A Scottish perspective on the world of publishing, plus brilliant books for you to win
THE VOICES BY ALEX MACRAE ELK CLASSIC PUBLISHING, PAPERBACK, £9.99.
If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if, back in 1969, you gave a group of South Uist crofters a Kodak 200, a tape recorder and a couple of bottles of whisky, then this is the publication for you. The end result is a mixture of photography, reminiscences, and some grainy – yet haunting – recordings, on a CD which contains both conversations and songs.
A NEW HISTORY OF THE PICTS BY STUART MCHARDY LUATH PRESS, HARDBACK, £14.99.
McHardy attempts to
bring fresh colour to the
history of Scotland’s painted people and coax them from their dark and damp prehistoric lairs. While he undoubtedly does succeed in sketching an outline of these enigmatic Highlanders he, unsurprisingly given the paucity of sources, fails to paint an entirely convincing portrait of Scotland’s early inhabitants.
CHARLES RENNIE MACINTOSH BY JAMES MACAULAY NORTON,
HARDBACK, £42.
CRM needs little
introduction to either those from his homeland or to students of design and architecture around the world, but this book helps to cement his place as one of the leading lights of the Arts & Crafts movement as well as a pioneer of Modernism. Penned by a former chairman of the Society of Architectural Historians, it is both illuminating and well-informed.
THE GUNMAKER’S GIFT BY MATTHEW PLAMPIN
HARPERCOLLINS, HARDBACK, £16.99 Following a triumphant display at The Great
Exhibition, Samuel Colt, the man behind the revolver, apparently opened a factory amongst the streets of Victorian London. And, while the British Empire may have been seeking to nurture peace and prosperity, Colt’s factory soon becomes a hotbed of intrigue, as various factions seek his deadly invention for nefarious ends.
’ROUND
EYEMOUTH BY ALAN DEARLING AND OLIVER CARFRAE
ENABLER PUBLICATIONS, PAPERBACK, £7.99. The old Berwickshire village that was founded largely on fi sh is given a much- needed update in this interesting guide. Including historical background and points of interest both in the village and beyond, it acts as a useful incentive to explore both its colourful past and its varied contemporary topographical surrounds.
BLOOD KNOTS BY LUKE JENNINGS ATLANTIC BOOKS, HARDBACK, £16.99.
Delicately fusing childhood
recollections with tales from
the riverbank, this fi sh-infused memoir acts as reminder of how fi shing inspires greater literature than virtually any other pastime and certainly, with the possible exception of mountaineering, more interesting refl ections than any other sport.
To win all the books featured here, send your name and address on a postcard to Scottish Field June’s Book Giveaway, Craigcrook Castle, Craigcrook Road, Edinburgh EH4 3PE by 30 June. One lucky winner will be chosen. You can also enter by visiting
www.scottishfi
eld.co.uk. The winner of April’s books was
Win these books Mr J Forsyth of Cambuslang. WWW.SCOTTISHFIELD.CO.UK 45
The truth about St Kilda
BY DONALD JOHN GILLIES
JOHN DONALD, PAPERBACK, £9.99.
Despite the small scale and geographical isolation of the St Kildan archipelago, the islands have inspired a truly phenomenal volume of writing – apparently over 700 books and articles all told. Yet, despite this monumental output, the international fascination of this Atlantic outpost is seemingly undimmed – hence the recent publication of John Gillies’ memoirs of his own time on the isles. Living there from 1901 until
1924, the Reverend Gillies’ recollections are undoubtedly one of the best primary sources on life in the islands, and this volume, edited by John Randall, is made up of material from seven notebooks that Gillies fi lled with his own fi rst- hand experiences, which were not discovered until Gillies’ death in Vancouver in 1993. Perhaps because they were
written when in his 80s, the notebooks offer a somewhat fragmentary account, rather than a coherent personal history, and include tales that may have been warped somewhat by the distorting fi lter of time. Nevertheless, despite its piecemeal nature, the resulting book provides a fascinating and untapped resource and one that does much to dispel many of the myths that have sprung up since Martin Martin fi rst wrote about the islands over three centuries ago.
win
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