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James the Good: The Black Douglas
Sir James the Good - or 'Black Douglas' as he was known by the English - terrified the northern shires of England throughout the reign of King Robert the Bruce and the Wars of Independence. David R. Ross brings history alive as he tells the story of Sir James' life.
272 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2008
About the author
David R. Ross
20 books8 followersDavid Robertson Ross was a patriotic Scot who loved his country and its people. He was passionate about the rich tapestry of Scottish history. David was a writer and historian who specialised in the great Scottish hero, Sir William Wallace. Although Wallace and the Wallace Society took up a great deal of David's time, he still managed to write about Scotland and her historical past with poignancy and a touch of humour.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 8, 2021
James The Good: The Black Douglas
A good book to pair with this reading might be - Robert Bruce and the Community of the Realm of Scotland, G.W.S. Barrow
"Hush ye, hush ye, little pet ye. The Black Douglas will not get ye.",
say the words of a mother scolding her child;
"Don't be so sure of that...",
responds the unsettled father.
Such was the rhyme famously spread across the whole of England about this one man: who in England was notoriously known as The Black Douglas, but in Scotland was celebrated as The Good Sir James Douglas - echoing with the same affection from the Scots for their illustrious king, the name of Good King Robert. By another, Sir Douglas is also attributed the title, "Hammer of the English".
Where Sir James Douglas led, courage and victory followed. A knight born in Douglasdale, which at the time after 1297 was in English hands, sought to restore Scotland's sovereign independence as well as his own heraldry, and repel the English invaders out of foreign land back home. His father, Sir William, Lord of Douglas, fought with William Wallace on many battles including Stirling Bridge, but was captured at the end of the campaign, and died in France. Sir James Douglas appealed to Edward I for his inheritance being restored in 1305 at a meeting in Stirling, but was dismissed. This set him up to find and join in Robert the Bruce's cause.
Robert the Bruce's "Arthurian" Round-Table consisted of many experienced and skilled military men and tacticians; Sir Edward the Bruce, Sir Thomas Randolph of Morey, Sir William Keith of Galston, Sir William Stewart, but his lieutenant, the right-hand man, was Sir James Douglas. His war cries as he charged the fields against the English, "Douglas! Douglas!", were legendary and feared. Such was that the mere mention of his name, when Henry Percy of Alnwick had decided to invade Scotland and lay waste Teviotdale, in pursuing him led Henry Percy to fully retreat for shelter in Newcastle's walls around 1327, after the battle of Weardale where Sir Douglas almost managed to capture king Edward II in the hope of bargaining for peace and English recognition of his king and Country.
In all, Sir James Douglas was at the forefront of every major battle - he would be ruthless, just as the English had been. To guarantee stopping garrisons from fortifying and resting in Scotland's castles, he and Robert the Bruce would remorsefully torch and demolish many of them in their seizing, including his own at Douglasdale. At one time, Robert the Bruce headed over to the Highlands to consolidate his kingship, whilst Sir James Douglas stayed in The Forest at the Lowlands, both independently commanding their force to repel English forces from the castles and fields.
Such was the strength of one man, and the common identity and desire of the Scottish people alongside their adored king: that upon learning of the final venture Sir James Douglas took to fulfill his king's final request, leading him to victory one last time abroad to Spain in foreign conditions and foreign land, put a tear in my eye as I imagined the poetic battle and scene, hearing that final battle-cry as the Scots charged on at the unsuspecting Moorish opponents,
"Douglas! Douglas!"
A good book to pair with this reading might be - Robert Bruce and the Community of the Realm of Scotland, G.W.S. Barrow
"Hush ye, hush ye, little pet ye. The Black Douglas will not get ye.",
say the words of a mother scolding her child;
"Don't be so sure of that...",
responds the unsettled father.
Such was the rhyme famously spread across the whole of England about this one man: who in England was notoriously known as The Black Douglas, but in Scotland was celebrated as The Good Sir James Douglas - echoing with the same affection from the Scots for their illustrious king, the name of Good King Robert. By another, Sir Douglas is also attributed the title, "Hammer of the English".
Where Sir James Douglas led, courage and victory followed. A knight born in Douglasdale, which at the time after 1297 was in English hands, sought to restore Scotland's sovereign independence as well as his own heraldry, and repel the English invaders out of foreign land back home. His father, Sir William, Lord of Douglas, fought with William Wallace on many battles including Stirling Bridge, but was captured at the end of the campaign, and died in France. Sir James Douglas appealed to Edward I for his inheritance being restored in 1305 at a meeting in Stirling, but was dismissed. This set him up to find and join in Robert the Bruce's cause.
Robert the Bruce's "Arthurian" Round-Table consisted of many experienced and skilled military men and tacticians; Sir Edward the Bruce, Sir Thomas Randolph of Morey, Sir William Keith of Galston, Sir William Stewart, but his lieutenant, the right-hand man, was Sir James Douglas. His war cries as he charged the fields against the English, "Douglas! Douglas!", were legendary and feared. Such was that the mere mention of his name, when Henry Percy of Alnwick had decided to invade Scotland and lay waste Teviotdale, in pursuing him led Henry Percy to fully retreat for shelter in Newcastle's walls around 1327, after the battle of Weardale where Sir Douglas almost managed to capture king Edward II in the hope of bargaining for peace and English recognition of his king and Country.
In all, Sir James Douglas was at the forefront of every major battle - he would be ruthless, just as the English had been. To guarantee stopping garrisons from fortifying and resting in Scotland's castles, he and Robert the Bruce would remorsefully torch and demolish many of them in their seizing, including his own at Douglasdale. At one time, Robert the Bruce headed over to the Highlands to consolidate his kingship, whilst Sir James Douglas stayed in The Forest at the Lowlands, both independently commanding their force to repel English forces from the castles and fields.
Such was the strength of one man, and the common identity and desire of the Scottish people alongside their adored king: that upon learning of the final venture Sir James Douglas took to fulfill his king's final request, leading him to victory one last time abroad to Spain in foreign conditions and foreign land, put a tear in my eye as I imagined the poetic battle and scene, hearing that final battle-cry as the Scots charged on at the unsuspecting Moorish opponents,
"Douglas! Douglas!"
June 3, 2025
Incredible tales of one of Europe’s most renowned warriors of the High Middle Ages.
David R. Ross has a talent for making you feel like you’re spectating the battle of Bannockburn live alongside Bruce and Co. whilst simultaneously being able to reference the battle from your own experience of the battle location.
Ross also has a talent for stirring intense national pride and resentment for the union through vivid recounts of shameless English invasions. I wonder what the referendum result would be if Robert the Bruce was our leader instead of Nicola Sturgeon…
David R. Ross has a talent for making you feel like you’re spectating the battle of Bannockburn live alongside Bruce and Co. whilst simultaneously being able to reference the battle from your own experience of the battle location.
Ross also has a talent for stirring intense national pride and resentment for the union through vivid recounts of shameless English invasions. I wonder what the referendum result would be if Robert the Bruce was our leader instead of Nicola Sturgeon…
September 20, 2014
I enjoyed it and the author's passionate exploration of Scotland's past and what the battle and event sites currently look like. It's part history and part travel guide so that if you want to follow in the footsteps of James Douglas and David R. Ross you can. Unfortunately David R. Ross died within the last few years so we'll have no more books from him. Our loss.
October 2, 2008
this book certainly awakens any feelings of patriotism that might have been lying dormant for some time. an excellent read, very informative and makes you want to go and search out the various castles and places that are mentioned. i would highly reccommend everyone to read this.
March 6, 2012
Having had the opportunity to meet Sir David Ross on several occasions (my copy of this book is autographed) I can say that he writes with the same flourish with which he would give his lectures on Scottish warfare. A great man who died too soon...
July 4, 2015
Ross has an easy to read style that keeps your interest in events from hundreds of years ago.
January 4, 2018
Excellent insight to the Black Douglas
July 14, 2020
The definitive book on Sir James Douglas.
May 15, 2025
Well done
I saw the book displayed at Bannockburn and wish I had known of it BEFORE my trip to Scotland. Lots of details. A story well told. I'd never heard of James (I'm American) and am glad I have, now. If you like visiting historic sites, this will give you many candidates. (I'd use some exclamation points but Mr. Ross used them all.)
I saw the book displayed at Bannockburn and wish I had known of it BEFORE my trip to Scotland. Lots of details. A story well told. I'd never heard of James (I'm American) and am glad I have, now. If you like visiting historic sites, this will give you many candidates. (I'd use some exclamation points but Mr. Ross used them all.)
October 11, 2023
I love a doughnut biography, fam. By that I mean, a biography that starts with holes in it by necessity because time and circumstance have eroded physical evidence and primary sources for some of the content; so we use the ring of pastry we have, and scraps of dough from other, similar, pastries to build on it, and acknowledge the parts that we can plain cannot know or eat but have a lot of fun with it anyway. Bettany Hughes does this beautifully with her biographies of Socrates and Helen of Troy - David Ross's style is very much not Hughes's lyrical and rigorously academic style but it has produced a loving, thoroughly researched, personable and accessible biography of a lesser known hero of medieval Scotland. The text is very conversational in style, informal, chatty almost, in a way that would lend itself to campfire storytelling or historical documentary. And if the book is laced with fiery references to modern Scottish politics, ah well, you don't publish a book written by a Scot about the Scottish Wars of Independence and expect him to to be impartial.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews