Michael Penman

I admit this is the first book on Bruce I have read, so I have nothing to compare it against- though I am aware that there are any other books on him around. Penman’s work provides a rich and detailed account of Bruce’s life and reign, of a similar style to the Yale English Monarchs Series. Like that series by the same publisher, the scholarship and research is of the highest quality- although it must be said that this is not a biography in the traditional sense- though it is a chronological account of his reign. There is much about ‘domestic politics and the establishment of Robert I’s regime, as his military exploits, motivations, and sometimes influences but those seeking more personal details may be disappointed.

Of course, given a particular anniversary this year this book is certainly a timely study. However, the form of idealised nationalism espoused perhaps by such as Alex Salmond MSP is not necessarily accommodated here. Robert Bruce is, in a sense, laid bare in all his heroism and glory- but also brutality and, occasionally, duplicity. That infamous incident with John Comyn in the church his role during the time of William Wallace are not avoided-and some traditional beliefs regarding these seriously questioned. The murder of Comyn, Penman suggests, may have been premeditated- the act of a man who required either the support or else the elimination of this prominent family to further his cause.

As for Wallace- it is claimed Wallace may well have favoured a Bruce claim- at least after the English victory at Falkirk.
Other myths and misconceptions are also refuted- I’ve known for a while that the notion that John Balliol was nothing more than a toadie of Edward I, forced upon the Scots by him, may not actually have been true- but this confirms it- and in fact Bruce himself was described as a ‘loyal servant’ of the English King at one point.

Yet such myth-busting is not the primary purpose of the work, and almost everything is covered, from land grants, marriages and alliances, to the re-organisation of the political landscape, diplomacy and international relations.
My only real complaint is that the detail of the work could leave the more general reader bogged down- it’s certainly taking me a long time to read, and I admit I have not yet finished it, but overall this is an excellent and useful account of the real Braveheart, who originally bore the epithet.

I received a free E-galley of this book from Netgalley for review, I was not required to write a positive one and all opinions expressed are my own.
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