Product Description
Although at least 150 books have been penned about Scotland's national hero and the movie Braveheart catapulted his story to international folk hero status, the real William Wallace remains elusive. He is an enigma and it is hard to separate fact from fiction when examining either his exploits or his personal life. Even without popular embellishment, the life of William Wallace is the stuff of romance; a formidable warrior, he rose from comparative obscurity to become Guardian of Scotland, leading the successful popular uprising against Edward 1 of England which thwarted that monarch's plans to annexe Scotland. Having been betrayed and after a mock trial he was brutally killed in a horrific manner at Smithfield Elms in London on August 22nd 1305.
The author was fortunate enough during the writing of another book to have gained access to the Loudoun archives at Dumfries House in Ayrshire, some 200,000 ancient family documents. Material he discovered during his research there there set him off on the Wallace trail in the steps of Scotland's hero. This book is the result of his dogged search for the real story of Sir William and his impact on the history of the Scottish nation. During the journey artefacts previously thought lost were found and locations associated with his life re-discovered. As is often the case, the reality proves to be far more interesting than the myth.