyable read.

[Bookworm10001 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it, learnt so much