John Prebble's Scotland

by John Prebble

First Edition. Slight wear. Pages are clean. Binding is tight. Price clipped on bottom front flap of DJ.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Scotland

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

John Edward Curtis Prebble, FRSL, OBE was an English/Canadian journalist, novelist, documentarian and historian. He is best known for his studies of Scottish history.

He was born in Edmonton, Middlesex, England, but he grew up in Saskatchewan, Canada, where his father had a brother. His parents emigrated there after World War I. Returning to England with his family, he attended the Latymer School. He joined the Communist Party of Great Britain but abandoned it after World War II.

Reviews

[Harvey Tordoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have visited Scotland many times, and read much of her history, but it is a difficult country to get to know. Her historical relationships with other nations, particularly the English, are on shifting sands. Alliances and treaties, enmity and warfare, if the time-traveller were to suddenly appear in some other century he would not automatically know friend from foe. Internally, the situation becomes even more confusing. There is a basic cultural divide between Lowlands and Highlands. But even within the Highlands, the area that seems to figure more prominently in the annals, alliances are formed and broken on the whim of clan chiefs. Or perhaps it is not so much the chief's whim; rather which side he thinks will be successful and therefore the more useful ally.

What we are left with today is a romantic notion of a dignified and honourable Highland way of life, disrupted and almost brought to an end by the insensitive and cruel English. In reality, Scottish Lowlanders often fell victim to unscrupulous and violent marauding bandits who swept out of the mountains and retreated there with their booty. Deceits and cruelties practised by the King's men were often matched by the clans, against each other. But the myth prevails. England is 'The Auld Enemy'. When England play Scotland at Hampden Park or Murrayfield Scottish passion mounts to a frenzy. In contrast, England's supporters are more passionate when their team plays Germany (at soccer) or New Zealand (at rugby) or Australia (at cricket). The auld enmity is rather one-sided.

John Prebble is an outsider (from Canada) with Scottish blood, and he brings to this book more objectivity than a Scot might manage; more knowledge and sympathy than an Englishman could muster. He is a delightful companion. He does not regale us with facts and figures, dates of battles and coronations, but takes us on a journey through the landscape, one with which he is intimately familiar, and talks about the past as if it were part of that same landscape. He treats us to folklore and anecdote, which often provide insights equal to documented accounts. I, too am becoming more and more familiar with Scotland's history and landscape, and Prebble's informal approach had me feeling like his companion. His lyrical prose brought back my own memories of cleared townships and ruined castles, and the deep, deep sadness of Glencoe and Culloden.

Reading this book was a moving and delightful experience. My only criticism is that at just over 200 lavishly-illustrated pages, it is far too short.

[Kittrell Rushing · Rating 1 out of 5]

The writing can best be described as "turgid"

[David Campton · Rating 2 out of 5]

This beautifully illustrated book has sat on my shelf for over 30 years having originally been purchased by my father in law, a proud Scot of left wing sensitivities. As such I can see why this book by Prebble, a left wing historian and screenwriter, born in England,brought up in Canada but besotted by the Highlands of Scotland might appeal. But I finally picked it up to read a month ago to fill in gaps in my knowledge in advance of a trip up to the west Highlands that didn't happen, with the misconception that it was an illustrated geographical history of Scotland. It isn't. It is an over-written personal elegy/travelogue, with no clear road map (actually a few maps among the beautiful photographs and etchings would have been helpful) or chronological timeline. He could have learnt some lessons from the journey and journals of Johnson and Boswell, or Hogg and others he repeatedly cites. As such interesting facts have to be mined out of the unrelenting prose, and whole swathes of important history are ignored or marginalised because he sees almost everything through the (truly appalling) Highland Clearances. He doesn't even tell personal anecdotes in an engaging manner. His frequent references to his visits to the Highlands with the actor James Robertson Justice, including the sentimental sign-off, don't actually make clear who he is. As such it reduces them to personal asides that will have almost no resonance for people beyond mu generation. I have recently introduced a "I'm not continuing to read an unengaging book beyond 50 pages" rule... I don't know how this book evaded that. Perhaps loyalty to my late father in law or a desire to know more about the Clearances, which were precursors to today's casual disregard for people in pursuit of profit... Neither was sufficient justification for this waste of time sadly.

[Rod · Rating 4 out of 5]

I dipped into this when I found it in the holiday house we hired in Scotland this April. I thought it was great and so took a picture of it and subsequently found it on Amazon marketplace. The book is packed full of information, presented in a most interesting way. I will read it again I am sure, as one cannot absorb it all at one reading! I have downloaded Johnson's account of his Scottish Tour with Boswell as a direct result, and have also purchased the author's 'Culloden'.