Hugh G. Allison

This is a book in four parts that tells the story of Culloden: the circumstances leading up to the battle, the actual battle, the aftermath, and the stories that have been passed down to the descendants of those who were involved in the actual battle. The first two parts feel more like a continuous narrative, with each "tale" being a section of a bigger whole, and the last two parts feel more like a compilation of stories (as the title "Culloden Tales") would suggest. The writing is solid, and the author has taken great care to set the book's parameters and explain how he determines the accuracy of the information he presents. He also explains how he indicates information that is less easily verified.

One interesting aspect of this book is Part 3, which contains stories that visitors to Culloden have told him over the years. It helps establish the museum as a place where mutual learning can occur: it's not just the museum telling people things, but people telling the museum about their family stories and giving the staff avenues for further research.

And then there are the tales of those who work on the moor: a few spooky ghost stories for those who like the supernatural.

This may be a good starter book for someone who's never heard of or read anything about Culloden. The historical background is presented concisely and is easy to follow.

Postscript: the title "Culloden Tales" kept making me imagine this book as the basis for some sort of 1990s children's TV show, maybe like Today's Special or Theodore Tugboat, where it's set at the visitors' centre and every episode begins and ends at the front desk, where the staff member (or historical interpreter) introduces this week's Culloden Tale, and at the end sums up the story and imparts the lesson we should derive from it. I'd watch it.… (mehr)