Thistle Versus Rose

by Susan Morrison, Albert Jack

'Ask a Scotsman for directions and he'll tell you which way to go. Ask an Englishman and he'll try to sell you a map.' Anon

'Oats. A grain, which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people. 'Samuel Johnson

It's 700 years since the Scots and English went head-to-head at the Battle of Bannockburn... and we've been winding each other up ever since. Has there ever been a better time to celebrate seven centuries of love, hatred and indifference?

Susan Morrison and Albert Jack offer the view from each side of the border in this hilarious miscellany of Anglo-Scots rivalry, featuring quotes, stories and trivia from Stephen Fry, Bill Bryson, Jimmy Carr, Robert Burns, Billy Connolly, Frankie Boyle, Robert Louis Stevenson, Samuel Johnson and many, many others.

Genres: Scotland, Nonfiction, Humor

176 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2014

About the author

Susan Morrison is a landscape designer, master gardener and writer in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her designs have been featured in various publications, including the San Francisco Chronicle, Horticulture and Fine Gardening Magazine, where she also contributes articles on design and plant selection.

An early convert to the value of social media, she connects with gardeners from all over the world via Twitter and Facebook, and is a founding member of the Lawn Reform Coalition and the Garden Designer's Roundtable. In addition to writing for traditional media, Susan blogs about her life as a landscape designer and shares her challenges and successes as a home gardener at Blue Planet Garden Blog.

Reviews

[Lauren]

Whoever headed up the cover and design for this book is a genius (and likely not paid enough). Featuring “two” covers, one side features the history of English and Scottish relations from the Scotch perspective, the other from the English.

A brief, comedic book, I’ll admit I found the Scot half more entertaining (and better organized around the topic). A brief but entertaining read with some fascinating tidbits. Recommended.

[Meaghan]

This is an excellent little book, ranging from "amusing" to "hilarious" throughout.