Alistair Moffat

Relive the battle for a nation. As 8,000 Scottish soldiers, most of them spearmen, faced 18,000 English infantrymen, archers and mounted knights in June 1314 near the Bannock Burn, many would have thought that the result a foregone conclusion. But two days later, the English were routed, Edward II fled to the coast and took ship for home, and few English and Welsh soldiers escaped from Scotland unhurt. This emphatic victory was the moment that enabled Scotland to remain independent and pursue a different destiny. In this book, best-selling author Alistair Moffat offers fresh insights into one of the most famous battles in history, yet one which is surprisingly little understood. Where exactly was it fought; and what happened at the Scottish council of war the night before the second day to persuade the Scots to attack at daw? his book follows in detail the events of those two days that changed history, and captures all the fear, heroism, confusion and desperation as he describes the tactics and manoeuvres that led to a stunning and unexpected Scottish victory.

From prehistory to the present day, the story of Edinburgh is packed with incident and drama. As Scotland’s capital since 1437, the city has witnessed many of the key events which have shaped the nation. But Edinburgh has always been much more than just a political centre. During the Enlightenment, it was one the intellectual powerhouses of Europe, and in the twentieth century it became the arts capital of the world with the founding of its many festivals. Finance, religion, education and industry are also important parts of the story. Alistair Moffat explores these themes and many more, showing how the city has grown, changed and adapted over the centuries. He introduces Edinburgh’s famous places and people – including monarchs, murderers, writers and philosophers – as well as the ordinary citizens who have contributed so much to the life of one of the world’s best-known and most beautiful cites.

Since 1945 the world has changed at breakneck speed, and life in post-war Scotland is now entirely different from what it was like when Alistair Moffat grew up in the quiet Border town of Kelso in the 1950s. At that time the rhythms and practicalities of daily life which had remained constant for many generations were about to change in the most unimaginable ways.This is a book about these changes – many of which have been dizzying and disorientating – and how they have affected each and every one of us in all parts of the country. The main themes, such as housing, healthcare, sport, the media, the arts and entertainment, urban and country life, our relationship with the environment, politics, religion and education, are all viewed through the lens of personal experience. Alistair’s own recollections of big events and small, together with other eyewitness accounts, bring these decades alive in a way that no ordinary history can with a directness and poignancy that underlines how much has been gained – and how much lost.

Alistair Moffat tells the extraordinary story of the Highlands in the most detailed book ever written about this remarkable part of Scotland. This is the story of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland as it has never been told before. From the formation of the landscape millions of years ago to the twenty-first century, it brings to life the events and the people who have shaped Highland history, from saints, sinners and outlaws to monarchs, clan chiefs and warriors.Highly readable and informative, it mines a wide range of sources including medieval manuscripts and sagas, poetry and popular culture. Picts, Romans, Irish missionaries, Vikings, Jacobites and the flood of emigrants who left to forge new lives abroad are just some of the important players in the drama. As he paints the bigger picture, Alistair Moffat also introduces many key aspects of Highland culture and explores the experience of ordinary Highlanders and Islanders over thousands of years.

A walking tour of the border region where England and Scotland meet by the award-winning writer, meditating on a complicated, storied relationship through historyThe border between England and Scotland is rich in history. It has been the site of battles, treaties, castles and crossroads. But it can also be a lens through which to look at the changing history and identities of these two countries.Between Britain is a one-hundred-mile journey through eight centuries. It is a history book, a travelogue, a personal reminiscence and a gently prodding examination of national identity. But above all it is a celebration of a place and the people who live there.

'Full of character, combining proper research with a sure eye to what attracts and sustains an audience's attention' Scotland on Sunday The story of the Highland clans is a gripping one, full of celebrated names and heroic deeds. It is also, as Alistair Moffat reveals, the story of a fearless people, shaped by the unique traditions and landscape of the Scottish Highlands. Here, he traces the history of the clans from their Celtic origins to the coming of the Romans, through the great battles of Bannockburn and Flodden, to the Clearances and the present day. The story of the clans is also about the pain of leaving, with the great emigrations to the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Clansmen and women disappeared, but the memories have never faded. Even today the power of the ancient clan names persists, drawing many back to this rugged corner of the world. Complete with a clan map and an alphabetical list of the clans of the Scottish Highlands, this is a must for anyone interested in the history of Scotland.

Červen 1945. Hitler zvítězil, Británie je okupována a Amerika se bojí hrozby jaderného útoku. Uprostřed noci prochází ruinami skotského dryburského opatství postava, která hledá deník Davida Erskina, vojáka, jenž byl svědkem zvratu dějin. Erskinův útěk ze zajetí jej spolu s jeho snoubenku Katie přivede na Skotskou vysočinou a poté do univerzitního města St Andrews, kde nacisté zřídili tajnou laboratoř. Když vyjde najevo její účel, musí David, Katie a jejich spiklenecká skupina přijmout zoufalý plán.

Červen 1945. Hitler zvítězil, Británie je okupována a Amerika se bojí hrozby jaderného útoku. Uprostřed noci prochází ruinami skotského dryburského opatství postava, která hledá deník Davida Erskina, vojáka, jenž byl svědkem zvratu dějin. Erskinův útěk ze zajetí jej spolu s jeho snoubenku Katie přivede na Skotskou vysočinou a poté do univerzitního města St Andrews, kde nacisté zřídili tajnou laboratoř. Když vyjde najevo její účel, musí David, Katie a jejich spiklenecká skupina přijmout zoufalý plán.

In To the Island of Tides, Alistair Moffat travels to – and through the history of – the fated island of Lindisfarne. Walking from his home in the Borders, through the historical landscape of Scotland and northern England, he takes us on a pilgrimage in the footsteps of saints and scholars, before arriving for a secular retreat on the Holy Isle.