Eric Linklater

Eric Linklater reconstructs Bonnie Prince Charlie’s flight from Culloden Moor very detailed and vividly, mentioning every single step he took away from this bloody battlefield, in his book The Prince in the Heather. from an Amazon review by Skarabrae: "Linklater not only traces the journey of the "wanderings" but places the land and the culture in a greater perspective. What is particularly appealing about this work is his examination of the people of the Highlands and Islands who risked their lives and turned away a great fortune to shelter and protect a leader whom many of them knew was championing a losing cause. Linklater puts this steadfastly loyal Highland character in historical and cultural context in a way that other writers have not. The fine writing is accompanied by stunning photographs which together create an evocative and deeply moving book. "

A book I enjoyed as a young teen, and reread some years ago, in my 50's. A bit hazy on details now, but concerns a family living on a seacoast, and their encounters with some pirates of sorts, and their friendship with some interesting intelligent sea creatures. Adventure, fantasy.

Although the synopsis reads as though this was a factual account , it is in fact a novel, and an interesting and amusing novel at that , with strong characterisation ( not least of Oscar , the belligerent black cat who is a base mascot ) , some suspenseful moments, and sufficient references to the techniques used in the aircraft to satisfy the pilots amongst us. Like all Gann's books, highly recommendable

From the rhyme sung by our children to the bloodline of English royalty, no one can deny Mary, Queen of Scots has unbeknown to us permanently taken root in the English people. Born in the aftermath of Henry VIII's "Great Matter" to a king who would have preferred a son, never knowing his daughter would be the matriarch of a powerful dynasty. In 14 December 1542 with only 6 days of age she was the anointed queen of Scotland, for a year the 17 year old was also the queen of France. She lived with regal dignity, chivalry and pride. However, she was unable to prevent her downfall due to the fact that she upheld medieval values in an increasingly Machiavellian world, but above all, that unlike Elizabeth I who was first a monarch, Mary Stuart nee Bruce was first a woman