Highland Clansman, 1689-1746 (Warrior) (Paperback)

"Clans were actually comprised of an agricultural peasantry dominated by a warrior aristocracy"

This is offensive.
The history in this book is strongly influenced by Prebble's "Scotland doomed itself" cynicism, which is an obsolete view of Scotland.
It is obvious from the bias of the text that Mr Reid's passion is for the British Army and perhaps he should have confined himself to that topic.
No true Highlander would ever don a redcoat.
Stuart Reid betrays his true colours with the following statment;

"Ironically enough, it was only after his assimilation into the British Army after 1745 that the Highland Clansman was able to achieve his full military potential."

What "those" Highlanders did for the British Army was nothing to be proud of, they were not defending their land or way of life, instead they were zealously depriving others of theirs and all in the name of the Glorious British Empire. That should have been made paramount.
It would not be possible within a thousand words to correct all the errors, half truths, misleading and illconceived opinions in this book but here are a few:
Whislt Peatbog bodies are fascinating, only two or three have ever been recovered in the Highlands. Too few a sample to extrapolate what all Highlanders wore. If in a thousand years an alien achaeologist digs up a mummified Marilyn Manson is he to deduce all Americans dressed like this?
The idea that Highlanders who did not wear the plaid ran around in their shirt tails is a ludicrous myth which should not be propogated unless you want to be thought of as a fool. (page12)
Scottish flintlock pistols absolutely did not have "cast steel" stocks (page 32) they were actually wrought over a mandril or "T" shaped stake anvil, never cast.
The Snaphaunce lock does not require the pan to be "opened manualy" (page46) the author obviously has never handled a Scottish Snaphaunce pistol. In point of fact the pan is connected to the cock by an internal rod which opens the pan automatically as the cock falls.
Plate H.figure 9a actually depicts a 19th century British Army pastiche basket hilt and not a 18th century weapon.
Macdomniull is the gaelic for Macdonald not Mackinnon (page55)
And so it goes on...
Another non Highlander telling us about our history! the Nabob of non Highland historians feasting off the carcass of the Gaeldom. It would seem the Empire's death throws linger.

The books one redeeming quality are the illustrations. I rather like Angus Mcbride's wimsical colour plates. Also printed are some of the "Penicuik" drawings, they are too important to be poorly reproduced in this work. Therefore try and obtain;
"Witness to Rebellion: John Maclean's journal of the Forty-five and the Penicuik Drawings" 1996 by Brown & Cheape. There you will find more authentic reproductions of these works.
If you really want to learn real Scottish history then come here! Failing that read the works of Ian Grimble, not Prebble.
One day there will be a statue of Ian Grimble on "Beinn a Bhragaidh" near Golspie to replace the Duke of Sutherland, and perhaps then we can consign Hanoverian propoganda and bad Scottish history like Reid's to the gardirobe.
A NATIVE HIGHLANDER.