| Robert de Bruce VII was born on 11 July 1274 and it is likely
that this occurred at Turnberry castle on the Ayrshire coast. Despite
persistent myths to the contrary Bruce was a native Scot and had
a Celtic ancestry that could be traced back six generations. The
first Robert Bruce had been granted lands in Annandale in around
1124 by David I.
Robert Bruce statue at Stirling Castle looking
north |
Although little is known of Bruce's
childhood it is possible to make some deductions from his family
background and the territory in which he largely grew up. Carrick
was a Gaelic area and Robert would most certainly have spoken
this language along with French and Lowland Scots. In Barbour's
fourteenth century epic The Bruce a foster brother is
mentioned and this would fit in well with Celtic tradition.
Robert would have spent several years with his foster family
and during this time he would have learnt of the deep responsibility
kinship entailed. |
From an early age Bruce would have attended mass and it would be
at church that he would learn some Latin that would be useful when
he became king. At this period both law and religion were composed
in Latin and any monarch who did not understand the language would
be disadvantaged. Along with literacy the martial arts would have
been taught at an early age, especially horsemanship and the mastering
of the lance, sword and axe. In later years Robert was to prove
adept at all these skills.
By 1286 Robert was considered an adult and in his earliest recorded
action he is found witnessing a deed of Alexander Macdonald of Islay.
It was also in 1286 that Alexander III died and over the next six
years there were many negotiations with Edward I, which would lead
firstly to the appointment of six guardians and the Treaty of Birgham,
followed by the death of the heir to the crown, the Maid of Norway.
Although Bruce the Competitor lost his claim to the throne to Balliol
he refused to give up his claim and this passed to his son, Robert
de Bruce VI. This was a combination of events that led directly
to the Wars of Independence.
Robert Bruce statue at Stirling Castle |
Although Bruce the Competitor
lost his claim to the throne to Balliol he refused to give
up his claim and this passed to his son, Robert Bruce VI.
Robert Bruce VI left Scotland in 1292 with his daughter,
Isabella, who married King Eric of Norway in 1293 and he remained
in Norway until his fathers death in 1295. In the meantime
his son, Robert Bruce VII, the future king, had been forced
into adult responsibility due to his fathers absence. He had
four younger brothers, Edward, Thomas, Alexander and Neil,
as well as four sisters, Mary, Christian, Matilda and Margaret
and they would have looked to Robert for their well-being.
Robert was confirmed as Earl of Carrick at a Parliament held
at Stirling in August 1293 and in September he visited the
Bruce estates in England. In 1295 he married the daughter
of the Earl of Mar. Isabella of Mar gave birth to a daughter,
Marjorie, in 1296, but died during childbirth.
In March 1296 the Scottish army was assembled at Caddonlee
to face the might of the English army, but the Bruce's (both
father and son) had refused to acknowledge John Balliol as
king and so had ignored the call to arms. King John then forfeited
the Bruce lands in Scotland and gave them to his more loyal
subjects, with John Comyn of Buchan receiving Annandale. This
was an act that was bound to inflame already bad relations
between the Bruce's and the Comyn's. On the 26 March John
Comyn led a force from Annandale to Carlisle where he attempted
to take the city by force. Carlisle, however, was heavily
fortified and was successfully defended by its governor, Robert
Bruce VI and his son, the Earl of Carrick. Edward I was not
idle either and his army advanced from Newcastle to Berwick,
which he took with a massive slaughter of the inhabitants.
In April King John renounced his fealty to Edward to which
Edward replied 'Be it unto the fool according to his folly'.
Edward's army met the Scottish host at Dunbar and quickly
defeated them. Balliol was now beaten and Edward ordered the
Scottish national records and other important artefacts, including
the Stone of Destiny, to be sent to England. He then appointed
Englishmen to the highest positions in Scotland, Earl Warenne
as Lieutenant of the Kingdom, Hugh de Cressingham as Treasurer,
William Ormesby as Chief Justice and Walter of Amersham as
Chancellor. |
During the Easter period while Edward was staying at Wark several
Earls, including both Bruce's, had declared fealty to him and they
also promised:
'I will be faithful and loyal, and will maintain faith and loyalty
to King Edward, King of England, and to his heirs, in matters of
life and limb and of earthly honour against all mortal men; and
never will I bear arms for anyone against him or his heirs ... so
may God help me and the Saints.'
By August Edward had received the fealty of many Scottish landowners
and they were formally recorded on the 'Ragman Roll'. Edward now
referred to Balliol as the 'former King of Scotland' and this encouraged
Bruce the elder to remind Edward of his promise to make him king.
If he expected a favourable response he was to be disappointed as
Edward replied 'Have we nothing else to do than win Kingdoms for
you?'. Bruce the elder then left Scotland for his lands in England
and did not return.
One name that was absent from
the 'Ragman Roll' was that of William Wallace and in 1297
he became the hero of the Scots at the Battle of Stirling
Bridge. The career of Wallace is dealt with separately and
it the activities of Bruce that will be dealt with here. Bruce
was in Carlisle when the rebellion began and when Edward heard
that Sir William Douglas had joined it he ordered the Earl
of Carrick to seize the Sir William's castle at Douglasdale,
and also to renew his fealty. Bruce must have been in turmoil
with divided loyalties but by the time he had reached his
destination his mind was made up. He assembled his knights
before him and is reported to have said:
'No man holds his own flesh and blood in hatred, and I
am no exception. I must join my own people and the nation
in which I was born.' |
The Ragman Roll |
Having given an oath of fealty to Edward many of his knights left
Bruce. He informed the occupants of the castle of his change of
allegiance before going to Irvine where the Scots were camped. When
he arrived he discovered the Scots leaders divided over loyalty
to him or to Balliol. While they were arguing the English approached
and after some discussion the Scots surrendered, with prominent
hostages being given as surety, among these were Bishop Wishart
and Sir William Douglas, who died in the Tower of London in 1299.
Following the many successes of Wallace in 1297, culminating in
the victory at Stirling Bridge, the magnates of Scotland were brought
together and legend has it that Bruce himself knighted Wallace in
Selkirk Forest.
Edward had been fighting in France during this period but returned
to England in March 1298, at about the same time that Wallace was
appointed Guardian of Scotland. Edward immediately prepared for
a new invasion of Scotland and in July the Scots army, under the
command of Wallace, suffered a heavy defeat at Falkirk. Following
the battle Wallace resigned the Guardianship and was replaced by
the Earl of Carrick and John Comyn of Badenoch. While Comyn was
a strong supporter of Balliol Bruce held fast to his claim to the
throne and this created great tension between the two men. At a
meeting in Selkirk Forest, where Bruce and Comyn reputedly fought
each other, Bishop Lamberton was appointed as a third Guardian in
an attempt to keep the peace.
In 1299 the Guardians emerged from hiding with a force large enough
to lay siege to Stirling Castle, which fell to them after it became
apparent that Edward would be unable to relieve the castle due to
the winter conditions. By the spring of 1300 Bruce had been replace
as Guardian by Ingram de Umfraville, who was a supporter of Comyn
and related to Balliol. With another invasion in preparation all
Bruce could do was to prepare to defend his own lands. In reality
the English invasion was a failure with the army marching to Wigtown
and then back to the border without meeting any real opposition.
Edward then accepted a truce until May 1301, which had been brokered
by the French King.
In Scotland a single Guardian had been appointed, Sir John de Soules.
A new seal of government in the name of Balliol was made even though
there seemed little chance he would be restored to the throne.
By the Autumn of 1301 Edward and his son, the future Edward II,
had embarked on a two prong invasion which achieved very little,
two castles, Bothwell and Turnberry (both defended by Bruce) fell.
Another truce was signed in 1302 and Bruce appeared from Carrick
to surrender to Sir John de St John. Bruce was too important for
Edward to have him executed and so another agreement was entered
into:
'Be it remembered that whereas Sir Robert Bruce the younger,
who was in the homage and faith of the king of England for the Earldom
of Carrick, rose in rebellion against the said king his lord, through
evil councel, and has submitted himself to the peace and will of
the same king in hope of his good grace, the king, for the sake
of the good service which Robert's ancestors and family have rendered
to the king and his ancestors, and the good service which Robert
himself has promised to render in the future, has declared his grace
and will in this manner.
That is to say, that Robert and his men and tenants of Carrick
will be guaranteed life and limb, lands and tenements, and will
be free from imprisonment.
If it should happen that by a papal ordinance, or by a truce,
or by a conditional peace touching the war against Scotland or the
war against France, the aforesaid Robert should be at a disadvantage,
so that he may not be able to enjoy his own lands, of which he has
possession at present in Scotland, the king promises to take his
loss into consideration so that he may have reasonable maintenance,
as is proper for him.
And the king grants to Robert that, so far as it lies in his
power, he will not be disinherited of any land which may fall to
him by right from his father, in England or in Scotland.
And the king grants to Robert the wardship and marriage of the
earl of Mar's son and heir.
And because the said [king - or Robert - fears(?) that] the
kingdom of Scotland may be removed from out of the king's hands
(which God forbid!), and handed over to Sir John Balliol or to his
son, or that the right may be brought into dispute, or reversed
and contradicted in a fresh judgement, the king grants to Robert
that he may pursue his right and the king will hear him fairly and
hold him to justice in the king's court. If, by any chance, it should
happen that the right must be adjudicated elsewhere than in the
king's court, then in this case the king promises Robert assistance
and counsel as before, as well as he is able to give it.
And if, after the kingdom of Scotland is at peace in the king's
hands, any persons should wish to do injury to Robert by [force?]
the king will maintain and defend him in his right as before, as
a lord ought to do for his man.
And in witness of all these points, the king has ordered this
open writing to be made and sealed with his privy seal.'
Stirling Castle |
Robert would have had little
faith in the undertakings of Edward but he used his new position
to good advantage. In 1302 he became ward of the young Earl
of Mar, this gave him control of these estates including Kildrummy
Castle and by 1305 he also had control of the forfeited estates
of Ingram de Umfraville. Bruce's connection with northern
Ireland was strengthened in 1302 by his second marriage to
Elizabeth de Burgh, daughter of Richard de Burgh, Earl of
Ulster.
In November 1302 the most recent truce expired and Edward
prepared yet again for war in Scotland. He had obtained the
support of the Pope and Philip IV of France had internal difficulties
of his own and so needed peace with England. Edward was now
free to concentrate on Scotland. The Scots could ill afford
the loss of France as an ally but despite a high powered delegation
being sent, which included the Guardian, Sir John de Soules,
Bishop Lamberton and Sir Ingram de Umfraville, the French
abandoned Scotland and signed an alliance with England.
At the beginning of 1303 Edward ordered a reconnaissance
of southern Scotland by Sir John Segrave and Ralph Manton
but they were defeated at Roslin by Comyn and Sir Simon Fraser
with Manton killed and Segrave taken, temporarily, prisoner.
This did not deflect Edward, however, and he entered Scotland
in May, by July he had reached Brechin and in August he was
in Kinloss Abbey. He then turned south and spent the winter
at Dunfermline Abbey. On 9 February 1304 John Comyn, as Guardian,
unconditionally surrendered to Edward at Perth. Many patriots
were sent into exile but Wallace was an exception:
'No words of peace are to be held out to William Wallace
in any circumstances.' |
Edward ordered Bruce from Ayr to join Sir John Segrave at Selkirk
Forest to capture Wallace. Although some fighting did occur Wallace
escaped and Edward seems to have thought that Bruce had given Wallace
some kind of warning.
In the following month, March 1304, Bruce's father died and the
claim to the throne of Scotland devolved to him. Edward was now
besieging Stirling Castle and he ordered Bruce to supply troops
and parts for his siege engines. Bruce sent word that he could find
no troops to send and the parts he did send for the siege engines
were missing an essential component. Whether this was intentional
or not is not known. Bruce appeared at Stirling in May to pay homage
for his lands in England and watched the siege engines pound the
castle.
On 11 June Bruce met Bishop Lamberton
at Cambuskenneth Abbey on the Forth not far from the castle.
Here they signed a bond which stated:
'Coming together to talk over future perils which they
wish as far as possible to avoid and in order to resist prudently
attacks by rivals, they have agreed faithfully to be of one
another's counsel in all their business and affairs at all
times and against whichever individuals, and to provide help
and succour to one another at all times and without any deceit.
Neither Bruce nor Lamberton will attempt any major enterprise
without consulting his colleague, and each will warn the other
of any danger and try to obviate it.' Although the terms
of the bond are vague both Lamberton and Bruce will have realised
that, despite the fealty given to him, they were now in great
danger if Edward should hear of it. Edward was too busy with
the siege to notice anything else and although Stirling Castle
fell to him the bond at Cambuskenneth was probably more important
in the long run.
On August 23 1305 Wallace was executed in London and Bruce's
reaction can only be guessed. After Stirling Castle had fallen
to him Edward then appointed Bruce, Bishop Wishart and Sir
John de Mowbray to give recommendations on the future government
of Scotland. They proposed that ten persons should be sent
to the next English Parliament to advise on a new constitution.
Edward accepted this and at the English Parliament of 15 September
the 'Ordinance for Government of the land of Scotland' was
promulgated. In this many Scottish magnates had their lands
restored and many Scots were also appointed as sheriffs and
keepers of castles. There was the stick to go along with the
carrot, however, the ordinance also mentioned the 'removing
from Scotland those by whom the peace might be disturbed'
and also that those who were now serving Edward were to disclose
information concerning 'disturbances and hindrances ... to
the peace and quiet of the land'. Bruce was obviously out
of favour as the ordinance also stated that 'the Earl of Carrick
be ordered to put the castle of Kildrummy in the keeping of
a man for whom he himself is willing to answer'. |
Cambuskenneth Abbey |
History Books on Robert Bruce:
| Author |
Title |
Published |
Price |
Order
Now From: |
| Barbour,
John |
The Bruce |
1996 |
£11.99
or
$48.00 |
Amazon.co.uk
or
Amazon.com
|
Barbour's The Bruce tells the story of King Robert
I, the Bruce, Scotland's great patriotic hero. In the
Wars of Independence, during which the Scots fought against
the English for the right to be an independent nation,
reach a climax. Years of conflict and fierce guerrilla
warfare culminate in the great set battle of Bannockburn.
The English army is routed, and the English king, Edward,
and his army are sent flying southward 'to think again'.
Robert the Bruce himself was famed for his courage, chivalry
and humane treatment of those he defeated. His military
exploits are unmatched in Scottish history, but he was
motivated not by personal ambition but by an inextinguishable
love of freedom. He was accompanied in his great feats
of arms by his faithful lieutenant, Sir James Douglas,
'the Black Douglas'. Their friendship went beyond death.
After the death of the Bruce, the Black Douglas carried
his king's heart into battle against the Saracens.
Barbour wrote The Bruce during the second half
of the fourteenth century, and it is one of the great
achievements of Scots writing. The narrative, full of
colourful personalities, carries the reader along from
castle and court into the thivk of battle. Ringing through
it all is the theme of the importance of individual and
national liberty. For too long this seminal work of Scottish
literature has been available only to scholars able to
read medieval Scots. This translation by Eyre-Todd into
modern English prose (first published in 1907) fully captures
the vigour and verve of the original. It is a vital book
for anyone who cares about Scotland. |
 |
|
| Barrow, G. W. S. |
Robert Bruce and the Community
of the Realm of Scotland |
1988 |
£17.00
or
$30.00 |
Amazon.co.uk
or
Amazon.com
|
Now incorporating the latest knowledge, this work is
destined to remain the classic account of Robert Bruce's
life and career. First published in 1965, Robert Bruce
was quickly recognised as an indispensable guide to the
understanding of Scotland's famous king and the society
of his time. This extensively revised and enlarged new
edition takes full account of the work and evidence of
the last twenty years.
The central theme of the book remains the interplay and
tension between Bruce himself and the concept of a Scottish
nation, of which Bruce aspired to be leader. The chief
shift in emphasis has been to demonstrate more fully the
continuity and unity of purpose which linked the efforts
of church leaders, nobles and free-holders throughout
the period from 1290 to 1329. Together, they conducted
a single-minded campaign to defend the freedom of the
Scottish realm against English claims and armed onslaught. |
 |
|
| Bingham, C. |
Robert the Bruce |
1999 |
£12.99 |
Amazon.co.uk |
Robert the Bruce is a popular and national hero, 'Good
King Robert', but the historic figure is not the same
as the undoubtedly genuine hero of popular mythology.
The fact is that Robert de Brus, the feudal magnate, was
slow to discover himself as Scotland's 'Man of Destiny',
and changed his loyalty more than once before he did so.
The excessive demands of Edward I of England in his self-appointed
role as overlord of Scotland caused some of the magnates
of Scotland to define their position in society as members
of the Scottish nation rather than as members of the international
caste of feudal aristocracy. It was through this choice
that a national state developed out of a geographical
nation.
Edward I was described in the epitaph on his tomb n Westminster
Abbey as 'Scottorum Malleus' - the 'Hammer of the Scots'.
A hammer, however, is not only a weapon but also a craft
tool. Edward may have intended to batter the Scots into
submission, but his hammer-strokes served instead to forge
them into a nation characterized by a particularly strong
sense of identity. Part of the hammering process was the
re-shaping of Robert de Brus, Earl of Carrick, from a
member of the international feudal aristocracy into Robert
the Bruce, the quintessential patriot King and national
hero.
A war of independence throws up heroes and villains who
become figures of myth as well as of history. The modern,
and infinitely milder, equivalent of a war of independence
is a referendum and the Scottish have re-established their
right to independence through the recent referendum. Thus
the timing of the publication of this book could not be
more relevant. |
|
|
| Ross, David R. |
On the Trail of Robert the
Bruce |
1999 |
£7.99
or
$14.95 |
Amazon.co.uk
or
Amazon.com
|
On the Trail of Robert the Bruce charts the
story of Scotland's hero-king from his boyhood, through
his days of indecision as Scotland suffered under the
English yoke, to his assumption of the crown exactly six
months after the death of William Wallace. Here is the
astonishing blow by blow account of how, against fearful
odds, Bruce led the Scots to win their greatest ever victory.
Bannockburn was not the end of the story. The war against
English oppression lasted another fourteen years. Bruce
lived just long enough to see his dreams of an independent
Scotland come to fruition in 1328 with the signing of
the Treaty of Edinburgh. The trail takes us to Bruce sites
in Scotland, many of the little known and forgotten battle
sites in northern England, and as far afield as the Bruce
monuments in Andalusia and Jerusalem.
- 67 places to visit in Scotland and elsewhere.
- One general map, 3 location maps and a map of Bruce-connected
sites in Ireland.
- Bannockburn battle plan.
- Drawings and reproductions of rarely seen illustrations
On the Trail of Robert the Bruce is not all blood
and gore. It brings out the love and laughter, pain and
passion of one of the great eras of Scottish history.
Read it and you will understand why David Ross has never
knowingly killed a spider in his life. Once again, he
proves himself a master of the popular brand of hands-on
history that made On the Trail of William Wallace
so popular. |
 |
|
| Scott, R. M. |
Robert the Bruce King of
Scots |
1993 |
£5.99 |
Amazon.co.uk |
Robert the Bruce is one of the great heroic figures
of history. When after years of struggle Scotland was
reduced to a vassal state by Edward I of England, it was
Bruce who, supported by the Scottish Church and a group
of devoted followers, had himself crowned at Scone as
King of Scots and renewed the fight for freedom.
Ronald McNair Scott has used the accounts of contemporary
chroniclers, particularly those of John
Barbour, to reconstruct the story of one of the most
remarkable and admirable of medieval kings. It is a story
with episodes quite as romantic as those of King Arthur
but one which belongs to the authentic history of the
Scottish nation. |
 |
|
| Young, Alan & Michael J. Stead |
In the Footsteps of Robert Bruce |
1999 |
£25.00
or
$34.95 |
Amazon.co.uk
or
Amazon.com
|
'On 7 June 1329 died Robert Bruce, of goodly memory,
the illustrious King of Scots, at Cardross (on the Clyde)
in the twenty-fourth year of his reign. He was, beyond
all living men of his day, a valiant knight' wrote a contemporary
chronicler. Bruce's body was buried in Dunfermline Abbey,
his heart removed to be taken on crusade to the Holy Land
- at his dying request - but later returned to Scotland
for burial, and interred at Melrose Abbey. Thus it is
that for over 600 years, Robert Bruce has had a unique
place in Scottish history, his position almost that of
patron saint, and that the story of his life as hero king
has held the minds of the champions of Scottish nationalism
for generations.
Yet behind this legendary figure is a complex, and in
many ways, more fascinating picture, a man who not only
led his nation to a famous victory over the English at
Bannockburn, and who is commemorated in his followers'
national anthem 'Flower of Scotland', but who overcame
great odds to win power for himself in Scotland and was
determined to succeed in fulfilling his family's long-held
ambition for political power. For before Robert Bruce
could conquer the English, he had to fight his rivals,
the Comyns and their associates, in a bloody, vicious
and long-lasting civil war. Only then, after the killing
of John 'the Red' Comyn, could Bruce put the long struggle
against weakness and failure behind him, and begin the
battle against Edward II that gave Scotland its independence.
This book, illustrated with superb colour and black and
white photographs, takes the reader on Bruce's journey,
from his birth in south-west Scotland to a family with
strong connections in Annandale, Cumberland and north
Yorkshire, to his kingship and triumph at Bannockburn.
Here are the sites and settings associated with Robert
Bruce in the years following the death of King Alexander
III of Scotland in 1286 and up to Bruce's death as King
of Scotland in 1329 - the Scotland of Braveheart, of war
with England in the thirteenth century and of political
power struggles within Scotland itself. Famous names -
Bruce, Wallace, Balliol, Comyn, Stewart, Murray, Macdougall
and Macdonald - resonate throughout the text, and the
book covers not only these principal characters of the
conflict with England, but the battlegrounds, including
Falkirk and Bannockburn, and the dramatic settings for
the major political and military events of the period.
Alongside the story of Robert Bruce's rise to power, the
book includes six essay panels that depict particular
aspects of Bruce's history in more detail: visual imagery
and contemporary descriptions of Bruce, Scotland's hero
king; Bruce's rivals, the Comyns; William Wallace; York
and the Scottish Wars; the Bruce's in Ireland; and Bannockburn.
Including magnificent colour photographs showing the places
which were so significant in Bruce's fight to achieve
power, and with a strongly told narrative of Bruce's story,
this book will appeal not only to anyone fascinated by
the unique position of Bruce in Scottish history but also
visitors to the landscapes which he made his own. |
 |
|
History Books on this time period:
| Author |
Title |
Published |
Price |
Order
Now From: |
| Brown, Michael |
The Black Douglases: War and Lordship in Medieval
Scotland, 1300-1455 |
1998 |
£16.99 |
Amazon.co.uk |
During the century and a half of their power the Black
Douglases earned fame as Scotland's champions in the front
line of war against England. On their shields they bore
the bloody heart of Robert Bruce, the symbol of their
claim to be the physical protectors of the hero-king's
legacy. But others saw the power of these lords and earls
of Douglas in a different light. To their critics the
Douglases were a force for disorder in the kingdom, lawless,
arrogant and violent, whose power rested on coercion and
whose defiance of kings and guardians ultimately provoked
James II into slaying the Douglas
earl with his own hand.
The Black Douglases
examines aristocratic power and status and its place in
Scottish political society through the greatest and most
notorious magnate dynasty of late medieval Scotland. Michael
Brown analyses the rise and fall of the family as the
dominant magnates of the south, from the deeds of Good
Sir James Douglas in the service of Bruce to the violent
destruction of the Douglas earls in the 1450's. Alongside
this study of the accumulationand loss of power by one
great noble house, The Black Douglases includes
a series of thematic examinations of the nature of aristocratic
power. In particular these emphasise the link between
warfare and political power in southern Scotland during
the fourteenth century. For the Black Douglases, war was
not just a patriotic duty but the means to power and fame
in Scotland and across Europe. |
 |
|
| Grant, A. |
Independence & Nationhood: Scotland 1306-1469 |
1991 |
£9.95
or
$20.00 |
Amazon.co.uk
or
Amazon.com
|
Under Robert Bruce and his successors, Scotland's independence
from England was maintained and its sense of nationhood
developed. Alexander Grant shows how this had a profound
effect upon domestic as well as foreign affairs, and how
it led to the evolution of a distinctive Scottish government,
nobility, Church and economy. At the same time he puts
Scottish history into the international context of the
100 Years War, the economic and demographic upheaval caused
by the bubonic plague, and the Christianity of the pre-reformation
era.
Challenging traditional assumptions of general late-medieval
decline, Independence and Nationhood demonstrates
how the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries were a crucially
important period of change and growth for Scotland. |
 |
|
| McNamee, G. |
Wars of the Bruces: Scotland, England &
Ireland, 1306-28 |
1996 |
£14.99 |
Amazon.co.uk |
This is a very readable narrative of a momentous episode
in British history. Former studies of this topic concentrate
upon events in Scotland, but England's war with Robert
Bruce profoundly affected the whole of the British Isles.
Scottish raiders struck deep into the heartlands of Yorkshire
and Lancashire. Unable to resist, English communities
bought off the Scots, and in this way a fifth of England
came under tribute to the Scottish king. Edward Bruce
was proclaimed King of Ireland and came close to subduing
that country. The Isle of Man was captured; a Welsh sea-port
raided. In the North Sea the Scots allied with German
and Flemish pirates to cripple England's vital wool trade
and disrupt her war effort. Both sides strove to employ
Genoese galley fleets.
Biographies have appeared of the various leading personalities
involved, but no-one has hitherto attempted to link up
the various theatres of war in a comprehensive study.
The effects of the Bruce wars outside Scotland have never
before been systamatically examined; and the attempt to
establish a 'pan-celtic alliance' deserves its reassessment.
The emphasis on the wider implications of the war is justified
by the fact that the vast bulk of the archive material
relating to the war emanates from the English royal government
which was unable to operate in Scotland from1311.
A popular style and strong narrative thread greatly enliven
the author's research.Transcending national viewpoints,
this book portrays not the high deeds of great men, but
the horrors of war. |
 |
|
| Nicholson, R. |
Scotland: The Later Middle Ages |
1965 |
£15.99 |
Amazon.co.uk |
The four-volume Edinburgh History of Scotland
is the most important project in Scottish historical writing
for more than half a century; each volume is written by
an expert on the period who brings to his work the direct
acquaintance with original sources on which authoritative
historical writing can alone be based.
This, the second volume, covers the period from the close
of the 13th century to the Battle of Flodden. It presents
a sophisticated analysis of the facts and a comprehensive
description of all the varied and intricate aspects of
Scottish Medieval life. Although the book is detailed
enough to serve as a work of reference, the historical
development of the emergence of, possibly, the first self-conscious
nation of Europe into what was perhaps the first 'new
monarchy' of Europe may here be read as a continuous narrative
of events. Professor Nicholson presents a precise picture
of the economy, society and politics of medieval Scotland. |
 |
|
| Nusbacher, Aryeh |
The Battle of Bannockburn 1314 |
2000 |
£19.99
or
$32.50 |
Amazon.co.uk
or
Amazon.com
|
A history of the most celebrated battle between Scotland
and England, in which Robert the Bruce defeated Edward
II.
It has been nearly a century since a book on the Bannockburn
campaign of 1314 has been published for the general reader.
Recent scholarship has illuminated one of the most exciting
battles of Scottish history, showing it to be as historically
significant as it was romantic and bloody. This book carries
the reader through the politics and plans of a military
campaign of the Middle Ages, including the logistical
sinews of war, the drama of court intrigue and the violent
clash of soldier against soldier.
Using recent studies on weapons, warfare and Scottish
history, as well as sound archival sources, this book
opens the files on a year's preparation for a massive
English invasion of Scotland, from noble politics to common
victuals. Never neglecting the heroic legends surrounding
King Robert Bruce, the Black Douglas, King Edward Plantagenet
and Isabella, the She-Wolf of France, The Battle of
Bannockburn examines the common soldiers summoned
to war and the knights who fought near them but never
with them.
Pulled by chivalric ethics and pushed by Church politics,
two kings and their people came to the banks of the Bannockburn
to decide the fate of Stirling Castle and the domination
of Scotland. |
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| Paterson, R. C. |
For the Lion: A History of the Scottish Wars
of Independence |
1996 |
£9.95 |
Amazon.co.uk |
Seven hundred years ago King Edward I of England crossed
the Scottish border with a powerful army and began one
of the epic struggles of the Middle Ages - the Scottish
Wars of Independence.
For England the aim of the war was simple: to establish
an imperial sway over the whole of the British Isles.
Scotland had to prevail against its powerful southern
neighbour or face national obliteration.
The Anglo-Scots conflict can be divided into two distinct
phases: the First War of Independence, which concluded
when England recognised Robert Bruce as King of Scots
in 1328; and the Second War of Independence, in which
the English tried to oust Bruce's son and successor David
II, and place their own puppet king, Edward Balliol,
on the throne of Scotland.
This book is the first attempt to embrace in a single
volume the whole course of the wars from the invasion
of 1296 to the release of David from English captivity
in 1357. It aims to bring alive to a modern audience one
of the great dramas of British history, and to help them
understand what was one of the most formative periods
of the whole Scottish national experience. |
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| Scott, William |
Bannockburn Revealed |
2000 |
£25.00 |
Amazon.co.uk |
The Battle of Bannockburn has never made sense. How
did a tiny Scottish army defeat a far larger and more
powerful English army?
Here, for the first time, are all the reports of
eyewitnesses, translated and analysed in one book with
every relevant source and the finest maps ever
seen.
The errors of previous scholars are exposed.
Copies of original manuscripts, old maps and photos of
the battlefield are included and a host of new features
never understood before, some of them in the very ground
itself.
What emerges is a new picture of the battle which makes
sense, is justified and consistent for the first time.
It turns out that the Scots won because they were brilliant
and surprised their enemy by changing the battle tactics
of the time.
In the process, we have a new way of dealing with history
which is polymathic, analytical and exciting, where the
sources are lined up like batteries of cannon and the
truth, hidden before, shoots out at you.
Mathematics, science, psychology and philosophy have been
used in an elementary way to illuminate this important
event in Scottish history. Yet, it is easy to read and
understand. Even the learned will continually be arrested
by the new insights which pepper the text like grapeshot.
This is a book every Scot will want to read and read again,
to have, to hold and to treasure, for here is the very
best of Scotland: the definitive work on the battle. |
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| Traquair, P. |
Freedom's Sword: Scottish Wars of Independence |
2000 |
£9.99 |
Amazon.co.uk |
In 1997 Scotland voted to re-establish its parliament,
a landmark decision that is likely to pave the way for
an independent Scottish state. British political parties
have wrapped themselves in tartan: John Major returned
the Stone of Destiny; John Prescott retraced the steps
of the English army defeated at the Battle of Stirling
Bridge and the Scottish National Party used the film Braveheart
to launch a recruitment drive, standing outside cinemas
to hand out leaflets.
The film made William Wallace a household name, but it
bore little relation to the historical truth. As Freedom's
Sword reveals, this was quite unnecessary: there is
more than enough drama in the real events of the Wars
of Independence.
At a time when Scotland's relationship with England is
once again a major political issue, the past is being
used to justify the present. Freedom's Sword is
the first modern account of Scotland's longest conflict
with England, the series of wars that define the border
and poisoned Anglo-Scottish relations for 250 years. |
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| Watson, F. |
Under the Hammer: Edward I and Scotland, 1286-1307 |
1998 |
£14.99 |
Amazon.co.uk |
The history of war and conquest usually resounds to
the noise of battle: exciting, certainly, but ultimately
misleading because the war truly begins when the invading
army, conquest complete, goes home. It is the relationship
between the native population and those remaining behind
as part of the new administration which hold the key to
our understanding of not only the mechanisms of conquest,
but also the fundamental elements of government desired
by societies.
Nowhere is this more convincingly demonstrated than in
the attempted annexation of Scotland by Edward I of England,
already conqueror of Wales. Why could he not succeed against
an enemy he regarded as so inferior? The answer is complicated,
encompassing questions of provisioning and morale on the
one side, and national identity and leadership on the
other. The Scotland of Wallace and Bruce nearly succumbed,
having wrestled with contradictory desires for independence,
and for stability and united government, for nearly a
decade. The fact that, ultimately, she did not give in
illustrates that patriotism and its complement, self-interest,
unmeasured and unremarked in account books and recruitment
rolls, do indeed play a central role in discussions of
war and conquest, as they do in history itself.
Fiona Watson examines the process of conquest and attempted
colonisation of one medieval kingdom by another, concentrating
on that most vital aspect of conquest: the maintenance
of garrisons. She shows how the kingdom of Scotland was
able to marshal its resources and create a coherent and
cohesive national front to deal with a more powerful enemy,
illustrating the complicated and conflicting needs of
a medieval society in the face of a developing national
consciousness.
Under the Hammer provides a
much clearer picture of medieval Scotland - its varying
component parts; its sense of self; its strengths and
weaknesses. Much of this will surprise. |
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| Yeoman, Peter |
Medieval Scotland |
1995 |
£15.99 |
Amazon.co.uk |
Archaeology provides a truly 'down-to-earth' picture
of medieval life. Not only does the evidence come from
the ground - history that can be seen and touched - but
it deals with the everyday fundamentals of life that are
often ignored or taken for granted in written documents:
the food that ordinary people ate, their health, the clothes
they wore, the dwellings they lived in.
The high level of archaeological excavation over the last
20 years has enormously extended and enriched our picture
of 500 years of Scottish life.
In particular the author explores:
- life in the burghs, especially Perth, St Andrews
and Aberdeen
- the social role of the abbeys, friaries and parish
churches
- life in the country where most people lived and
where the castles and abbeys have been yielding up
their secrets
A lively text is enhanced by a varied and exciting range
of illustrations - photographs, reconstructions, plans,
excavated objects - many specially prepared for this book.
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| Young, A. |
Robert the Bruce's Rivals: the Comyns, 1212-1314 |
1997 |
£16.99 |
Amazon.co.uk |
The Comyns were the most powerful baronial family in
13th century Scotland, yet they have long been overshadowed
by the legendary heroes of Scottish medieval tradition,
Robert Bruce and William Wallace.
The aim of this book is to examine critically the 'bad
press' gained by the Comyns in post-Bruce Scotland. The
name 'Comyn' has long been associated in Scottish tradition
with treachery - the family were involved in the infamous
kidnapping of the young Alexander III in 1257, were accused
of treachery against William Wallace at the Battle of
Falkirk in 1298 and of betraying Robert Bruce to Edward
I of England in 1306. This reappraisal of the Comyns'
role concludes that the period 1212 to 1314 should be
regarded as the 'Comyn century' in Scottish history. Alan
young highlights the Comyns' role as pillars of the Scottish
monarchy and leaders of the political community of the
realm in this formative century. The family's interests
and influence extended into every corner of Scotland and
their castles controlled key lines of communication, especially
in northern Scotland.
It is against this background that Bruce's political ambitions
in Scotland and Edward I's attempts to influence Scottish
affairs in the late thirteenth century are set. Comyn
dominance of the Scottish political scene adds a new twist
to the murder of John Comyn by Robert Bruce in the Greyfriars'
Church at Dumfries in 1306 and to the impact of the battle
of Bannockburn (1314) on the power struggle within Scotland.
A non-Bruce view of 13th century Scottish history, the
Anglo-Scottish war and the development of a national consciousness
is fascinating. For the general reader, the issue of power
politics within Scotland and between England and Scotland
is a positive and constant central theme. |
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Historical Fiction Books on Robert Bruce:
| Author |
Title |
Published |
Price |
Order
Now From: |
| Tranter, Nigel |
The Bruce Trilogy; The Steps To the Empty Throne
/ The Path of the Hero King / The Price of the King's Peace |
1985 |
£12.99 |
Amazon.co.uk |
This trilogy tells the story of Robert the Bruce and
how, tutored and encouraged by the heroic William Wallace,
he determined to continue the fight for an independent
Scotland, sustained by a passionate love for his land.
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