|
Reviews
Book Review
“In
Search of the Knights Templar – A Guide to the Sites in Britain”
by Simon Brighton
Published by Weidenfield & Nicolson. ISBN 0-297-84433-4. £20.00.
As a young man, the author was fascinated by Templar ruins near
to his home in Lincolnshire. On growing up, he began to visit
all the sites he could find, taking pictures and carrying out
research. The result is this book, which is to be highly
recommended, in which he describes forty-two sites in Britain,
five of which are in Scotland.
It is extremely well-illustrated. Every site has several colour
pictures associated with it, all very clear and relevant to the
text. Many are close-ups of details easy to miss on a brief
visit. The sites unknown to the reader will, of course, be of
great interest, but I found the ones I had been fortunate enough
to visit looked even better than I remembered.
The text is well-written and well-informed. There are many
points the author draws to our attention with a view to
encouraging further research. He raises questions about
carvings, pictures or graves and tries to answer without being
glib but in the spirit of scientific enquiry. The historical
knowledge displayed in the book is extensive and yet the book is
approachable by any reader.
It is beautifully illustrated and intelligently written. Anyone
who is either learning about the Templars for the first time or
interested in investigating sites associated with them will
enjoy it and find it informative.
Dorothy Hatchett BA
Knights Templar
History of the Order of the Temple of Jerusalem: From 1118 to
2005
by Chev Leo Thys KCTJ
ISBN 9-0901-9317-0
New Review by William Reed Colby-Newton, October 2007
Scotland's Essential
History
What’s in the new History Channel Documentary?
“Scotland’s history:
thousands of years of human drama played out on the north west
fringe of Europe. One of the oldest nations in the world.”
Neil Oliver.
“You hear the sound
of gunfire, that is the sound of Britain and Scotland being
dragged kicking and screaming into the modern era”
Tony Pollard.
“One Burns is worth
a thousand Bannockburns.”
Owen Dudley Edwards
“Scotland’s Essential History”
is presented by the versatile archaeologist and historian Neil
Oliver, best known until now for his TV programme “Two Men in a
Trench”. Cleverly it draws on interviews on the street with
members of the Scottish public asking them what is important in
Scottish History, and then goes to experts in their field to
expand on the topics.
It starts with
The Wars of Independence: Wallace and
Bruce,
interpreted capably and charmingly by Dr Fiona Watson. It
continues with the seminal Declaration of
Arbroath,
explained by Professor Ted Cowan, the
Renaissance under James IV and James V
with Dr Katie Stevenson, the Reformation
with Dr Jenny Wormald, the end of Scotland’s independence with
the Treaty of Union
with Professor Richard Finlay. The
Jacobites are
tackled by Neil’s “Two Men in a Trench” co-presenter Tony
Pollard. The often overlooked early 19th century
Radicalism
gets sympathetic treatment from Michael Donnelly.
Engineers and Inventors: James Watt
is presented by Rowan Brown.
The
Enlightenment
receives a fresh
look with Radio 4 Today Programme’s James Naughtie, who reviews
Adam Smith and David Hume and there is a passionate exposition
of Robert Burns
by Owen Dudley Edwards. The Clearances
are covered frankly by Dr Donald William Stuart “…you could
even call it the scar on the conscience of a nation.”.
Scotland’s considerable colonial impact is assessed in
Scotland’s Empire
by Michael Fry, the forgotten Slave Trade
by Dr James Robertson, Drink
predictably by connoisseur Charles MacLean,
Tartanry
by Dr Margaret Bennett, and Bruce Borthwick argues in
Scientists: James Clerk Maxwell,
that he was the greatest of all of Scotland’s geniuses.
Scotland’s
achievement in Medecine
are summarised by Dr Nazim Ghouri. An un expected consequence
of the vast impact of World War One
is proposed by Trevor Royle. In introducing the last section,
Thatcher,
presented by David Stewart, Neil Oliver tells us that when the
late Donald Dewar was told that he was the father of the
Scottish Parliament he said “If I am the father Mrs Thatcher
must be the mother.”
“Scotland’s Essential History”
is, as it suggests, essential viewing for anyone with an interest in Scottish
History and should be part of Scotland’s Schools’ curriculum
where children are more likely to know about Henry VIII of
England than King Robert Bruce who helped secure Scotland for
its unique development and contribution to the world.
Chev I Laird MA FSA Scot
KCTpl
Scotland's Essential History - showing on The History Channel
broadcast Monday 29th
October at 1000 hrs GMT.
We supported the
St Andrew's Day petition for the Teaching of Scottish Culture in
Scottish Schools
|
