Bare-Arsed Banditti
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Book Description
A collection of stories of individual men set in the context of the '45
Product Description
They were modern men: doctors and lawyers, students and teachers, shoemakers and shopkeepers, farmers, gardeners and weavers. Children of the Age of Reason, they wrote poetry, discussed the latest ideas in philosophy and science - and rose in armed rebellion against the might of the British crown and government.
Sons of a restless nation that had unwillingly surrendered its independence a mere generation before, some were bound by age-old ties of Highland kinship and loyalty. Others rallied to the cries of 'Prosperity to Scotland' and 'No Union!'
Many faced agonising personal dilemmas before committing themselves to Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobite Cause. Few had any illusions about the consequences of failure. Many met their date with destiny on Culloden Moor, players in a global conflict that shaped the world we live in today.
Combining meticulous research with entertaining and stylish delivery, Maggie Craig tells the dramatic and moving stories of the men who were willing to risk everything for their vision of a better future for themselves, their families and Scotland.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
'Bare-Arsed Banditti' by Maggie Craig is a collection of short stories detailing the experiences of men who served the House of Stuart in the Jacobite army of 1745/46. Rather than concentrating on the history and wider scope of events, the author intends this as a book "about people" and to 'give a voice' to those people who often become just another name in history.
Through painstaking research of correspondences by the men who partook in the '45 the author paints a colourful picture of the campaign as it unravelled and the personalities of these willing and/or unwilling participants. Although primarily a book about Jacobites, we also hear the poignant tale of Colonel Gardiner- slain within site of his own house, an account of the unfortunate General Cope and the story of Andrew Cochrane, the Whig provost of Glasgow. Famous followers of the House of Stuart in the form of the stalwarts Lord Pitsligo, John Roy Stuart and James Johnstone feature alongside lesser known Jacobites such as Donald MacDonell of Tirnadris, Roderick MacKenzie and Robert Lyon, the latter three giving the ultimate sacrifice for their devotion.
Perhaps the most fascinating chapter of all is that which details the correspondences of the common Jacobite soldiers, the Highland clansmen, who's letters intended (but intercepted or captured) for their families during the campaign are curiously tucked away in a corner of the Public Record Office in London. This is rare insight into individuals who have become cloaked in myth over time and reminds us today that these were family men with feelings and thoughts we can associate strongly with today.
'Bare-Arsed Banditti' is an entirely approachable and informal read, delivered by the author with style, subtlety and strength. This, along with Maggie Craig's Clydeside sense of humour and wit- which is evident throughout the narrative- make this book appealing to a wider audience than just the historian. For serious scholars of Jacobitism there is not much new here, many of the tales one would have heard before although, as previously mentioned, there are some lesser known gems hidden in the text. Certainly worth adding to the collection, if only as a light-hearted, informal read.
Three and a half stars.
Through painstaking research of correspondences by the men who partook in the '45 the author paints a colourful picture of the campaign as it unravelled and the personalities of these willing and/or unwilling participants. Although primarily a book about Jacobites, we also hear the poignant tale of Colonel Gardiner- slain within site of his own house, an account of the unfortunate General Cope and the story of Andrew Cochrane, the Whig provost of Glasgow. Famous followers of the House of Stuart in the form of the stalwarts Lord Pitsligo, John Roy Stuart and James Johnstone feature alongside lesser known Jacobites such as Donald MacDonell of Tirnadris, Roderick MacKenzie and Robert Lyon, the latter three giving the ultimate sacrifice for their devotion.
Perhaps the most fascinating chapter of all is that which details the correspondences of the common Jacobite soldiers, the Highland clansmen, who's letters intended (but intercepted or captured) for their families during the campaign are curiously tucked away in a corner of the Public Record Office in London. This is rare insight into individuals who have become cloaked in myth over time and reminds us today that these were family men with feelings and thoughts we can associate strongly with today.
'Bare-Arsed Banditti' is an entirely approachable and informal read, delivered by the author with style, subtlety and strength. This, along with Maggie Craig's Clydeside sense of humour and wit- which is evident throughout the narrative- make this book appealing to a wider audience than just the historian. For serious scholars of Jacobitism there is not much new here, many of the tales one would have heard before although, as previously mentioned, there are some lesser known gems hidden in the text. Certainly worth adding to the collection, if only as a light-hearted, informal read.
Three and a half stars.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
1 review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
HIGHLY RECOMMEND
30 Oct 2009
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
If you want to make the '45 jump off the pages of a history book and come alive then this is the book for you. Campaigns are fought by a variety of people who often pay a very dear price for their beliefs but history books introduce us to the main players and these other important contributors are lost in the narrative. Maggie Craig gives them a voice and a face. It gives a sociological view of the reality of that time so you can understand the 'why'. So many people beyond Bonnie Prince Charlie were involved in the '45 for a variety of reasons and this book lets you see and understand their reasons and what society felt about this period and its events. It would be like you and I reading and watching cable news about the struggle in Iraq ... we're living it and we see the people involved and understand why some do or say what they do whereas when Iraq is relegated to the history books, it will be a litany of names, places and dates without the things we see each day. So much of the everyday substance will not be told.
This book is a tribute to those people that didn't make it to the history books but played vital roles none the less and add to the overall knowledge of the '45. I have a collection of research/reference books on the '45 and this book was a pleasure to read and add. War is human sacrifice and loss but all too often, we don't see that point of view.
This book is a tribute to those people that didn't make it to the history books but played vital roles none the less and add to the overall knowledge of the '45. I have a collection of research/reference books on the '45 and this book was a pleasure to read and add. War is human sacrifice and loss but all too often, we don't see that point of view.
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