The Soap Man: Lewis, Harris and Lord Leverhulme
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Review
Magnificent ... Roger Hutchinson is a master wordsmith --West Highland Free Press
Hutchinson sets his canvas alight ... he combines into one coherent narrative all the mighty forces that clashed and washed over the population of Lewis in the early 20th century --Sunday Herald
...readable as a novel, rich in insights ... has resonance far beyond the lives of its subjects --The Herald
Hutchinson sets his canvas alight ... he combines into one coherent narrative all the mighty forces that clashed and washed over the population of Lewis in the early 20th century --Sunday Herald
...readable as a novel, rich in insights ... has resonance far beyond the lives of its subjects --The Herald
Product Description
In 1918, as the First World War was drawing to a close, the eminent liberal industrial Lord Leverhulme bought - lock, stock and barrel - the Hebridean island of Lewis. His intention was to revolutionise the lives and environments of its 30,000 people, and those of neighbouring Harris, which he shortly added to his estate. For the next five years a state of conflict reigned in the Hebrides. Island seamen and servicemen returned from the war to discover a new landlord whose declared aim was to uproot their identity as independent crofter/fishermen and turn them into tenured wage-owners. They fought back, and this is the story of that fight. The confrontation resulted in riot and land seizure and imprisonment for the islanders and the ultimate defeat for one of the most powerful men of his day. The Soap Man paints a beguiling portrait of the driven figure of Lord Leverhulme, but also looks for the first time at the infantry of his opposition: the men and women of Lewis and Harris who for long hard years fought the law, their landowner, local business opinion and the entire media, to preserve the settled crofting population of their islands.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The story of the soap magnate, Lord Leverhulme, and his encounter with the crofters of Lewis and Harris is a lovely example of a (nearly) unstoppable force meeting an immoveable object. The former, Leverhulme, embodies the Victorian ideal of Progress while the latter is the islanders' determination to hold on to an ancientfcommmunal culture, largely indifferent to material betterment. Its not a simple matter of good v. bad, and the author manages to make us feel sympathetic to both sides. The characters spring to life - which is maybe what made the story (for me) so compelling. I recommend it highly.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
A fascinating book, made all the more fascinating because I read it immediately before taking a holiday on the Isles of Lewis and Harris; I wanted to find out more about Leverhulme's influence or (as it turned out) lack of influence on the islands. The start of the book is a little dry, with a lot of seemingly unnecessary historical baggage thrown in for good measure. But persist through the first 50 or so pages and the book will start to come to life. At first you feel sympathy for Leverhulme's aspirations for improving people's lives before realising that he was virtually ignorant in respect of the ordinary crofter's traditional way of life and the lack of progress on land reform in the years immediately prior to his proprietorship. I found the book absolutely fascinating, made more so towards the end by actually being on Lewis and seeing places referred to in the book, and I'd heartily recommend it to anyone considering a holiday on Lewis and/or Harris.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book is an excellent choice for anyone wanting to learn in greater depth about these marvellous islands than normal guidebook descriptions provide. Students of the social history of islands will find much to explain differences from mainland communities.
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