James IV

The Stewart Dynasty in Scotland

by Norman Macdougall

James IV is the best-known of all the late medieval Scottish rulers. Widely praised by his contemporaries, he combined the qualities of successful medieval monarch with a wide interest in the arts and sciences, while remaining acutely conscious of the need to enhance the prestige of his dynasty throughout Europe. This excellent study examines all aspects of James IV's sovereignty, explains his popularity and his highly successful kingship and assesses reasons for the disastrous end to the reign when the king and a large population of the Scottish nobility were eliminated in a single afternoon in 1513 at Flodden. This book represents Scottish historical research at its very best. It is meticulously researched and sensitively written.

Genres: History, Scotland, Biography

350 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Norman Macdougall is a Scottish historian who is known for writing about Scottish crown politics. He was a senior lecturer in Scottish history at the University of St Andrews.

Macdougall has written biographies of the kings James III of Scotland and James IV of Scotland. He was also responsible for editing a biography of James V of Scotland. Other publications include a work on the Auld Alliance, and editing Scotland and War, to which he also contributed an article on James IV's Great Michael.

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The popular king of the Stewart dynasty who based his kingship on a broader geographic base than his ancestors and was seen by people all over his kingdom. Like his ancestor James II, he should have been more familiar with the new technology that caught his fancy or used the Scottish landscape as one of his weapons like Robert I, rather than allow the English to cut his army off from Scotland on a battlefield with poor footing with the unfamiliar Swiss pikes that lead to a huge disaster that left the king, a large portion of the nobility, and major members of the clergy dead to be followed by the succession of another child king. He should have also made sure that the Stewart dynasty's future didn't reside in one little young prince even if it meant delaying border warfare until he had a few more surviving children.

[Don Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came to this book after discovering that James the fourth was my 14th. Great grandfather! This well crafted and well written book was exhaustive in analyzing. What rather little is known of one of Scotland's greatest monarchs. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Its detail also reminded me of two weeks I had spent in that very area of Scotland all around Edinburgh one summer. The author makes the area really come to life. Just FYI, there is a novel of James the fourth life entitled chain of destiny.

[Charlie Fenton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read for my university module on British History 1480-1620. A good but intense read, very academic (probably best used as a reference work).

[Andronikos · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant biography of a rarely-chronicled King. Epic stuff that reads like a novel. Very well organized and cited throughout. Only downside is the occasional tendency to list the names of Lords listing charters in full.

[Grey Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating read and a revelation about the history of a king more famous now for dying than for living.