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Tales of a Scottish Grandfather
From Gileskirk to Greyfriars: Knox, Buchanan, and the Heroes of Scotland's Reformation
This volume includes stories of Mary Queen of Scots, John Knox and the heroes of Scotland's reformation. Scott marshals all his narrative power for the sake of love - love of family, place and legacy.
288 pages, Paperback
First published September 20, 2000
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About the author
Walter Scott
8,492 books2,047 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Sir Walter Scott was a Scottish novelist, poet, historian, and biographer, widely recognized as the founder and master of the historical novel. His most celebrated works, including Waverley, Rob Roy, and Ivanhoe, helped shape not only the genre of historical fiction but also modern perceptions of Scottish culture and identity.
Born in Edinburgh in 1771, Scott was the son of a solicitor and a mother with a strong interest in literature and history. At the age of two, he contracted polio, which left him with a permanent limp. He spent much of his childhood in the Scottish Borders, where he developed a deep fascination with the region's folklore, ballads, and history. He studied at Edinburgh High School and later at the University of Edinburgh, qualifying as a lawyer in 1792. Though he worked in law for some time, his literary ambitions soon took precedence.
Scott began his literary career with translations and collections of traditional ballads, notably in his Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border. He gained early fame with narrative poems such as The Lay of the Last Minstrel and The Lady of the Lake. As the popularity of poetic storytelling declined, especially with the rise of Lord Byron, Scott turned to prose. His first novel, Waverley, published anonymously in 1814, was set during the Jacobite rising of 1745 and is considered the first true historical novel. The success of Waverley led to a long series of novels, known collectively as the Waverley Novels, which blended historical events with compelling fictional narratives.
Over the following years, Scott produced a remarkable number of novels, including Old Mortality, The Heart of Midlothian, and The Bride of Lammermoor, each contributing to the romantic image of Scotland that became popular throughout Europe. With Ivanhoe, published in 1819, he turned his attention to medieval England, broadening his appeal and confirming his status as a major literary figure. His works were not only popular in his own time but also laid the groundwork for historical fiction as a respected literary form.
Scott married Charlotte Genevieve Charpentier in 1797, and they had five children. In 1820, he was granted a baronetcy and became Sir Walter Scott. He built a grand home, Abbotsford House, near Melrose, which reflected his passion for history and the Scottish past. However, in 1825, financial disaster struck when his publishers went bankrupt. Rather than declare bankruptcy himself, Scott chose to work tirelessly to pay off the debts through his writing. He continued to produce novels and non-fiction works at a staggering pace despite declining health.
Walter Scott died in 1832, leaving behind a literary legacy that influenced generations of writers and readers. His works remain widely read and studied, and he is credited with helping to revive interest in Scottish history and culture. Abbotsford House, now a museum, stands as a monument to his life and achievements.
Sir Walter Scott was a Scottish novelist, poet, historian, and biographer, widely recognized as the founder and master of the historical novel. His most celebrated works, including Waverley, Rob Roy, and Ivanhoe, helped shape not only the genre of historical fiction but also modern perceptions of Scottish culture and identity.
Born in Edinburgh in 1771, Scott was the son of a solicitor and a mother with a strong interest in literature and history. At the age of two, he contracted polio, which left him with a permanent limp. He spent much of his childhood in the Scottish Borders, where he developed a deep fascination with the region's folklore, ballads, and history. He studied at Edinburgh High School and later at the University of Edinburgh, qualifying as a lawyer in 1792. Though he worked in law for some time, his literary ambitions soon took precedence.
Scott began his literary career with translations and collections of traditional ballads, notably in his Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border. He gained early fame with narrative poems such as The Lay of the Last Minstrel and The Lady of the Lake. As the popularity of poetic storytelling declined, especially with the rise of Lord Byron, Scott turned to prose. His first novel, Waverley, published anonymously in 1814, was set during the Jacobite rising of 1745 and is considered the first true historical novel. The success of Waverley led to a long series of novels, known collectively as the Waverley Novels, which blended historical events with compelling fictional narratives.
Over the following years, Scott produced a remarkable number of novels, including Old Mortality, The Heart of Midlothian, and The Bride of Lammermoor, each contributing to the romantic image of Scotland that became popular throughout Europe. With Ivanhoe, published in 1819, he turned his attention to medieval England, broadening his appeal and confirming his status as a major literary figure. His works were not only popular in his own time but also laid the groundwork for historical fiction as a respected literary form.
Scott married Charlotte Genevieve Charpentier in 1797, and they had five children. In 1820, he was granted a baronetcy and became Sir Walter Scott. He built a grand home, Abbotsford House, near Melrose, which reflected his passion for history and the Scottish past. However, in 1825, financial disaster struck when his publishers went bankrupt. Rather than declare bankruptcy himself, Scott chose to work tirelessly to pay off the debts through his writing. He continued to produce novels and non-fiction works at a staggering pace despite declining health.
Walter Scott died in 1832, leaving behind a literary legacy that influenced generations of writers and readers. His works remain widely read and studied, and he is credited with helping to revive interest in Scottish history and culture. Abbotsford House, now a museum, stands as a monument to his life and achievements.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 31, 2013
This book continues Sir Walter Scott's journey through the history of Scotland. This is book two of the Tales of a Scottish Grandfather series. I unfortunately didn't like this one as much as the first, I think because the history became more solid and the legend became more sparse, but it is still a fairly interesting presentation of the history of Scotland.
October 27, 2019
In some ways, this second volume is even better than the first, mostly because more is known about the history of this period, in contrast to history based largely on legend in the first volume. Scott does a terrific job of bringing to life the character of the key historical figures and the intrigues that roiled the Scottish (and English) kingdoms. The Stewarts are portrayed as a mainly tragic line of kings and queens, and Scott's narrative is compelling. Beyond the narrative, however, and because Scott was writing for his grandson, some of the best parts are the bits of philosophical and political and religious wisdom that the author interjects into the narrative. This history is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the influence that Scottish history had on the "American Experiment," and why it's so amazingly unlikely that the experiment happened at all.
February 7, 2012
This volume continues Sir Walter Scott's narrative of Scottish history. It begins with the time immediately following the reign of King Henry VIII. Much of the early narrative is focused on the heroism and tragedy of Mary Queen of Scots. It continues through the eventual English subjugation of Scotland. In terms of historical facts, this volume differs little from any general history of Scotland or England in the time period. What distinguishes it is Scott's gift for storytelling and his insight into The Romantic and The Heroic.
I will tentatively advance the thesis that the best way to interpret Scott's historiography is not by finding out who were the good guys in the Scottish and English Reformations. Too often historians have assumed a dichotomy of Protestants vs. Catholics. Scott's narrative, though, shows this will not work. The better way to see it is to ask which of the groups or men in this time period demonstrated “the heroic” and/or “romantic” ways of life.
If one continues to view the conflict in strictly religious terms, then the category, at first so promising in explanatory power, quickly crumbles. This is particularly shown in Cromwell's subjugation of Scotland. One often finds Royalist Catholics allied with Scottish Presbyterians combating English Independents (think Baptists). Viewing this in strictly religious dichotomies fails to make any sense. Asking the question, though, which group demonstrates commitments to the ancient ways of life, while in itself a bit problematic, at least points the way forward to an answer.
The most interesting section of the book is about Cromwell. For the most part Cromwell is seen as a usurper and a villain. Scott is fair to some good things that Cromwell did in Scotland, such as imposing a decent court system. Cromwell's other crimes, not least Regicide, such as enslaving Scots and shipping them off to the plantations in Jamaica, are adequately covered. Scott's narratival power comes out in full force in this section. While it occasionally feels like a litany of names, few of which the reader can remember, one often gets the feel that he or she is in the Highlands resisting the English invader.
I could not help but chuckle at one item. After Cromwell subjugated Scotland, he remembered how much of a nuisance politically-minded pastors could be. Scott observes, “With regard to the Presbyterian Church, Cromwell prudently foresaw, that the importance of preachers would gradually diminish if they were permitted to abuse each other, but prevented from stirring up their congregations to arms” (272). In other words, Cromwell simply said, to allude to the movie Braveheart, “Just be yourselves.” How even more true is this insight today among Reformed folk? (Does anyone remember the hilarious, though futile, “Presbyterians and Presbyterians Together?”)
In conclusion one must highly recommend this book. It is a good introduction to Scottish history and is written with a fluid style. One must quibble with the editorial decisions, however. I suspsect that the original title by Scott is not “From Gileskirk to Greyfriars,” but simply “Volume 2.” I think the editor, classical educator and Reformed pastor George Grant, gave it a more “Reformed” sounding title. Grant's naming of titles in other volumes is quite interesting, but they rarely reflect the content of the book. John Knox and Scotland's reformation constitute a small minority of the book. Caveat emptor.
I will tentatively advance the thesis that the best way to interpret Scott's historiography is not by finding out who were the good guys in the Scottish and English Reformations. Too often historians have assumed a dichotomy of Protestants vs. Catholics. Scott's narrative, though, shows this will not work. The better way to see it is to ask which of the groups or men in this time period demonstrated “the heroic” and/or “romantic” ways of life.
If one continues to view the conflict in strictly religious terms, then the category, at first so promising in explanatory power, quickly crumbles. This is particularly shown in Cromwell's subjugation of Scotland. One often finds Royalist Catholics allied with Scottish Presbyterians combating English Independents (think Baptists). Viewing this in strictly religious dichotomies fails to make any sense. Asking the question, though, which group demonstrates commitments to the ancient ways of life, while in itself a bit problematic, at least points the way forward to an answer.
The most interesting section of the book is about Cromwell. For the most part Cromwell is seen as a usurper and a villain. Scott is fair to some good things that Cromwell did in Scotland, such as imposing a decent court system. Cromwell's other crimes, not least Regicide, such as enslaving Scots and shipping them off to the plantations in Jamaica, are adequately covered. Scott's narratival power comes out in full force in this section. While it occasionally feels like a litany of names, few of which the reader can remember, one often gets the feel that he or she is in the Highlands resisting the English invader.
I could not help but chuckle at one item. After Cromwell subjugated Scotland, he remembered how much of a nuisance politically-minded pastors could be. Scott observes, “With regard to the Presbyterian Church, Cromwell prudently foresaw, that the importance of preachers would gradually diminish if they were permitted to abuse each other, but prevented from stirring up their congregations to arms” (272). In other words, Cromwell simply said, to allude to the movie Braveheart, “Just be yourselves.” How even more true is this insight today among Reformed folk? (Does anyone remember the hilarious, though futile, “Presbyterians and Presbyterians Together?”)
In conclusion one must highly recommend this book. It is a good introduction to Scottish history and is written with a fluid style. One must quibble with the editorial decisions, however. I suspsect that the original title by Scott is not “From Gileskirk to Greyfriars,” but simply “Volume 2.” I think the editor, classical educator and Reformed pastor George Grant, gave it a more “Reformed” sounding title. Grant's naming of titles in other volumes is quite interesting, but they rarely reflect the content of the book. John Knox and Scotland's reformation constitute a small minority of the book. Caveat emptor.
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July 6, 2011He spoke more highly of Mary Queen of Scots than I've ever heard from other historians; he basically destroyed my vaguely imagined idyllic picture of life in the Highlands; this book literally put me to sleep most nights, but glad I read it and some interesting parts.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews