The White Cockade: And Other Jacobite Tales

by Stuart McHardy

Many of the stories that survive from the period when the Jacobites threatened to overturn the British Government and reinstall the Stuart Dynasty are tales of great daring heroism and loyalty set against venal double-dealing and treachery. Others reflect the ancient tribal practices of the Highland clans, where rivalry and raiding were more important than political loyalty. In this book Stuart McHardy gathers a wide selection of the best of these tales, creating and insightful and vivid picture of Jacobean life. Tales include: The Death of Sargeant Davies ? The Gold in the Great Chanter ? The Jacobite Heroine Jeannie Cameron ? The Tragic Tale of Lady Grange ? Prince Charlie's Cave

224 pages, Paperback

First published July 30, 2006

About the author

Stuart McHardy is a Scottish writer, broadcaster and storyteller.

Reviews

[Mark Latchford · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you seek the definitive history of the Jacobite uprisings in Scotland in the first half of the 18th century, this is not it. It is a collection of tales of that period including grand escapes; heroic battles and ambushes and stories of king lost treasure, primarily from the Jacobite not Hanoverian perspective. McHardy’s tales are entertaining but written as if for a high school audience. Although diverse in location and participants, they have been assembled in an odd manner, choosing to group by type of story and therefore the date of each tale jumps back and forth between 1715 and 1745 for example. The editors aren’t bothered to review in total, and as such numerous paragraphs repeat what was said several times before. It leaves the reader with the perception that the tales were published randomly over time in different newspapers and magazines and then thrown together without much effort.
Also, one challenge is the huge number of characters with similar clan-based names.
A map would have been helpful too

[Hattie Beckett · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wouldn't bother rereading this and struggled to finish it. I didn't like the way the stories were grouped as it meant they were very samey but jumped around chronologically. Just a personal preference.

I found the writing a bit crass and what could have been exciting stories because turgid. The writer was biased without passion, assumed a basic understanding of Jacobite politics which I definitely lack.