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A Scottish Postbag: Eight Centuries of Scottish Letters
In this work, George Bruce and Paul Henderson Scott have compiled a selection of Scottish letters covering eight centuries and involving many of the great historical, literary and political figures in Scotland's past.
270 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 1986
About the author
George Bruce
34 booksGeorge Robert Bruce was a Scottish poet, author and radio and television producer. He was born in Fraserburgh and the Broch and the Aberdeenshire coast were in his blood.
Bruce attended Fraserburgh Academy and then Aberdeen University, from where he graduated with first-class honours in English in 1932. From 1933 to 1946 he taught English and History at Dundee High School and for the following decade he was producer of programmes for BBC Radio at Aberdeen. It was a post for which his deep understanding of the North-East made him ideally suited; the programme Scottish Life and Letters ran for over twenty years. In 1956 he moved to Edinburgh to work as a features producer for BBC television until his retirement in 1970; his production Counterpoint was the first television arts programme in Scotland.
After retiring from the BBC he was theatre and literary critic for the Sunday Times until 1976; he became the first Creative Writing Fellow for Glasgow University in 1971, and took visiting professorships at several universities in the United States and Australia. He was an active member of the council of the Saltire Society, and wrote histories of that body, of the Edinburgh International Festival and of the Cockburn Society.
His enthusiasms were not confined to literature and drama. He wrote about Scottish sculpture and the painter Anne Redpath. He also worked on a joint project with the painter John Bellany.
Bruce attended Fraserburgh Academy and then Aberdeen University, from where he graduated with first-class honours in English in 1932. From 1933 to 1946 he taught English and History at Dundee High School and for the following decade he was producer of programmes for BBC Radio at Aberdeen. It was a post for which his deep understanding of the North-East made him ideally suited; the programme Scottish Life and Letters ran for over twenty years. In 1956 he moved to Edinburgh to work as a features producer for BBC television until his retirement in 1970; his production Counterpoint was the first television arts programme in Scotland.
After retiring from the BBC he was theatre and literary critic for the Sunday Times until 1976; he became the first Creative Writing Fellow for Glasgow University in 1971, and took visiting professorships at several universities in the United States and Australia. He was an active member of the council of the Saltire Society, and wrote histories of that body, of the Edinburgh International Festival and of the Cockburn Society.
His enthusiasms were not confined to literature and drama. He wrote about Scottish sculpture and the painter Anne Redpath. He also worked on a joint project with the painter John Bellany.
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Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
May 29, 2014
I stumbled across this in the stacks. It is an assortment of letters from Scottish luminaries, including David Hume, Lord Byron, Robert Burns, Adam Smith, James Watt, Sir Walter Scott, and many others. I found the first letter in the book to be the most interesting. It was drafted by Mary, Queen of Scots, just hours before her execution.
Given the nature of the book, it is difficult to rate. I found it to be worthwhile even though I don't have any special interest in Scottish history.
Given the nature of the book, it is difficult to rate. I found it to be worthwhile even though I don't have any special interest in Scottish history.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review