Fiction
1
Birlinn Limited was established in 1992 by Managing Director Hugh Andrew, and is comprised of a number of imprints. Birlinn publishes Scottish and general UK interest books, from biography to history, military history, sport and Scottish Gaelic. Children’s books are also included in this list. The name comes from the old Norse word ‘birlinn’, meaning a long boat or small galley used especially in the Hebrides and West Highlands of Scotland in the Middle Ages. Polygon publishes literary fiction and poetry, both classic and modern, from Scottish writers such as Robin Jenkins, George Mackay Brown and the author of the No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series, Alexander McCall Smith, as well as selected music and film titles. International writers including Jan-Philipp Sendker, Rita Monaldi and Francesco Sorti are also published under this imprint. Polygon was originally set up by students of Edinburgh University in the late 1960s. Arena Sport is Birlinn’s sport imprint and is designed for the general trade. The sport books range from football and rugby, to golf and cycling. These books have an international as well as national appeal. Arena’s first titles were published in June 2013. John Donald publishes academic books.
BIRLINN LTD West Newington House 10 Newington Road Edinburgh EH9 1QS Tel: +44 (0) 131 668 4371 Fax: +44 (0) 131 668 4466 info@birlinn.co.uk
RIGHTS REPRESENTED BY SCRIPT AGENCY Maria White scriptagency2010@aol.co.uk Mobile: +44 7866713512
CUSTOMER AND TRADE ORDERS Booksource 50 Cambuslang Road Cambuslang Investment Park Glasgow G32 8NB Tel: 0845 370 0067 Fax: 0845 370 0064 Intl: +44 (0) 141 643 3961 MANAGING DIRECTOR Hugh Andrew hugh@birlinn.co.uk PUBLICITY AND MARKETING DIRECTOR / DEPUTY MD Jan Rutherford jan.ppw@janrutherford.co.uk PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Neville Moir neville@birlinn.co.uk FINANCE DIRECTOR Joanne Macleod joanne@birlinn.co.uk
SALES DIRECTOR Laura Poynton laura@birlinn.co.uk CREATIVE DIRECTOR James Hutcheson jim@birlinn.co.uk EDITORIAL DIRECTOR (BIRLINN) Andrew Simmons andrew@birlinn.co.uk MANAGING EDITOR (POLYGON) Alison Rae alison@birlinn.co.uk ACADEMIC EDITOR (JOHN DONALD) Mairi Sutherland mairi@birlinn.co.uk EXPORT MANAGER, DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, SPORTS EDITOR Peter Burns peter@birlinn.co.uk PRODUCTION MANAGER Liz Short liz@birlinn.co.uk SALES AND MARKETING LIAISON Vikki Reilly vikkir@birlinn.co.uk
www.birlinn.co.uk www.polygonbooks.co.uk
2015 NEW TITLES BIRLINN ARENA SPORT JOHN DONALD
www.birlinn.co.uk
CONTENTS NON-FICTION 2 3 4 4 5 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 11 12 12 13 14 14 15 15 16 16 17 17 18 19 19 20 20 21 21
A History of Scotland Alistair Moffat Sikkim Andrew Duff Nicola Sturgeon: Biography David Torrance Salmond: Against the Odds David Torrance A New Plan for a New Scotland Gordon Brown Self-Sacrifice Struan Stevenson My Remarkable Journey Mohammad Sarwar Cruachan! Marian Pallister SY StorY Donald Murray & Douglas Robertson Set in Stone Alan McKirdy A History of Scotland without the Boring Bits Ian Crofton Understanding Scottish Buildings Daniel MacCannell Famous for a Reason Charles MacLean 101 Gins Ian Buxton The Scottish Berries Bible Sue Lawrence Venison Bible Nichola Fletcher Scottish Game Claire Macdonald The Best of Scotland John Macleod None Dare Oppose John Macleod Argyll Lifeline Roy Pedersen The Book of Tobermory Nic Davies, Sam Jones and Brian Swinbanks Scotland Forever Iain Gale The Rivals Murdo Fraser Corunna Max Benitz Sikunder Burnes Craig Murray The Scottish Railway Atlas David Spaven Little Sparta Jessie Sheeler Impossible Gardening Rosa Steppanova The Music and the Land Freeland Barbour Glasgow: Mapping the City John Moore Scotland’s Secret History Charles MacLean & Daniel MacCannell A Darien Journey John McKendrick
CHILDREN’S 22 23 23 24 25 26 27 27
Sixteen String Jack Tom Pow Silver Skin Joan Lennon The Secret Dog Joe Friedman J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan Stephen White Here Come the Trolls! Ron Butlin Precious and the Zebra Necklace Alexander McCall Smith Tig and Tag Benedict Blathwayt The Little House by the Shore Benedict Blathwayt
CONTENTS NEW EDITIONS 28 28 29 29 30 31 32 32 32 33 33
The Scots Kitchen F. Marian McNeill Orkney: A Historical Guide Caroline Wickham-Jones Lismore Robert Hay In the Front Line Alec Glen A Capital View Alyssa Popiel Shredded Ian Fraser Hebridean Calendar 2016 Mairi Hedderwick Hebridean Pocket Diary 2016 Mairi Hedderwick Hebridean Desk Diary 2016 Mairi Hedderwick The Great Tapestry of Scotland Calendar 2016 Andrew Crummy The Puffer Cookbook Calendar 2016 David Hawson
SPORT 34 35 35 36 37
Lost John Deering Diego Costa Fran Guillen No Straight Lines Edmond Hood Behind the Shamrock Tom English Money Tris Dixon
JOHN DONALD 38 38 39 39 40 40 41 41 42 42
The Cradle of Chemistry Robert W. G. Anderson A Maritime History of Scotland Eric Graham Voices of the Forest Mairi Stewart Vikings in Islay Alan Macniven James I Michael Brown James II Christine McGladdery The Campbells of the Ark Ronald Black Our Ashes Glow with Social Fires Davies, Granger, Jupp, White & Raeburn Dr Lachlan Grant of Ballachulish, 187 –1945 Annie Tindley & Ewen Cameron ‘A Great Educational Tradition’ Brian R. W. Lockhart
Non-Fiction
Alistair Moffat A History of Scotland
ALISTAIR MOFFAT was born and bred in the Scottish Borders. A former Director of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Director of Programmes at Scottish Television, he now runs the Borders Book Festival and the DNA testing company, BritainsDNA (www.britainsdna.com). He is the author of a number of highly acclaimed books and is currently Rector of St Andrews University. 9781780271606 £30 hbk
From the Ice Age to the recent Scottish Referendum, historian and author Alistair Moffat explores the history of the Scottish nation. As well as focusing on key moments in the nation’s history such as the Battle of Bannockburn and the Jacobite Risings, Moffat also features other episodes in history that are perhaps less well documented. From prehistoric timber halls to inventions and literature, Moffat’s tale explores the drama of battle, change, loss and invention interspersed with the lives of ordinary Scottish folk, the men and women who defined a nation. ISBN: 9781780272801 Price: £25 Format: 234 x 156mm hbk Rights World August 2015 320pp
Praise for Bannockburn:
‘Moffat’s account of the mustering of the English army and its march north is splendid. He is a master of historical geography and deeply versed in the techniques of medieval warfare’ Scotsman
‘Alistair Moffat’s Bannockburn is a pacy account of the days leading up to the battle’ Saturday Herald
‘A carefully considered account of a well-trodden historical event, Moffat enlightens and educates with an up-to-date interpretation of a battle firmly cemented in Scottish history’ Scottish Field
9781841589411 £16.99 hbk 9781780270326 £9.99 pbk
9781780270753 £17.99 hbk
‘Mr Moffat’s account of the duel between Bruce and de Bohun is totally gripping and he is particularly enthralling about the councils of war on the eve of the second day’s battle’ Country Life
9781780271330 £9.99 pbk
2
9781780272184 £12.99 hbk
Non-Fiction
Andrew Duff Sikkim
Requiem for a Himalayan Kingdom This is the true story of Sikkim, a tiny Buddhist kingdom in the Himalayas that survived the end of the British Empire in India only to be annexed by India in 1975. ANDREW DUFF is a freelance journalist based in London and Scotland who writes on India and related subjects. In the UK his work has appeared in The Times, The Financial Times and the Sunday Telegraph, and in India in the Times of India and the India Quarterly. He travels frequently in India and East Asia.
It tells the remarkable story of Thondup, the last King of Sikkim, and his American wife Hope Cooke, thrust unwittingly into the spotlight as they sought support for Sikkim’s independence after their ‘fairytale’ wedding in 1963. But as tensions between India and China spilled over into war in the Himalayas, Sikkim became a pawn in the Cold War ideological battle that played out in Asia during the 1960s and 1970s. Rumours circulated that Hope was a CIA spy. Meanwhile a shadowy Scottish adventuress, the Kazini of Chakung, married to Sikkim’s leading political figure, coordinated opposition to the Palace. As the geopolitical tectonic plates of the Himalayas ground together, forming the political landscape that exists today, Sikkim never stood a chance. On the eve of declaring Emergency in India, Indira Gandhi brazenly annexed the country. Thondup died a broken man in 1982; Hope returned to New York; Sikkim began a new phase as India’s 2nd state.
ISBN: 9781780272863 Price: £20 Format: 234 x 156mm pbk Rights: World May 2015 320pp
Based on interviews and archive research, as well as a retracing of a journey the author’s grandfather made in 1922, this is a thrilling, romantic and informative glimpse of life in Shangri La.
3
Non-Fiction
David Torrance Nicola Sturgeon A Political Life DAVID TORRANCE was born and brought up in Edinburgh and educated at Leith Academy, Aberdeen University and Cardiff University’s School of Journalism. He was formerly political reporter for STV and is now a freelance writer, journalist and broadcaster. He lives in Edinburgh.
Praise for Salmond: Against the Odds:
‘[A] very thorough and conscientious study’ Paul Henderson Scott ‘Torrance’s work is a classic’ Dorothy Grace Elder ‘Torrance is a scrupulous, respectful biographer’ Harry Reid, The Herald
From the age of just 16, Nicola Sturgeon has devoted her life to the SNP – her determination and grit finally winning her one of Labour’s stronghold seats in Govan in 2007, a constituency she battled to win for almost a decade. Self-evidently a rising star within the SNP, when the party formed its first (minority) administration in 2007 Sturgeon swiftly became one of the Scottish Government’s most successful ministers. Her reputation for efficiency and shrewd political judgement grew even more during the referendum negotiations of 2012 and the subsequent independence campaign. By the time Alex Salmond resigned as First Minister and SNP leader in the wake of a No vote Sturgeon was viewed as his inevitable successor. Ten years earlier she’d been perceived as what some called a ‘nippy sweetie’, a street-fighting Glaswegian politician lacking Salmond’s broad populist appeal. But in the intervening period she had softened her image and even begun to outstrip her mentor and boss in terms of voter approval. As the country prepares for a General Election, Nicola Sturgeon could hold the balance of power in her hands, not just in Scotland, but in the United Kingdom.
Salmond
Against the Odds NEW POST-REFERENDUM EDITION Alex Salmond is known throughout Scotland, the UK and beyond as the leader of the Scottish National Party and Scotland’s First Minister, but relatively little is understood about Salmond as a human being, what makes him a Nationalist, what shaped his political views, and what sort of country he believes an independent Scotland can be. In this biography, with which close colleagues and friends have co-operated, acclaimed political biographer David Torrance turns his attention to one of the most capable and interesting politicians Scotland has produced in the last few decades. Utilising a raft of published and unpublished material, Torrance charts the life and career of Alex Salmond from his schooldays right up to the SNP’s victory at the 2011 Scottish election.
4
Format: 198 x 129mm pbk Price: £12.99 448p 16pp b/w plate section
ISBN: 9781780272979 Rights: World August 2015
ISBN: 9781780272962 Price: £8.99 Format: 198 x 129mm pbk Rights: World March 2015 208pp 8pp col plate section
Non-Fiction
Gordon Brown A New Plan for a New Scotland GORDON BROWN has been a Labour MP since 1983, but will stand down at the 2015 general election. He was Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1997 to 2007 and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2007 to 2010. He is currently UN Special Envoy for Global Education.
On 18 September 2014 people in Scotland made one of the most historic decisions in British history. Although a clear majority voted No to independence, an even bigger majority said Yes to change. New devolved powers for Scotland outlined just months after the referendum have altered the relationship between the constituent parts of the United Kingdom forever. In this book, Gordon Brown shows how these powers can be used to meet the aspirations of the Scottish people and create a better Scotland defined by a strong commitment to social justice, at the same time strengthening one of the oldest and most admired political unions in the world. But in order to realize the huge possibilities of a newly empowered Scottish parliament we must move fast to heal the divisions caused by the referendum. If we don’t, then acrimony rather than amity will define not only the political relationship between Scotland and England, but will cause unimaginable damage within Scotland itself.
ISBN: 9781780273099 Price: ÂŁ8.99 Format: 198 x 129mm pbk Rights: World July 2015 160pp
5
Non-Fiction
Struan Stevenson Self-Sacrifice Life with the Mojahedin
STRUAN STEVENSON has served as a Conservative Euro MEP for Scotland since 1999. He is President of the Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development Intergroup and Chairman of the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with Iraq. In 2010 he was appointed by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation Europe (OSCE) as a Personal Representative (Roving Ambassador) of the Chairman in Office (Kazakhstan) responsible for Ecology and Environment with a particular focus on Central Asia. His book, Stalin’s Legacy, was published in August 2012 and So Much Wind in February 2013.
9781780271132 £7.99 pbk
9781780270906 £20 hbk
Praise for So Much Wind:
‘A timely and important book . . . This should be compulsory reading for all national and local politicians, to encourage them to stop more wind turbines being erected; either that, or voters make the choice for them’ Martin Livermore of the Scientific Alliance
‘Thought-provoking’ Scottish Field 6
The People’s Mojahedin of Iran (PMOI) is an Iranian opposition movement in exile and the key component of the National Council of Resistance of Iran. Regarded as a terrorist organization in the EU until 2009, and in the USA and Canada until 2012, it renounced violence in 2001. Whilst its leaders are based in Paris, some 3,500 are currently held in Camp Liberty, near Baghdad Airport, in appalling conditions. In this book, former MEP Struan Stevenson tells how he became an active collaborator and supporter of the PMOI, visiting Baghdad and Erbil on several occasions and meeting political and religious leaders, despite being warned to sever links with the organization by the UK government and MI5, and facing constant threats and smear campaigns from the Iranian mullahs. He exposes the brutality of the clerical regime in Iran and their execution of over 130,000 PMOI supporters, interspersing his own story with short interviews with PMOI political prisoners who were tortured and held in inhumane conditions. His excoriating conclusion lays the blame for the escalating crisis in the Middle East firmly at the door of failed UN, EU and US policies.
ISBN: 9781780272887 Price: £9.99 Format: 234 x 156mm pbk Rights: World June 2015 272pp
Non-Fiction
Mohammad Sarwar MOHAMMAD SARWAR is a prominent Pakistani politician, who is the current Governor of Punjab, representing the conservative Pakistan Muslim League (N). A successful businessman, Sarwar is a former British politician, who served as a Labour parliamentarian from 1997 to 2010, representing Glasgow Central. He was also the first Muslim to sit in the British parliament. He renounced his British citizenship in August 2013 following confirmation of his governorship.
My Remarkable Journey
The Autobiography of Mohammad Sarwar WITH BOB WYLIE This is the inspirational account of how Mohammad Sarwar rose to fame, fortune and political power from modest beginnings in rural Pakistan. Born in Punjab in 1952, Sarwar’s early years were characterized by hardship and persecution. But this all changed after arriving in Glasgow, where he transformed a corner shop on the verge of bankruptcy to a Cash-and-Carry wholesale business with a turnover of more than £200m a year. From business he moved into politics, becoming MP for Glasgow Govan, then Glasgow Central. No stranger to controversy – he voted against Tony Blair’s decision to invade Iraq, and was famously caught in a News of the World sting in 1997 for allegedly bribing an election rival – he has also been heavily involved in extensive charity humanitarian work in Pakistan. This work continues in his current position as Governor of Punjab.
ISBN: 9781780273167 Price: £20 Format: 234 x 156mm hbk Rights: World August 2015 288pp 16pp colour plate section
Marian Pallister Cruachan!
The Hollow Mountain ‘Cruachan!’ was the battle cry of the Campbells. MARIAN PALLISTER has worked as a features writer and commentator covering social issues in Scotland and round the world, particularly in disaster and war zones. She previously taught journalism at Napier University and is currently tutor in English subjects at Argyll College. She also founded the Mhuthanzia Lilanda Initiative, a charity which supports the education of vulnerable young people in Zambia.
In the early 1960s, the invasion of the 3,000 men who hollowed out Argyll’s noblest and highest mountain as part of a massive hydroelectric project could have annihilated the local community. Instead, the people of Loch Awe, Dalmally and Taynuilt welcomed the invaders, embraced the project and emerged the winners. Fifty years on, an integrated community still lives under the Hollow Mountain, and the cry ‘Cruachan!’ signifies a Scottish success story. In this book, based on interviews, media reports, court reports and film archive material, Marian Pallister tells the story of the project – featuring the extraordinary experience of those who worked on the mountain as well as the effects on the local community of one of the biggest civil engineering projects ever to have been undertaken in Scotland. She also considers the long-term effects of the project, looking at how the community was changed by the experience
ISBN: 9781780272207 Price: £9.99 Format: 198 x 129mm pbk Rights: World April 2015 224pp 16pp b/w plate section
7
Non-Fiction
Donald Murray & Douglas Robertson DONALD S MURRAY was born in Ness in the Isle of Lewis. An author and journalist, his poetry, prose and verse have been shortlisted for both the Saltire Award and Callum Macdonald Memorial Award. His work has also appeared in a large number of national anthologies and on BBC Radio 4 and Radio Scotland. He won a Robert Louis Stevenson Fellowship in 2012 and a Jessie Kesson Fellowship in 2013. His most recent book, The Guga Stone, was nominated as one of the Guardian Best Nature Books of 2013. He lives and works in Shetland. DOUGLAS ROBERTSON has exhibited widely throughout Scotland and the UK, and has collaborated with Donald Murray on a number of projects.
SY StorY
A Portrait of Stornoway Harbour Lewisman Donald S Murray tells in his inimitable verse and prose Stornoway’s story from the days when Mesolithic people sheltered there to its present-day life as a bustling, modern harbour, casting light on men and boats, native herring girls and island visitors, the town’s triumphs and tragedies. These include such events as the sinking of the Iolaire, the ship which went down with over 200 soldiers as they returned home from World War I, the departure of the Metagama to Canada in 1923, packed with islanders on their way to start a new life in North America, and the dramatic arrival of the fishing boat the Astrid, with 29 refugees from Soviet Estonia, in 1948. Accompanying the work are 20 striking and distinctive illustrations from Douglas Robertson, as well as over 30 photographs. All of this comes together to capture both the past and present of the port, making the book a delight both for those who know the town well and the many holiday-makers who explore its harbour during summer months.
ISBN: 9781780272603 Price: £12.99 Format: 198 x 129mm pbk Rights: World January 2015 192 pp
Alan McKirdy Set in Stone The Geology and Landscapes of Scotland ALAN MCKIRDY has written many popular books and book chapters on geology and related topics and has helped to promote the study of environmental geology in schools. Before his recent retirement he was Head of Information Management at Scottish Natural Heritage.
The land that was to become Scotland has travelled across the globe over the last 3,000 million years – from close to the South Pole to its current position. During these travels, there were many continental collisions, creating mountain belts as high as the present-day Himalayas. The Highlands of Scotland were formed in this way. Our climate too has changed dramatically over the last 3 billion years from the deep freeze of the Ice Age to the scorching heat of the desert. And within a relatively short time – geologically speaking, we will plunge back into another ice age. In this book, Alan McKirdy traces Scotland’s amazing geological journey, explaining for the non –specialist reader why the landscape looks the way it does today. He also explores how Scots and those working in Scotland have played a seminal role in the development of the science of geology, understanding Earth processes at a local and global scale. Format: 246 x 189mm pbk Price: £9.99 96pp
8
9781841586267 £20 pbk
ISBN: 9781780271514 Rights: World June 2015
Non-Fiction
Ian Crofton A History of Scotland without the Boring Bits IAN CROFTON has written a wide range of non-fiction books, including a number that look at the quirkier aspects of history and other subjects, e.g. History without the Boring Bits, Science Without the Boring Bits, and A Curious History of Food and Drink. Born in Edinburgh, he studied at the University of Sussex before working as an editor at Collins in Glasgow. He now works freelance.
9781841589770 9781780272078 £25 hbk £16.99 hbk
As an antidote to more sober accounts of Scotland’s history, Ian Crofon offers a colourful chronology of the eccentric, the infamous, the bawdy, the horrific and the hilarious people and events that have spattered across the pages of our nation’s story. From the Royal High School riot to Marocco the Wonder Horse, from the War of the One-Eyed Woman to the MP cleared of stealing his ex-mistress’s knickers, A History of Scotland Without the Boring Bits includes a host of little-known tales that you won’t find in more conventional works of history, including the chatelaine who struck a general over the head with a leg of mutton, the cow that gave birth to fourteen puppies, the clan chief who ripped out the throat of his enemy with his teeth, the surgeon who was so fast with the saw that he inadvertently took off his patient’s testicles as well as his leg, and the mathematician who calculated that the Christian religion would finally disappear in the year 3153.
ISBN: 9781780272658 Price: £12.99 Format: 198 x 129mm hbk Rights: World May 2015 208pp
Daniel MacCannell Understanding Scottish Buildings
DANIEL MACCANNELL, a graduate of Aberdeen University and UCLA Film School, is a widely published writer who has received the Jack Nicholson prize and has been nominated for the Fotokem Maverick Award for his fictional work. He edited the highly acclaimed The Lost City: Old Aberdeen, also published by Birlinn. His latest books are, Lost Deeside and Lost Banff and Buchan.
Scotland has a huge and diverse amount of built heritage. Yet most writing about this fascinating subject is overly technical – an alphabet soup of L-plans, Z-plans and bartizans. Understanding Scottish Buildings is a unique, informative and refreshing companion to Scottish architecture that dispenses with jargon to enable us to appreciate Scottish buildings with regard to their ages, styles, influences, and functions, as well as the messages that their builders, owners and occupants intended them to convey. Readers will be able to answer for themselves a whole host of questions about function, style, age and building techniques that will make a visit to any historic Scottish building a rewarding and enriching experience
ISBN: 9781780271187 Price: £9.99 Format: 164 x 134mm pbk Rights: World March 2015 208pp
9
Non-Fiction
Charles MacLean Famous for a Reason
The Story of the Famous Grouse
CHARLES MACLEAN has spent the past 30 years researching, writing and lecturing about Scotch whisky. He is the author of nine books on the subject, including the standard work on whisky brands, Scotch Whisky, and the authoritative, Malt Whisky, both of which were shortlisted for Glenfiddich Awards. His Scotch Whisky: A Liquid History won Wine & Spirits Book of the Year in the 2004 James Beard Awards and Best Drink Book in the World at the Food Media Awards. He is a consultant to the whisky industry, and to Bonhams International Auctioneers, and sits on the judging panel of the International Wine & Spirits Awards.
10
From humble beginnings in Perth in the early nineteenth century Matthew Gloag established a thriving whisky business that found favour with the royal household and the Scottish public alike. The family business he established struck gold in 1896 when they created the The Famous Grouse – a blended whisky that became a national favourite. Through innovative and entertaining marketing campaigns it has developed into a much-loved and bestselling brand. Celebrated whisky writer Charles MacLean has been granted unique access to the company archives and granted interviews with surviving family descendants and compiled a fascinating story rich in anecdote and social historical commentary. Illustrated throughout in full colour. Praise for Whiskypedia:
‘Whisky’s finest guru’ The Sunday Times
‘Charles MacLean writes like no other expert on the subject. His prose is informed and highly entertaining’ Independent
9781780272535 £14.99 pbk
ISBN: 9781780272528 Price: £35 Format: 280 x 220mm hbk Rights: World September 2015 352pp
Non-Fiction
Ian Buxton 101 Gins We’re in the middle of a new Gin Craze. From being the drink of choice of middle-aged, Jaguardriving golfers and an easy target for stand-up comedians, today it’s harder to find anything hipper on the international bar scene.
IAN BUXTON has been working in and around the whisky industry for about 20 years, but has been drinking professionally for a good deal longer. He began writing regularly for Whisky Magazine shortly after it launched, and now also writes for The Keeper, Country Life, Scotland Magazine, Scottish Field and in Russia for Whisky and Magnum magazines. Ian has published three books: Whisky History, Hints & Tips, a facsimile edition of Aeneas MacDonald’s 1930 classic Whisky and 101 Whiskies to Try Before You Die.
But how do you choose? Is Edinburgh Gin a style, or just a brand name? Can a rose-flower and cucumber infusion properly be called gin? Can gin be aged in wood or does that just make it a strange tasting young whisky? What tonic to choose, and why? Perhaps it’s safer to stick to the classic brands your parents drank? From Adnams to Zuidam; Beefeater to Bombay and London to Plymouth (and beyond) this new book from best-selling drinks writer Ian Buxton will be the authoritative guide to the new world of gin. It may have taken more than 250 years, but gin has now shaken off its reputation for debauchery and ruin to take its place as one of the hottest of world spirits. Not that a hint of debauchery and ruin does its image any harm.
Praise for 101 Whiskies to Try Before You Die:
‘Whiskey expert Ian Buxton does away with connoisseur pomp to deliver this smartly designed little guide to the best brown stuff around’ Time Out (New York)
‘Concise and comic . . . you don’t need to be a whiskey aficionado for this to warm your cockles ’ Scottish Field
‘Rather like a drop or two of water in a dram of single malt, Ian Buxton’s lively guide opens the subject of whisky up and lets it breathe...entertaining, enlightening, opinionated and irreverent’ The Skinny
‘His writing is downto-earth, humorous and unpretentious’ Scottish Life
ISBN: 9781780272993 Price: £12.99 Format: 178 x 114mm hbk Rights: World August 2015
11
Non-Fiction
Sue Lawrence The Scottish Berries Bible SUE LAWRENCE is an acclaimed food writer and journalist who has written many books on cooking and baking, including The Scottish Kitchen (2002), The Sue Lawrence Book of Baking (2004), Eating In (2011), and most recently, Scottish Baking. She lives in Edinburgh. 9781780272009 £17.99 hbk
‘Sue Lawrence is a rock star’
The latest in Birlinn’s bestselling Food Bible series features the succulent soft fruits for which Scotland is so renowned – raspberries, Tayberries, redcurrants, blackberries – and shows how to get the best out of them. So much baking and cookery knowledge is packed into the compact Food Bible format, illustrated with Bob Dewar’s delightfully quirky cartoons. Sue combines new and traditional recipes, including Bramble Clafoutis, Strawberry Risotto, Chocolate Raspberry Brownies, Duck with Blackcurrants, Redcurrant and Apple Lattice Pie and Blaeberry Polenta Cake. Sue is a real cook’s cook, providing recipes that are easy to cook but reliably produce delicious results. As Nigella Lawson says: ‘There couldn’t be a book by Sue Lawrence that I wouldn’t want to own and, indeed, I’d be horrified to learn that there were any titles I don’t own. She writes beautifully, is as much chatty historian as cookery writer and her recipes always interest me and make me ravenous.’
Guardian
ISBN: 9781780272665 Price: £4.99 Format: 155 x 110mm pbk Rights: World June 2015 112pp
Nichola Fletcher The Venison Bible
12
NICHOLA FLETCHER, MBE, has advised businesses all over the world on venison production and processing, and is a member of the Guild of Food Writers. She is past Chairman of the British Deer Farmers Association Promotions Committee, and was also a Director of Scottish Farm Venison Ltd. As Deputy Chair of the Food Trust of Scotland she is a champion of the small specialist food producer and a founder member of the Scottish Food Group. She was awarded the 1994 Scottish Food Achievement Award for her work for the Scottish venison industry.
A new addition to Birlinn’s bestselling Food Bible series, illustrated with Bob Dewar’s delightfully quirky cartoons. Nichola Fletcher is widely known for her work with venison and game. She and her husband John started Britain’s first deer farm in 1973, and Nichola has devoted her life since then to helping people to appreciate, understand and cook venison and other game meats. The Fletchers have been nominated for a Slow Food Award, and were joint winners of the Best Food Producer category in the 2006 BBC Food & Farming Awards for their work with venison. This book will combine new and traditional recipes for venison. ISBN: 9781780272825 Price: £4.99 Format: 156 x 111mm pbk Rights: World July 2015 112 pp
Non-Fiction
Claire Macdonald Scottish Game Once the prerogative of country dwellers, game is now found in butchers’ shops and supermarkets all over the country. Yet despite this, many people are still apprehensive about cooking this extraordinary versatile, varied and protein-packed meat.
Claire Macdonald is the author of seventeen best-selling cookery books and has appeared at cookery demonstrations world-wide, as well as owning and running the world-famous Kinloch Lodge on the Isle of Skye for three decades. In recognition of her contribution to Scottish food she was presented a Lifetime Achievement Award by National Farmers’ Union in 2011 and the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland. Claire was also awarded an honorary doctorate by Abertay University.
‘She radiates a love of cooking and . . . a love of eating’ Homes and Gardens
‘Claire Macdonald is one of this country’s most respected cooks’ Sunday Post
In this book Claire Macdonald de-mystifies game cooking, with a wide and varied selection of recipes for pheasant, wild duck, partridge and snipe, woodcock, venison, hare, wild boar and wild salmon. In addition to tips on roasting, she also includes useful information on what combines well with different types of game – lentils, beans, root vegetables, dark green vegetables and mushrooms – and sauces and jellies that make excellent accompaniments. She also shows how game can be combined – game pie, for example, can be composed of pheasant, grouse, a leg of hare or a partridge. Similar recipes include, game pudding with a lemon and thyme suet crust, game stock, game soup, salami of game, game terrine, game with an oatmeal crumble, potted game with walnuts, and game shepherd’s pie.
9781780272139 £9.99 pbk 9781780270470 £20 hbk
9781780270838 £14.99 pbk
9781780270814 £25 hbk
9781780270807 £14.99 pbk
9781780270487 £14.99 pbk
ISBN: 9781780272832 Price: £17.99 Format: 234 x 190mm hbk Rights World October 2015 208pp
13
Non-Fiction
John Macleod The Best of Scotland
JOHN MACLEOD was born in Lochaber in 1966. After his 1988 graduation from Edinburgh University, he began his career at BBC Highland in Inverness and quickly established himself as a freelance writer. He has won several awards, including Scottish Journalist of the Year in 1991, and has contributed to many publications including the Scotsman and the Herald. He currently writes a Thursday column for the Scottish Daily Mail and is the author of a number of highly acclaimed books.
In this imaginative, informative and amusing miscellany, award-winning journalist John MacLeod explores some of the well-known symbols of Scottish culture (as well as some of the quirkier ones) and looks beneath the surface to shatter some long-held assumptions that will surprise even the most wellinformed Scotophile. Did you know, for example, that the kilt was actually banned in Scotland at one point, and that particular tartans were never originally identified with specific clans, let alone surnames? From bagpipes, haggis, whisky and the midge to The Falkirk Wheel, John Knox, Loch Lomond and Dolly the Sheep, this book is a fascinating celebration of Scotland that will appeal to visitors and locals alike. Format: 226 x 246mm hbk Price: £12.99 112pp Illustrations: colour throughout
ISBN: 9781780272016 Rights: World July 2015
None Dare Oppose NEW EDITION 9781841588520 £12.99 pbk
9781841588582 £9.99 pbk
9781841589688 £9.99 pbk
14
In 1844 Sir James Matheson bought the Isle of Lewis, awash with hope and good intentions, only, in 1853, to put a rat-faced factor from Tain in sole charge of the estate. Within months Donald Munro, the self-styled ‘Chamberlain of the Lews’, had seized practically every office of civic, legal and industrial power in the community and for the next two decades held the entire island under an absolute reign of terror. This is a study of Highland landlordism at once at its most benign - Sir James refused to enact Clearances in Lewis and vested thousands of his own fortune in assorted well-intended schemes, for little return; its most self-indulgent - as the baronet built a mock-Tudor castle, imported soil and trees and constructed his own Arcadian fantasy; and at its most blind - as he gaily left his tenants under the jackboot of a factor so monstrous he is still remembered with blazing hatred on Lewis, recalled in such nicknames as ‘the Shah’, ‘the Beast’ and ‘Red Donald of the Hens’. In None Dare Oppose, John Macleod paints a stunning portrait of island society in Victorian Scotland held under a capricious and feudal oppression - until one quiet, decent corner of that island fearlessly rose against the subjugation, marching on Stornoway to a gripping court-room finale. It is an astonishing and powerful tale, beautifully accomplished and compellingly told.
ISBN: 9781780272894 Price: £8.99 Format: 198 x 129mm pbk Rights: World June 2015 256pp
Non-Fiction
Roy Pedersen Argyll Lifeline The Story of Western Ferries ROY PEDERSEN’S former career with development agencies HIDB and HIE, where he pioneered numerous innovative and successful ventures, and his subsequent services as an SNP Highland councillor, have given him a matchless insight into world shipping trends and into the economic and social conditions of the Highlands and Islands. He is now an author and proprietor of a cutting-edge consultancy.
9781780272504 £9.99 pbk
9781780271224 £7.99 pbk
In the late 1960s, drawing on Scandinavian experience, Western Ferries pioneered roll-on roll off ferry operations in Scotland’s West Highlands and Islands. This innovative company’s original focus, was Islay, where its hitherto undreamt of frequency of service transformed that island’s access to the outside world. The company’s profitable and efficient operation was, however, deliberately sabotaged by heavily subsidised predatory pricing by the feather-bedded state owned competitor. This shameful policy, initiated at the highest political level, has been uncovered by recently released official correspondence held in the Scottish archives. The Islay service eventually succumbed, but the company’s service across the Firth of Clyde between Inverclyde and Cowal, not only survived, but, in the face of many challenges, flourished to become by far Scotland’s busiest and most profitable ferry route. Its modern cherry red ferries run like clockwork, from early till late, 365 days a year, employing some 60 people locally. It contributes much back into the community it serves including free emergency runs, whenever required, in the middle of the night. What made all this possible was the extraordinary dedication of a succession of enthusiastic, determined and above all colourful individuals. This is their story. Format: 198 x 129mm pbk Price: £9.99 208pp
ISBN: 9781780272702 Rights: World June 2015
Nic Davies, Sam Jones and Brian Swinbanks The Book of Tobermory SAMANTHA (‘SAM’) JONES is a landscape photographer who runs her business, Islandscape Photography, on Mull. She was RNLI Photographer of the Year in 2011and a finalist in the Scottish Nature Photography Awards in 2013. NIC DAVIES has worked in wildlife conservation and animal welfare since 1989.He now lives on Mull, engaged in photography, wildlife guiding and the conservation of otters and marine species. His photographs have has featured in publications and TV programmes worldwide.
Tobermory, the principal town on the island of Mull, is one of the prettiest towns in the Hebrides. Its principal street, Main Street, with its buildings painted in distinctive bright colours, is also one of the most well-known views in Scotland. This book includes the work of three local photographers, uniquely qualified to capture the spirit of this magical place in all its moods. In addition to pictures of the town, its views, surrounding countryside and wildlife – on land and sea – it also features the people of Tobermory itself, at work and at leisure. The result is a vivid portrait of a vibrant community in an exquisitely beautiful natural setting.
ISBN: 9781780273150 Price: £9.99 Format: 240 x 225mm pbk Rights: World July 2015 112pp
15
Non-Fiction
Iain Gale Scotland Forever
The Scots Greys at Waterloo IAIN GALE, art critic, journalist and author, comes from a military family and has always been fascinated by military history. He is a member of the Scottish Committee of the Society of Authors and the Friends of Waterloo Committee. He is the editor of Scotland in Trust, the magazine for the National Trust of Scotland, and founded the Caledonian magazine. He lives in Edinburgh.
One of the most iconic incidents of the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 was the charge of the Scots Greys, a crack cavalry regiment, into the heart of the French army. It was a moment of supreme daring and horse-riding skill, and Sergeant Ewart of the Greys succeeded in snatching one of Napoleon’s coveted eagle standards. However it was also a military blunder. The Greys were quickly surrounded by enemy cavalry and cut to pieces. Of the regiment’s 442 officers and men almost half, 198, were killed or injured. In the end the battle was won by the British and their allies and the eagle of the French 45th regiment is now on show in Edinburgh Castle. Iain Gale brings the bare outline of this legendary military exploit to life, giving the stories of the men involved and reconstructing the prelude, the aftermath, life in the Greys and the Battle of Waterloo as a whole. It is a uniquely exciting story of courage and military tactics in the heat of war. Format: 198 x 129mm hbk Price: £9.99 128pp 8pp b/w plate section
ISBN: 9781843410683 Rights: World June 2015
Murdo Fraser The Rivals
Montrose and Argyll and the Struggle for Scotland
MURDO FRASER is Deputy Leader of the Scottish Conservatives and MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife. Born in Inverness, he studied law at Aberdeen and worked as a solicitor in Aberdeen and Edinburgh before becoming an MSP in 2001.
The struggles of the Scottish Civil War of 1644–45 could easily be personified as a contest between James Graham, 1st Marquis of Montrose and Archibald Campbell, 8th Earl of Argyll. Yet at first glance there seems to be more that unites them than separates them. Both came from ancient and powerful families; both were originally Covenanters; both considered themselves loyal subjects of Charles I, then Charles II, who in turn betrayed each of them, and both died at the hands of the executioner. In this book Murdo Fraser examines these two remarkable men, underlining their different personalities: Montrose, the brilliant military tactician – bold and brave but rash, and Campbell – altogether a more opaque figure, cautious, considered and difficult to read. The result is a vivid insight into two remarkable men who played a huge part in writing Scotland’s history, and a fascinating portrait of a time of intense political upheaval.
16
Format: 198 x 129mm pbk Price: £9.99 224pp 8pp b/w plate section
ISBN: 9781780273068 Rights: World August 2015
Non-Fiction
Max Benitz Corunna A Retreat MAX BENITZ was born in London in 1985. He read Modern History at the University of Edinburgh and South Asian History at the University of Calcutta. After graduating in 2008 he took a local media job in Kabul and then worked at the Royal United Services Institute where he focused on the British Army’s role in Afghanistan. He is best known for his leading role in Peter Weir’s Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. 9781843410522 £16.99 hbk
The Peninsular War began, as would the two world wars, in near disaster for Britain. Lieutenant General Sir John Moore lost nearly a quarter of his men during the retreat to Corunna and was killed as the army reached safety. Eyewitnesses and historians have disagreed about the campaign ever since. Moore, the son of a Glasgow doctor, was at odds with the Tory administration of the time; partisan accounts have variously stated that he rescued an army placed in an impossible situation or charged him with being the architect of its ruin. What is undisputed is the atrocious conduct of many British troops as they passed through the towns and villages of Leon and Galicia in the winter of 1808-9. Drunkenness, theft and arson became the army’s emblems. Were they poorly led or did this volunteer army, effectively, choose to riot in response to the course of the campaign? To attempt to answer these and many other questions, author Max Benitz walked the route of the retreat in the winter of 2013-14. His forthcoming book seeks to tell the story of this controversial episode in British military history and place it in its appropriate cultural and political context. Format: 234 x 156mm hbk Price: £20 256pp 16pp colour plate section
ISBN: 9781780272351 Rights: World August 2015
Craig Murray Sikunder Burnes
Master of the Great Game CRAIG MURRAY studied Modern History at Dundee University, and joined the Diplomatic Service in 1984. After working in Africa and Europe, in 2001 he was appointed British Ambassador to Tashkent. Unrelentingly critical of Uzbek President Karimov’s regime and US policy in Uzbekistan during the War against Terror, he was controversially removed from his post in 2005, since when he has devoted himself to political activism.
During his short life (1805–41) Montrose-born Alexander ‘Sikunder’ Burnes became one of the most celebrated travellers and explorers of the age. One of the key players in The Great Game, when Britain and Russia vied for power and influence in Central Asia, he was an extraordinarily skillful and resourceful agent. His fabulous adventures, which included shipwreck, spying missions and seduction, and ended with the annihilation of an entire British army and his terrible death at Kabul – seem like the stuff of fiction. Indeed, he was the inspiration for Kipling’s The Man Who Would Be King, and makes an appearance in the first of George MacDonald Fraser’s world-famous Flashman novels. In this book, Craig Murray traces the amazing life of this remarkable man, at the same painting a vivid picture of one of the most exciting periods in British imperial history. Format: 234 x 156mm hbk Price: £25 208pp 16pp b/w plate section
ISBN 9781780273174 Rights: World August 2015
17
Non-Fiction
David Spaven The Scottish Railway Atlas Published to coincide with the reopening of the Borders railway.
DAVID SPAVEN was born and brought up in Edinburgh, and has lived and worked in Inverness, London and Glasgow. He spent his whole working life in the rail industry and is the author of a number of acclaimed railways books, including Mapping the Railways (HarperCollins, 2011) and Britain’s Scenic Railways (HarperCollins, 2012).
Praise for Britain’s Scenic Railways:
‘The author, Julian Holland and David Spaven, are clearly old hands at exploring the country’s railways – and it shows’ BBC Country File Praise for Waverley Route:
‘Extremely well-researched, and elegantly written’ Daily Express
‘Marvellous’ David Parker, Scottish Borders Council 18
The rich diversity of Scotland’s railway network has never before been the subject of a specialist atlas. This book showcases 100 topographical and railway maps, telling the story of the country’s railways from the early nineteenth century to the present day. Researched and written by David Spaven – who co-wrote the bestselling Mapping the Railways on the history of Britain’s rail network – this beautiful atlas allows the reader to understand the bigger story of the effects of the railways on the landscape and the impact of Scotland’s distinctive geography on the pattern of railway development over a period of nearly 200 years. The unique map selection is supported by an informative commentary of key cartographic, geographic and historical features. This sumptuous atlas will appeal not just to railway enthusiasts and those who appreciate the beauty of maps, but also to readers fascinated by the role of railways in Scotland’s modern developments.
ISBN: 9781780272382 Price: £30 Format: 278x 218mm hbk Rights: World September 2015 224pp
Non-Fiction
Jessie Sheeler
Photographs by Robin Gillanders Little Sparta
The Garden of Ian Hamilton Finlay JESSIE SHEELER was brought up in Edinburgh and read Classics at Edinburgh University. In the early 1960s, working with Ian Hamilton Finlay, she co-founded the Wild Hawthorn Press and its poetry magazine Poor. Old. Tired. Horse. After various teaching jobs and a spell as an assistant in day care centres in New York, she settled with her family in Hampshire where she became Head of Classics at the co-educational boarding school Bedales. She now lives in Scotland on the Solway coast, teaching Latin and desperately trying to keep two and a half acres of unruly garden under control.
Nestled in the Pentland Hills near Edinburgh, Little Sparta is poet and artist Ian Hamilton Finlay’s greatest work. A garden created from an artistic fusion of poetry and sculpture set in a natural landscape, it now contains over 275 art works. Hamilton Finlay was born in the Bahamas in 1925. His first book, The Sea Bed and Other Stories, was published in 1958 and was followed by a collection of poems The Dancers Inherit the Party in 1961. In that year he also co-founded the Wild Hawthorn Press, which became the vehicle for his own output of poem cards, posters, booklets and small objects. His works are held in major collections worldwide. In 2002 he was appointed CBE on the Queen’s New Year Honours list. He died in 2006. Format: 246 x 189mm pbk Price: £14.99 224pp
ISBN: 9781780272948 June 2015
Rosa Steppanova Impossible Gardening
How to Create a Coastal Garden ROSA STEPPANOVA, originally from Bavaria in Germany, came to Shetland in 1976. She met her future husband James Mackenzie there, and when in 1977 they bought a house and land at Tresta on mainland Shetland she set about creating a garden that would remind her of her native Bavaria. Britain’s most northerly botanic garden, Lea Gardens, now extends to two acres and contains 1500 species and cultivars.
Around three million people live on the coast of Britain, many of them with gardens which they would love to be flourishing and beautiful. All too often they find that gardening near the sea is a constant struggle with the elements: their plants and shrubs are scoured by the wind, blighted by salt spray and weakened by poor, sandy soil. Rosa Steppanova has written this book for them. She herself is the creator of a celebrated botanical oasis, Lea Gardens in the Shetlands, islands which are subject to some of the most extreme climatic and maritime conditions in Britain. Impossible Gardening describes how she established her Gardens, and reveals the secret of making things grow and flourish by the sea. She shows how the right choice of plants, correct feeding and drainage, the providing of shelter and clever growing techniques can combine to make a coastal garden a thing of beauty, the equal of anything inland. Format: 240 x 170mm pbk Price: £14.99 240pp 16pp colour plate section
ISBN: 9781780272719 Rights: World September 2015
19
Non-Fiction
Freeland Barbour The Music and The Land The Music of Freeland Barbour FREELAND BARBOUR, born in Edinburgh and brought up in Perthshire, is one of Scotland’s leading accordionists and has performed with many of the world’s greatest traditional musicians. A BBC music producer for a number of years, Freeland has taught at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. He runs a music publishing company and is the owner and former manager of Castlesound, one of the leading independent recording studios in the UK. He now lives in Edinburgh.
Freeland Barbour was brought up in Highland Perthshire and has been a very well-known figure on the Scottish music scene for many years. He is a former member of ground-breaking folk group Silly Wizard, and a founder member of two of the country’s most successful ceilidh dance bands, the Wallochmor Ceilidh Band and the Occasionals. His compositions for Scottish dancing are hugely popular and have been recorded and performed all over the world. In this book he recalls his life in music, presenting a tour in words, photographs and musical notation through the lands that have inspired him – covering the whole of Scotland and beyond. His compositions are gathered here with the work of some of Scotland’s leading photographers, in a book that is a both an invaluable resource for the working musician and wonderful tribute to Scotland’s landscape and traditions. Format: 310 x 240mm hbk Price: £30 320pp
ISBN: 9781780273006 Rights: World July 2015
John Moore Glasgow
Mapping the City JOHN MOORE is a specialist on Scottish cartography and has published widely on the subject over a period of many years. He is currently Collections Manager at Glasgow University.
Maps can tell much about a place that traditional histories fail to communicate. This lavishly illustrated book features 80 maps which have been selected for the particular stories they reveal about different political, commercial and social aspects of Scotland’s largest city. The maps featured provide fascinating insights into topics such as: the development of the Clyde and its shipbuilding industry, the villages which were gradually subsumed into the city, how the city was policed, what lies underneath the city streets, the growth of Glasgow during the Industrial Revolution, the development of transport, the city’s green spaces, the health of Glasgow, Glasgow as a tourist destination, the city as a wartime target, and its regeneration in the 1980s as the host city of one of the UK’s five National Garden Festivals. Together, they present a fascinating insight into how Glasgow has changed and developed over the last 500 years, and will appeal to all those with an interest in Glasgow and Scottish history, as well as those interested in urban history, architectural history, town planning and the history of maps.
20
Format: 250 x 246mm hbk Price: £30 304pp Colour throughout
ISBN: 9781780273198 Rights: World October 2015
Non-Fiction Charles MacLean & Daniel MacCannell Scotland’s Secret History
The Illicit Distilling and Smuggling of Whisky CHARLES MACLEAN has spent over thirty years researching, writing and lecturing about Scotch whisky. He has written more than a dozen books on the subject including the standard work. on the history of Scotch whisky, Scotch Whisky: A Liquid History. In 2009 he was elected Master of the Quaich, the industry’s highest accolade. DANIEL MACCANNELL has studied Scottish, English, Dutch and French buildings, landscapes and townscapes for more than twenty years, and was awarded a PhD in History and Art History by the University of Aberdeen in 2010. This is his fifth book for Birlinn.
Bloody street battles, shocking levels of public corruption and cat-and-mouse chases across Highland hills: the story of illicit distilling and smuggling whisky in Scotland is as full of excitement and intrigue as the most outlandish work of fiction. The result of the most extensive research ever carried out into illicit distilling, this book dispels a number of firmly established assumptions about this highly significant yet widely misunderstood aspect of Scottish history, establishing illicit distilling in its rightful place as the historic predecessor to and a cornerstone of Scotland’s present multi-million-pound whisky industry. In addition to explaining the process of producing illicit whisky and identifying where it took place, the book also provides important information concerning smuggling operations, the individuals involved and the extraordinary measures that were taken to avoid the unwelcome attention of those in authority – factions of which often benefited themselves from this vast illegal trade. Format: 250 x 246mm pbk Price: £14.99 144pp
ISBN: 9781780273037 Rights: World October 2015
John McKendrick A Darien Journey JOHN MCKENDRICK was born and brought up in Glasgow. He studied at the LSE and Oxford and is currently a barrister in London and an advocate in Edinburgh. he also worked for two years in Panama and the Caribbean. He was Times Lawyer of the Week in September 2013.
The Company of Scotland and its attempts to establish the colony of Caledonia on the inhospitable isthmus of Panama in the late seventeenth century is one of the most tragic moments of Scottish history. Devised by William Paterson, the stratagem was to create a major trading station between Europe and the East. It could have been a triumph, but inadequate preparation and organization ensured it was a catastrophe – of the 3000 settlers who set sail in 1688 and 1699, only a handful returned, the rest having succumbed to disease, and the enormous financial loss was a key factor in ensuring union with England in 1707. Based on archive research in the UK and Panama, as well as extensive travelling in Darien itself, John Mckendrick explores this fascinating and seminal moment in Scottish history and uncovers fascinating new information from New World archives about the role of the English and Spanish, and about the identities of the settlers themselves. Format: 234 x 156mm 288pp 16pp b/w plate section
ISBN: 9781780273204 Rights: World October 2015
21
CHILDREN’S
Children’s
Tom Pow Illustrated by Ian Andrew Sixteen String Jack
And the Garden of Adventure
TOM POW is an awardwinning writer and poet. From 2001 to 2003 he was the first writer in residence at the Edinburgh International Book Festival and he was Writer in Residence at the National Library of Scotland in 2013. His books for children in include Callum’s Big Day and Who Is The World For?, which won the Scottish Arts Council’s Children’s Book of the Year (2001). IAN ANDREW is an awardwinning animator and artist who has illustrated the work of numerous authors, from Charles Dickens and Robert Louis Stevenson to Russell Hoban, Penelope Lively and Michael Morpurgo. In 2013 he was awarded a prestigious Sendak Fellowship.
9781846972065 £6.99 pbk
22
One day, Daisy’s grandmother takes her to an overgrown garden. Many, many years before other children had played in that garden –Sixteen String Jack and Dare Devil Dick were shipwrecked there; and often they fought pirates side by side till the sun went down. But it was only Sixteen String Jack whose fame would never die, for he grew up to become J.M. Barrie, creator of Peter Pan. In this poignant and beautifully illustrated story, award winning writer Tom Pow and Sendak Fellow Ian Andrew search out the magic that, in time, would produce the most famous character in children’s literature. Written with the support of Moat Brae Trust, which is currently restoring Barrie’s childhood home as a Centre for Children’s Literature and re-inventing the famous garden for play and active learning.
ISBN: 9781780272269 Price: £9.99 Format: 224 x 259mm hbk Rights: World May 2015 32pp Colour illustrations throughout
Joan Lennon
Children’s
CHILDREN’S
Silver Skin
JOAN LENNON was born in Canada but has lived in Scotland since 1978. She has written a large number of children’s books, including a number of successful series – The Wickit Chronicles, Tales from the Keep and the Slightly Jones series. Her books have been translated into numerous languages.
Skara Brae, Orkney, during the Neolithic period. The sun is dying, crops are failing and the local inhabitants fear that the end of the world is near. When a strange boy appears from nowhere, dressed in an odd silver suit – his ‘silver skin’ – the community is thrown into confusion. Who is he, where is he from, and why has he come? Is he a selkie or seal person, a mythical being believed to have magical powers? For Cait, herself an outsider in the community, the boy, Rab, arouses a strange fascination as she finds herself strangely drawn towards him. For Voy, the Old Woman, Rab represents the only hope for the sun’s regeneration, but only if his silver skin is burnt in a huge sacrificial blaze. As the pyre is built, Rab must fight for his life if he is ever to be able to return to his own time. And if he succeeds, what will be the fate of the islanders he will leave behind?
ISBN: 9781780272849 Price: £7.99 Format: 198 x 129mm pbk Rights: World May 2015 208pp
Joe Friedman The Secret Dog
JOE FRIEDMAN was born in Chicago but has lived in London for many years, where he divides his time between writing and practising psychotherapy. He is author of the children’s series Boobela’s World, and is actively involved in running creative workshops for children in the 7–11 age range.
After the death of his mother, eleven-year-old Josh goes to live with his uncle, Calum, who has a farm on a remote island. Uprooted and lonely, Josh finds solace in his love of animals. So one day, when he finds a tiny Border collie pup left to drown in the river, he decides to rescue it and keep it as his own. But money is scarce and a dog that can’t earn her keep would not be welcomed by Calum, and Josh must raise his new friend, Reggae, in secret. As the pup grows and demands more attention, Josh’s schoolwork suffers, despite the help of the local vet’s daughter, Yvonne. Josh must also decide what to do with Reggae – he cannot keep her hidden forever – and decides that he will train her for the local sheepdog trials. But the training is tough and time-consuming. Can Josh and Reggae bring it off in time? All is going well until someone discovers Josh’s secret and will stop at nothing to ruin their chances . . .
ISBN 9781780272870 Price: £7.99 Format: 198 x 129mm pbk Rights: World May 2015 192pp Illustrations: b/w throughout
23
CHILDREN’S
Children’s
Stephen White J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan The Graphic Novel
STEPHEN WHITE (or ‘Stref’) is an Edinburghbased illustrator, writer, and comic book artist. For a number of years he worked for DC Thomson on The Dandy, The Beano, The Broons and Oor Wullie. His first graphic novel, MILK+ was published in 2010 and was followed by Raising Amy in 2011. He also illustrated The Tattoo Fox written by Alasdair Hutton.
Peter Pan is a familiar tale to many who have been enchanted by the adventures of the boy who wouldn’t grow up. In this graphic novel Steven White goes back to the very heart of Barrie’s original tale to create a story that is dark, magical, charming and authentic. The complexity of Barrie’s original is drawn out in vibrant illustrations and engaging text to create a new vision of the tale for those familiar with it and to enchant a new generation of readers. The stunning illustrations draw on original, authentic features from the locations that inspired Barrie to write his tale, including Moat Brae House in Dumfries and the garden where he played as a boy. In choosing the format of a graphic novel for this retelling, Steven has created a new and exciting version of Peter Pan that is like nothing that has been done before. ISBN: 9781780272900 Price: £12.99 Format: 295 x 210mm hbk Rights: UK only June 2015 96pp
24
Children’s
CHILDREN’S
Ron Butlin Illustrated by Jim Hutcheson Here Come the Trolls! This may be your first meeting with the Trolls but it won’t be your last! Tiny (a mere 7-10 centimetres) and mischievous, they are sociable and go around in swarms - like midges! The are a playful bunch with lots of energy and they live right beneath your feet, emerging out of drains and manholes to create maximum mess, noise and havoc. RON BUTLIN is a poet, playwright, novelist, short story writer and opera librettist whose works have been broadcast in the UK and abroad and have been translated into many languages. His volumes of poetry include the awardwinning Ragtime in Unfamiliar Bars (Secker & Warburg, 1985) and Histories of Desire (Bloodaxe, 1995). His New and Selected Poems was published by Barzan in 2005. His novels include the novels The Sound of My Voice (winner of the Prix Mille Pages 2004 and Prix Lucioles 2005, both for Best Foreign Novel), Night Visits and most recently Belonging. He was appointed Edinburgh Makar in May 2008.
ISBN: 9781780272955 Price: £9.99 Format: 224 x 259mm hbk Rights: World October 2015 32pp Colour illustrations throughout
TROLL NAMES The best names are Troll names, they snarl and they bite – we make up our own, and make them up right! There’s Bog-Breath and Smasher, Nosedrip and Trasher, Gapteeth and Gasher And Basher Boy Blue! There’s Flycatcher, Bumscratcher . . . There’s Hairlsnarl, Slowstart, LipCurl, Fart-Fart, SickBag, SnotRag, And PlukeFace-All-Goo! One for each troll, so each troll can be proud as he shouts out his name and shouts it out loud!
25
CHILDREN’S
Children’s
Alexander McCall Smith Precious and the Zebra Necklace Precious and the Mystery of the Missing Lion was shortlisted for Scottish Children’s Book of the Year. Once upon a time in the African country of Botswana, there was a little girl who would grow up to be one of the most famous detectives in the world: Precious Ramotswe of the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency. ALEXANDER MCCALL SMITH is one of the world’s most prolific and most popular authors. For many years he was a professor of Medical Law, then, after the publication of his highly successful No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series, which has sold over twenty-five million copies, he devoted his time to the writing of fiction and has seen his various series of books translated into over forty-six languages and become bestsellers throughout the world.
When Precious finds out that all schoolfriend Nancy has of her missing parents is a photograph and a necklace, she offers to help. Precious and Nancy find themselves on an exciting adventure that takes them into the remotest parts of Botswana in their search for Nancy’s family.
9781846973185 £6.99 pbk
ISBN: 9781846973048 Price: £9.99 Format: 185 x 125mm hbk Rights: English language (UK, Europe & Commonwealth) July 2015
Praise for the Precious series:
‘Great for children, and one for grown-up fans to sneak a read of too!’ Bookbag ‘This delightful tale for children reveals how the young Precious became the crafty and intuitive private investigator we all know and love!’ Western Morning News
26
9781846972546 £6.99 pbk
Children’s
CHILDREN’S
Benedict Blathwayt Tig and Tag BENEDICT BLATHWAYT is a well known writer and illustrator of children’s stories and author of the best-selling Little Red Train series and Dinosaur Chase and Dinosaur Disaster!
A delightful story featuring two naughty young lambs, for readers aged 3–7. One night at Bay Farm, three lambs are born. The mother sheep has only enough milk for one lamb, so the farmer’s wife decides to look after the other two herself. Tig and Tag soon show their mischievous natures, and get into all sorts of trouble. But when a dog comes to threaten the rest of the sheep, Tig and Tag know exactly what to do, and save the day. It’s not long before the naughty lambs are in trouble again as they try to avoid getting dipped and sheared. Hiding on an island might seem like fun, but they soon find it isn’t, and realize they’d rather be at home after all . . .
Tig and Tag Benedict Blathwayt
ISBN: 9781780273129 Price: £6.99 Format: 224 x 259mm pbk Rights: World July 2015 32pp Illustrations: colour throughout
The Little House by the Sea Fisherman Sam McFin moves into a little house by the sea with his dog, Jock. Nobody has lived there for a long time, but the house is home to lots of others – sheep, sparrows, rabbits, mice and a stray cat. What will happen to them when a human wants to live there too? They needn’t worry, as all are welcome. Sam and Jock are soon used to their new home, and go out every day to catch fish. They also take people on a trip to Smuggler’s Island. Join them as they head to the island and spot seals, seagulls, puffins and arrive at the Smuggler’s Cave, where Sam tells them stories of pirates and treasure.
ISBN: 9781780273143 Price: £6.99 Format: 224 x 259mm pbk Rights: World July 2015 32pp Illustrations: colour throughout
27
New Editions
F. Marian McNeill The Scots Kitchen
Its Traditions and Recipes NEW EDITION F. MARIAN McNEILL (1885–1973) was a journalist and writer with a deep love and knowledge of Scots language, lore and traditions. The Scots Kitchen, her most popular book, first published in 1929, gives a delightful account of eating and drinking in Scotland throughout the ages, with definitive recipes for all the old national dishes. It is widely regarded as the most important book on Scottish cookery yet to appear.
This is the first new edition of The Scots Kitchen for over thirty years. Beautifully laid out for a new generation of readers and with charming line illustrations by Ian Macintosh, it is introduced by the well-known cookery writer and broadcaster, Catherine Brown. She describes the impact this pioneering book has had on the whole of Scottish cuisine and traces the fascinating life story of Marian McNeill herself. Notes explain how to use the book so that its treasure trove of recipes can be explored in the modern kitchen. As well as being a practical guide to all aspects of Scottish cooking, this is above all a book to be read for pleasure, to refer to and savour again and again.
ISBN: 9781780273013 Price: £14.99 Format: 234 x 190mm pbk Rights: World March 2015 368pp
Caroline Wickham-Jones Orkney
A Historical Guide NEW EDITION CAROLINE WICKHAM-JONES studied archaeology at Edinburgh University. She is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, and has conducted research throughout Scotland, Ireland and Scandanavia. She is the author of numerous articles and publications, including Scotland’s First Settlers.
28
Orkney lies only 20 miles north of mainland Scotland, yet for many centuries its culture was more Scandanavian than Scottish. Strong westerly winds account for the scarcity of trees on Orkney and also for the tradition of well-constructed stone structures. As a result, the islands boast a large number of exceptionally well-preserved remains, which help us to form a detailed picture of Orcadian life through the ages. Sites and remains to be explored include settlements from the Stone Age, stone circles and burials from the Bronze Age, Iron Age brochs, Viking castles, the magnificent cathedral of St Magnus in Kirkwall, Renaissance palaces, a Martello tower from the Napoleonic Wars and numerous remains from the Second World War. In this updated edition of her best-selling book, Caroline Wickham-Jones, who has worked extensively on Orcadian sites for many years, introduces the history of the islands and provides a detailed survey of the principal places and sites of historic interest.
ISBN: 9781780272641 Price: £9.99 Format: 198 x 129mm pbk Rights: World March 2015 256pp 16pp b/w plate section
Robert Hay
New Editions Lismore
The Great Garden NEW EDITION ROBERT HAY lives on Lismore and is one of the curators of the island museum (Ionad Naomh Moluag). As a professional agricultural and environmental scientist, most recently at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, he has a particular interest in the history of land use. In 2005 he published Lochnavando No More: The Life and Death of a Moray Farming Community 1750-
Alec Glen
1850 and he has contributed to the Agriculture volume of Scottish Life and Society: A Compendium of Scottish Ethnology, published by John Donald.
From their first sight of Tirefour Broch, dominating approaches from mainland, visitors to the Isle of Lismore can explore an outstanding heritage of monuments to the past – Bronze Age cairns, medieval castles, the Cathedral of Argyll, carved graveslabs, deserted townships and watermills, not to mention a Stevenson lighthouse. Talking to islanders, they soon realise that there is also a long and unbroken tradition of Gaelic culture. This is a guidebook to the story of Lismore, placing the events in the context of the times. Because of its strategic position at the mouth of the Great Glen and its fertility, as a limestone island, Lismore played an important part in the prehistory and early history of the West Highlands and Islands, not least as the headquarters of the community of Celtic monks founded by St Moluag. Colonised by the Vikings, and forming part of the extensive empire of the Gallgael leader Somerled, it was at the centre of the complex power play between the rulers of Norway and the emerging Scottish nation.
ISBN: 9781780272986 Price: £9.99 Format pbk: 198 x 129mm Rights: World May 2015 208pp
In the Front Line
A Doctor in War and Peace PAPERBACK EDITION
ALEC GLEN was born in Govan, Glasgow, in 1890. While serving in the army in the First World War, he was awarded the Military Cross for bravery. He went on to build up a busy GP and maternity practice in Govan and became a leading figure in Glasgow medical circles. He died in 1972 and is survived by two sons.
At the outbreak of the First World War, recently qualified young doctor Alec Glen joined the army and served as a medical officer for the duration. Early on he provides a shattering account of the hopeless slaughter at Gallipoli,where he survived almost certain death many times as his companions fell around him. Only 100 men survived of his battalion of 1,000. His later service in the Middle East and Mesopotamia is an astonishing tale of courage and endurance, interwoven with spells of leave,during which the Scot encountered exotic experiences undreamed of back home. After the war, Glen became a GP in Govan, one of the poorest areas in Britain, at a time long before the National Health Service. Preventable illnesses were often a death sentence for old and young alike. The extremes of poverty and suffering he witnessed brought home to him that he was in the front line once more, but in a different kind of warfare.
ISBN: 9781780272627 Price: £9.99 Format: 198 x 129mm pbk Rights: World September 2015 320pp Illustrations: 8pp b/w
29
New Editions
Alyssa Popiel A Capital View: The Art of Edinburgh
A Hundred Artworks from the City Collection PAPERBACK EDITION
ALYSSA POPIEL grew up on Corstorphine Hill, Edinburgh. In her mother’s antique shop she discovered strange objects, books of old and listened to many a tale and song. After studying History of Art (MA Hons) at Edinburgh University, she worked as an arts researcher for BBC Scotland. She now works as a freelance researcher.
Praise for A Capital View:
‘A beautifully produced book’ Scotsman
‘Popiel brings a hugely creative mind to this project . . . she deftly captures the immense aesthetic beauty of Edinburgh’ Scottish Field
30
Edinburgh boasts one of the largest and most diverse collections of art of any city in Britain. In this book, Alyssa Poppiel features a hundred artworks from the city collection, from the Enlightenment to the present day, which feature Edinburgh and its surroundings. All are accompanied by extended captions which set the context and provide a huge amount of lively historical and anecdotal material. Artists include: John Slezer, Paul Sandby, Henry Raeburn, Alexander Nasmyth, Walter Geikie, David Roberts, Sam Bough, John Bell, James Paterson, Francis Cadell, William Crozier, Stanley Cursiter, Jessie M. King, Anne Redpath, and John Bellany.
ISBN: 9781780272542 Price: £14.99 Format: 280 x 238mm pbk Rights: World August 2015 224pp
New Editions
Ian Fraser Shredded
Inside RBS, the Bank that Broke Britain PAPERBACK EDITION IAN FRASER is an award-winning journalist, commentator and broadcaster whose work has been published by, among others, The Economist, Financial Times, The Sunday Times, Independent on Sunday, Guardian, Observer, Mail on Sunday, Herald, Sunday Herald, Thomson Reuters, Huffington Post, economia and QFINANCE. He has taught at the University of Stirling, and his BBC documentary, RBS: the Bank That Ran Out of Money, was short-listed for a Bafta. He is a graduate of St Andrews University and lives in Scotland.
‘Impeccably researched and hard to put down at any point … The author pulls no punches’ Philip Augar, Financial Times
‘This book should be posted through the letterbox of every taxpayer in Britain’ David Mellor, former Chief Secretary to the Treasury
‘Magisterial…. the most detailed catalogue to date of the errors and misdemeanours leading up to RBS’s 2008 collapse and the failure – in Fraser’s view – to reform the bank in its aftermath’ Colin Donald, Herald
At its zenith, the Royal Bank of Scotland was the world’s biggest bank. It had assets of $3 trillion, employed over 200,000 people, had branches on every high street and was admired and trusted by millions of borrowers and investors. Now the mere mention of its name causes anger and resentment, and its former CEO, Fred Goodwin, is reviled as one of the architects of the worst financial crisis since 1929. In Shredded, Ian Fraser lifts the lid on the catastrophic mistakes that led the bank to the brink of collapse, scrutinizing the role played by RBS’s directors who failed to check Goodwin’s hubris, the colleagues who were overawed by his despotic leadership style, the politicians who created a regulatory free-forall in which banks went virtually unsupervised, and the investors who egged Goodwin on. As more and more toxic details emerge about the bank’s pre- and postbailout misconduct, Ian Fraser examines what the future holds for RBS and whether it can ever regain the public’s trust.
ISBN: 9781780272771 Price: £14.99 Format: 234 x 156mm pbk Rights: World October 2015 608pp 8pp colour plate section
‘Explosive’ Tom Harper, Independent on Sunday
‘The definitive text. I’m thinking of Barbarians at the Gate about Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and RJR Nabisco. An instant classic’ Max Keiser, The Keiser Report
31
New Editions
Mairi Hedderwick Hebridean Calendar 2016 Hebridean Pocket Diary 2016 Hebridean Desk Diary 2016 This beautiful stationery collection features distinctive full-colour paintings by one of Scotland’s best-loved authors and artists, Mairi Hedderwick, in a wonderful celebration of the extraordinary natural beauty of the Hebrides throughout the seasons.
MAIRI HEDDERWICK was born in Gourock, Scotland. As a student she took a job as a mother’s help on the Isle of Coll in the Hebrides, beginning a life-long love affair with islands and their small communities. Her children were brought up there and now some of her grandchildren. Mairi’s island world is delightfully reflected in the imaginary island of Struay where her perennially popular Katie Morag stories are set. As well as creating children’s books Mairi writes and illustrates travel books for adults. She also illustrated the acclaimed Janet Reachfar books, which are published by Birlinn. She continues to live on Coll.
ISBN: 9781780272726 Price: £9.99 Format: 300 x 300mm calendar Rights: World May 2015 24pp
The paintings have been collected over the past forty years and show the changing faces of the landscapes. Mairi’s sketches range across many of the isles from Arran to Tiree, expertly capturing the essence of these beautiful and diverse islands, from wind-swept machair and dramatic cliffs to rolling hills and secluded woods. Following the huge success of the previous diaries and calendars, this new 2016 collection is set to enjoy continued success.
ISBN 9781780272740 Price: £7.99 Format: 156 x 110mm hbk Rights: World May 2015 128pp
ISBN 9781780272733 Price: £12.99 Format: 230 x 170mm hbk Rights: World May 2015 128pp
32
New Editions
Andrew Crummy ANDREW CRUMMY has worked for New Musical Express, the Observer magazine, Design Week, Creative Review and Time Out magazine. He has developed multiple large-scale, collaborative artworks in public and community settings across the world, and has been involved in a huge range of book publications, multimedia events, festivals and educational programmes.
‘The most ambitious attempt to capture the past in needle and thread since the Bayeux Tapestry . . . The result is not just visually stunning but intensely moving and occasionally very funny’ The Times
The Great Tapestry of Scotland Calendar 2016 The brainchild of bestselling author Alexander McCall Smith, historian Alistair Moffat and artist Andrew Crummy, the Great Tapestry of Scotland is an outstanding celebration of 420 million years of Scottish history and achievement. Involving a thousand stitchers who worked on 165 separate panels, the tapestry is one of the biggest community arts projects ever to have been conceived in Scotland. This stunning calendar features 12 entire panels from the completed Tapestry which show to optimum effect the magnificent colouring and detail of the original. During 2015, the Great Tapestry of Scotland will be exhibited in Stirling, Fife and Ayrshire, with other locations yet to be announced. Format: 300 x 300mm calendar Price: £9.99 24pp
ISBN: 9781780272757 Rights: World March 2015
David Hawson The Puffer Calendar 2016 DAVID HAWSON is a retired GP from Monymusk in rural Aberdeenshire, an accomplished photographer and a painter who has exhibited with the Royal Scottish Watercolour Society. He has sailed extensively throughout the west coast waters of Scotland and sketches and paints wherever he goes. His Puffer Cookbook, co-authored with Mandy Hamilton, was first published in 2013.
This beautiful calendar celebrates Vic 32, the last surviving Clyde Puffer, which was found derelict in Whitby harbour and lovingly restored by Nick and Rachel Walker. It is now a familiar sight along the west coast of Scotland as it steams up the Clyde estuary and round the islands of the Hebrides. The wonderful photographs in this calendar show it under its plume of smoke as it sails through some of the loveliest scenery on earth, and David Hawson’s vibrant paintings and line drawings adorn each month. Sales of the calendar support the Puffer Preservation Trust, the registered charity set up to maintain the Puffer and save this iconic vessel for future generations to enjoy. Format: 300 x 300mm calendar Price: £9.99 24pp
ISBN: 9781780272764 Rights: World May 2015
33
Sport
John Deering Lost
The Frank Vandenbrouke Story
JOHN DEERING’s first book was a study of his time with the chaotic but charismatic Linda McCartney Cycling Team and went on to be voted 5th-best cycling book of all time. He has supplied many features to publications such as Procycling, The Official Tour de France guide and Ride Cycling Review, and contributed regularly to Eurosport’s cycling coverage. He is the author of Bradley Wiggins: Tour de Force, published by Arena Sport.
Praise for Bradley Wiggins: Tour de Force:
‘Deering’s blow-byblow of the Tour is both evocative and perfect for those looking to learn more about the machinations of team tactics and minutiae of life on the road’ Cyclo
Frank Vandenbroucke is the great lost talent of world road cycling. Born in Mouscron in Belgium in 1974, he went on to race for three of the biggest professional teams on the world circuit – Lotto, Mapei and Cofidis, and became the darling of the cycling press for his daring approach to winning races. Between 1993 and 1999 he won a slew of races, including the Liege–Bastogne– Liege (known amongst the cycling fraternity as the hardest race in the world), Het Volk, Paris–Nice, Paris–Brussels and stages of the Tour of Spain. The Tour de France was in his sights. But his personal life was another story; he became addicted to cocaine and succumbed to pressures within his teams to take EPO and other performanceenhancing drugs. The notorious Cofidis team – where he was joint team leader with Scotland’s David Millar – eventually broke him. On leaving Cofidis he moved to the Italian team Lampre and then a number of other teams until he effectively ended his career in 2004, aged only 30. Five years later, he was dead.
ISBN: 9781909715219 Price: £16.99 Format: 234 x 156mm hbk Rights: World May 2015
In this extraordinary biography, John Deering forensically pieces together the chaos of VDB’s story, painting a captivating portrait of the outrageous highs and the tragic lows of one of cycling’s greatest lost talents. 9781909715158 £12.99 hbk
34
9781780271293 £7.99 pbk
Fran Guillén
Sport Diego Costa The Art of War FRAN GUILLÉN has extensive experience as a broadcaster and writer covering many sports. He has worked for Radio Marca, Cadena COPE, Real Madrid Radio, esRadio and, most recently, Marca TV and ABC Punto Radio. Based in Madrid, he has followed Diego Costa’s career closely from the
Ed Hodge
beginning.
Diego Costa has gone from relative obscurity in Spanish football to one of the best and most controversial strikers in the world at Chelsea all in the space of a couple of years. During that period, he also turned his back on the country of his birth, Brazil, to represent Spain, subsequently appearing for La Roja at the 2014 World Cup to a soundtrack of boos from infuriated Brazilian fans. Costa’s career has been a slow-burning one. He was frequently loaned out to other Spanish teams by parent club Atletico Madrid. But during that period, as he suffered in the shadow of Atletico’s star young striker, Sergio Aguero, he was also learning how to harness his enormous talent. Then, in season 2013-14, he exploded onto the scene, scoring 35 goals and inspiring his side to win La Liga and reach the final of the Champions League, where they lost to Real Madrid after Costa limped out of the action with an injury which would hang over his World Cup summer. His switch to Chelsea for season 2014-15 has seen him score in nine consecutive matches. Diego Costa: The Art of War covers every aspect of his career, from growing up in Brazil, to the fallow years when he learned his trade and then his astonishing impact on world football over the past two years. There are over 80 interviews, including big names such as Vicente Del Bosque, Cesc Fabregas, Sergio Ramos, Koke and more.
ISBN: 9781909715295 Price: £14.99 Format: 234 x 156mm pbk Rights: World English Language July 2015 208pp
Our Day in May
The Inside Story of how St Johnstone FC won their First Major Trophy in their 130-year History ED HODGE grew up in Braco, Perthshire and has been a St Johnstone fan since McDiarmid Park first opened its turnstiles in 1989. Ed now lives in Linlithgow with his wife, Iona, and their two young children and has followed St Johnstone home and away at more games than he can remember. Boasting 14 years experience in the sports media industry in Scotland across a variety of roles, he is now PR & Media Executive for the Scottish Golf Union and is the author of Jewel in the Glen: Gleneagles, Golf and The Ryder Cup.
17 May, 2014: the greatest date in St Johnstone Football Club’s history. The day the small, well-run, Perthshire club saw 130 years of waiting to lift a major trophy come to a glorious end. Having so often come up short as a club in the latter stages of cup competitions, manager Tommy Wright and his team entered the history books after winning the Scottish Cup, the world’s oldest trophy, thanks to a 2-0 win over Tayside rivals Dundee United in their first appearance in the final. Roared on by 15,000 fans, their largest ever support, Saints achieved glory on an unforgettable afternoon at Celtic Park in Glasgow, capping a remarkable season for one of the game’s perennial underdogs. With Stevie May, the club’s talisman striker and semi-final hero, wearing the No 17 shirt, the day appeared destined for Saints, before two other Stevens – Anderson and MacLean – emerged as the matchwinners. In Wright’s first full season in charge, it was a victory that summed up his team; organised, resolute, flashes of flair and a collective will to win. For the emotional Brown family in particular, club owner Geoff and chairman Steve, it was their proudest day.
ISBN: 9781780273211 Price: £9.99 Format: 234 x 156mm pbk Rights: World English Language May 2015 288pp
35
Sport
Tom English Behind the Green Jersey Playing Rugby for Ireland TOM ENGLISH is an award-winning BBC journalist and radio pundit. The former chief sports writer for Scotland on Sunday, he was voted Scottish Sport Feature Writer of the Year five times. He is a former Irish rugby correspondent for The Sunday Times. He won Rugby Book of the Year at the 2010 British Sports Book Awards for The Grudge, his study of the 1990 Grand Slam decider between Scotland and England, and is a coauthor of the best-selling Behind the Lions: Playing Rugby for the British & Irish Lions.
Praise for Behind the Lions:
‘Utterly compelling’ Planet Rugby
‘Comfortably the most interesting and entertaining history of the Lions’
From Jack Kyle’s immortals to Brian O’Driscoll’s golden generation, this is the story of Irish rugby, told in the players’ words. Celebrated rugby writer Tom English embarks on a pilgrimage through the four provinces to reveal the fascinating and illuminating story of playing test rugby in the emerald green of Ireland – all the glory of victory, all the pain of defeat, and all the craic behind the scenes. But this is more than just a nostalgic look back through the years, it is a searing portrait of the effects of politics and religion on Irish sport, a story of great schisms and volatile divisions, but also a story of the profound unity, passionate friendships and the bonds of a brotherhood.
ISBN: 9781909715189 Price: £19.99 Format: 234 x 156mm hbk Rights: World September 2015 432pp
With exclusive new interview material with a host of Ireland rugby greats, Behind the Green Jersey unveils the compelling truth of what it means to play for Ireland at Lansdowne Road, Croke Park and around the world. This is the ultimate history of Irish rugby – told, definitively, by the men who have been there and done it.
Irish Times
‘A fascinating collection of insights’ Sunday Times
9781909715196 £25 hbk
36
9781909715127 £19.99 hbk
9781841586533 £20 hbk
Sport
Tris Dixon Money
The Life and Fast Times of Floyd Mayweather Jr TRIS DIXON is the editor of Boxing News and has covered the sport for nearly two decades. He was the ghostwriter for Ricky Hatton’s recent bestselling autobiography, War and Peace, and is a regular pundit on Sky Sports’ boxing shows Big-Fight Special and Ringside. He is also often a guest on CNN, TalkSport, Sky News and other mainstream outlets and he has been ringside at major fights on both sides of the Atlantic since 2000, covering the sport on four continents and in more than a dozen countries.
Born on February 24, 1976, Floyd Mayweather Jr’s father was a boxer, as were his two uncles. His dad also dealt drugs and one day brought his ‘work’ home with him, when he used his son as a human shield to stop a rival dealer from shooting him. The gunman instead shot his father in the leg, curtailing his own ring career. Floyd Mayweather Jr has never married, has four children by two women, and is a habitual gambler, known to win and lose millions on a single half of US football or basketball. He is obsessed with money, almost as obsessed as he is about protecting his unbeaten record and his staggering aim to go 50 professional bouts without defeat, a goal that he intends to achieve in late 2015, just shy of his 40th birthday.
ISBN: 9781909715271 Price: £16.99 Format: 234 x 156mm hbk Rights: World English Language November 2015 320pp
Mayweather Jr was made famous by his profession, shaped his character through reality TV shows and transcended boxing and sport, into rap culture, social media and business. Tris Dixon explores his extraordinary life story in this searing, insightful and often brutal expose of one of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen.
37
John Donald
Robert G. W. Anderson (editor) The Cradle of Chemistry ROBERT G. W. ANDERSON FRSE FSA graduated from St John’s College, University of Oxford, and has held posts at the Royal Scottish Museum, the Science Museum, London, and the National Museums of Scotland, Edinburgh. He later became Director of the British Museum, London. He has held visiting academic posts at the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton University, and at the Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities at the University of Cambridge. He is an Official Fellow of Clare Hall, Cambridge. In 2012 he published The Correspondence of Joseph Black.
The First Century of Chemistry at the University of Edinburgh From the mid eighteenth century, many medical students from across the world made their way to Edinburgh, drawn by the reputation of the faculty and the quality and nature of its teaching. Chemistry, in particular, had star performers, notably William Cullen and Joseph Black, whose innovative teaching styles excited and inspired their audiences. This book, which is based on conference papers given at the Crawford tercentenary meeting held at the Royal Society of Edinburgh in October 2013, describes the progress of chemistry at the University of Edinburgh from the appointment of the first professor, James Crawford, in 1713 to the career of Thomas Charles Hope, a century or so later. It includes the radical attempt by William Cullen to introduce ‘philosophical chemistry’ as a counterpart to Newton’s natural philosophy, and Joseph Black’s eventual acceptance of Lavoisier’s oxygen theory. This is a fascinating study of the period when Edinburgh’s chemistry literacy was higher than at any other time.
Eric Graham
ISBN: 9781906566869 Price: £25 Format: 234 x 156mm hbk Rights: World June 2015 224pp 16pp b/w plates
A Maritime History of Scotland 1650 – 1790 ERIC GRAHAM is a historical researcher and writer. He is a founding member of the Early Scottish Maritime History Exchange (ESME) and is an Honorary Post Doctoral Research Fellow at the Scottish Centre for the Diaspora, University of Edinburgh. He has published widely on Scottish maritime history and lives in Edinburgh.
38
The period 1650 to 1790 was such a turbulent one for Scottish seafarers that much of this fast-flowing narrative reads like Treasure Island. Colourful characters abound in a story teeming with incident and excitement. Eric Graham traces the development of the Scottish marine and its institutions during a formative period, when state intervention and warfare at sea in the pursuit of merchantilist goals largely determined the course of events. He charts Scotland’s frustrated attempts to join England in the Atlantic economy and so secure her prosperity – an often bitter relationship that culminated in the Darien Disaster. In the years that followed, maritime affairs were central to the move to embrace the full incorporating Act of 1707. After 1707, Scottish maritime aspirations flourished under the protection of the British Navigation Acts and the windfalls of the endemic warfare at sea.
ISBN: 9781906566845 Price: £20 Format: 234 x 156mm pbk Rights: World March 2015 384pp Illustrations: b/w throughout
John Donald
Mairi Stewart Voices of the Forest
A Social History of Scottish Forestry in the Twentieth Century MAIRI STEWART graduated in Geography from Glasgow University. After spending ten years working in conservation and land management, her interest in woodland history led her to undertake an MPhil at the University of St Andrews. She subsequently worked as a project officer at the Centre for Environmental History at the University of Stirling and as a research fellow at UHI Centre for History. She is currently a freelance historical researcher specialising in environmental history. She is co-author of The Firth of Forth: An Environmental History.
The creation of large new tracts of forest, together with the development of a modern wood processing sector, was the single biggest transformation to occur in the Scottish countryside during the twentieth century. While the environmental and landscape impacts of this change have been much commented upon, its impact on Scottish culture and society has attracted comparatively little attention. This book tells the fascinating story of the human side of forestry, drawing heavily on the thoughts, experiences and reflections of a wide range of individuals from all levels and all sectors of the industry as it has developed in Scotland over the last 100 years. The book also analyses the evolution of forestry ISBN: 9781906566647 policy and the changing roles of both the state-run Forestry Price: £20 Commission and the private sector. However, at its core are the Format: 245 x 240mm pbk stories of the men, women and children who have lived and Rights: World worked in the many communities where old and new forests June 2015 have loomed large – communities where, especially in the 304pp middle decades of the twentieth century, forestry was often theIllustrations: 120 b/w, largest source of employment and income, and without which 80 col. throughout many of these places would have struggled to survive.
Alan Macniven
The Vikings in Islay
The Place of Names in Hebridean Settlement History ALAN MACNIVEN is a lecturer in the department of Scandinavian Studies at the University of Edinburgh. He is responsible for honours and postgraduate courses in Viking Studies, Old Norse Studies, and the Material Culture of Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic Scotland, and has organised a number of conferences and seminars on similar themes. His research to date has focused on Scandinavian place-names in Scotland and their value as indicators of cultural change.
The Hebridean island of Islay is well-known for its whisky, its wildlife and its association with the MacDonald Lords of the Isles. There would seem to be little reason to dwell on its fate at the hands of marauding Northmen during the Viking Age. Despite a pivotal location on the ‘sea road’ from Norway to Ireland, there are no convincing records of the Vikings ever having been there. In recent years, historians have been keen to marginalise the island’s Viking experience, choosing instead to focus on the enduring stability of native Celtic culture, and tracing the island’s modern Gaelic traditions back in an unbroken chain to the dawn of the Christian era. However, the foundations of this presumption are flawed. With no written accounts to go by, the real story of Islay’s Viking Age has to be read from another type of source material – the silent witness of the names of local places. The Vikings in Islay presents a systematic review of around 240 of the island’s farm and nature names. The conclusions drawn turn traditional assumptions on their head. The romance of Islay’s names, it seems, masks a harrowing tale of invasion, apartheid and ethnic cleansing.
ISBN: 9781906566623 Price: £25 Format: 234 x 156mm pbk Rights: World May 2015 400pp b/w maps/diagrams throughout
39
John Donald
Michael Brown James I
MICHAEL BROWN is Professor of Scottish history at the University of St Andrews. His main research interests centre on the political society of Scotland c.1250–c.1500 and on the relationships between the various communities of the British Isles during the same period. He has published studies of the practice and ideology of royal and aristocratic lordship in Scotland.
‘This is an important book, and not only because it is the first full-length biography of James I for nearly sixty years. It is a clearly written and innovative political study, drawn from a deep knowledge of the contemporary documents and chronicles. It gives a challenging, not to say unattractive, picture of a royal thug’ – Books in Scotland Conditioned by a childhood surrounded by the rivalries of the Stewart family, and by eighteen years of enforced exile in England, James was to prove a king very different from his elderly and conservative forerunners. This major study draws on a wide range of sources, assessing James I’s impact on his kingdom. Michael Brown examines James’s creation of a new, prestigious monarchy based on a series of bloody victories over his rivals and symbolised by lavish spending at court. He concludes that, despite the apparent power and glamour, James I’s ‘golden age’ had shallow roots; after a life of drastically swinging fortunes, James I was to meet his end in a violent coup, a victim of his own methods. But whether as lawgiver, tyrant or martyr, James I has cast a long shadow over the history of Scotland. Format: 215 x 135mm pbk Price: £25 8pp b/w plates
ISBN: 9781906566937 Rights: World May 2015
Christine McGladdery James II
CHRISTINE MCGLADDERY is a Teaching Fellow at the School of History, University of St Andrews. Her main research interests are the relationship between crown and nobility in fifteenth-century Scotland and the chronicle sources of the period. She is a member of the St Andrews Institute of Scottish Historical Research and the Institute of Mediaeval Studies at the University of St Andrews.
40
In this study of the reign of James II of Scotland, the king is viewed in the context of the Stewart monarchy, from his struggles to overcome his early adversity and the legacy of his father’s style of kingship, to the serious political crises of his reign. The relations between the king and his subjects, and the complex balance of power in medieval Scotland are examined, particularly the significant crisis precipitated by James II’s attack on the Black Douglases, the greatest of all late medieval magnate families. The changing nature of political involvement among the nobility and the role of Parliament in influencing events are explored, as are the efforts of the king to recover and promote royal authority in the final years of his reign. The role of James II in the wider European context is also studied with a view to shedding light on contemporary perceptions of the Stewart monarchy both at home and abroad. The study is based on contemporary chronicle and official sources, and consideration is also given to later, highly coloured views of James II, which have influenced popular views of the king to the present day. Format: 234 x 156mm pbk Price: £25 224pp 16pp b/w plates
ISBN: 9781904607892 Rights: World May 2015
John Donald
Ronald Black
The Campbells of the Ark Men of Argyll in 1745
RONALD BLACK (Raghnall MacilleDhuibh) is a retired Senior Lecturer in Celtic Studies at the University of Edinburgh and Gaelic Editor of the Scotsman. He is a regular broadcaster and contributes to a wide variety of newspapers and journals. He lives in Peebles, Scotland.
In the course of his long poem An Airce, ‘The Ark’, the Jacobite poet Alexander MacDonald shows the Campbells being subjected to trial by water for the part they played in defeating Prince Charles’s army in 1745–6. Some will be drowned outright, he says, some just given a good ducking – and some will be honourably treated. He names forty individuals; Ronald Black puts their lives and deeds under the microscope to see how far they deserved their allotted fate. The result is a wellbalanced portrait of the leading men of Argyll in the eighteenth century and a refreshingly new perspective on one of the most colourful episodes in Scottish history: the rising of the ’45 as seen through the eyes of Highlanders who helped to crush it. The Campbells of the Ark includes a detailed study of the sixty-three locally based companies of the Argyllshire Militia of 1745–6, covering every corner of this fascinating county, from Kintyre to Ardnamurchan, from Islay to Genorchy.
ISBN: 9781906566890 Price: £30 Format: 234 x 156mm pbk Rights: World June 2015 16pp b/w plate section; maps
Douglas J. Davies, Hilary J. Grainger, Peter C. Jupp, Stephen R. G. White and Gordon Raeburn Our Ashes Glow with Social Fires Cremation in Modern Scotland
Changes in funeral practice provide a lens through which to inspect changes in wider social identity, values and religious beliefs. This book reveals how, in Scotland, as in other societies, our death ways and funeral arrangements are closely related to other aspects of life, from Christian beliefs to political convictions, from family relationships to class structure, from poverty to prosperity. The European context in which these changes and connections are considered illustrates how intriguingly Scottish history can be illuminated through its cult of death. The Scottish Reformation is the key to Scotland’s unique funeral history. When John Knox banned his clergy from liturgical participation at Protestant gravesides, he initiated a process that made the funeral, like birth and marriage rites, a civil rather than a religious occasion. The book interprets the crises in burial practice in nineteenth-century urban Scotland and constructs the very first account of how Scottish cremationists pioneered a radical alternative to burial. In exchanging burial for cremation, Scots cast off a thousand years of tradition within just three generations. Format: 234 x 156mm hbk Price: £30 16pp b/w plate section
ISBN: 9781906566791 Rights: World November 2015 16pp colour plate section
41
John Donald Annie Tindley & Ewen Cameron (editors) Dr Lachlan Grant of Ballachulish, 1871 –1945 EWEN CAMERON studied History and International Relations at the University of Aberdeen before completing a PhD at the University of Glasgow. He is Sir William Fraser Professor of History at the University of Edinburgh, co-editor of the Journal of Scottish Historical Studies and serves on the editorial boards of the journals Northern Scotland and Scottish Affairs. ANNIE TINDLEY gained a PhD at the University of Edinburgh on the modern history of the Scottish Highlands and Islands. She is currently a senior lecturer in History at the University of Dundee, Associate Director of the Centre for Scottish Culture and Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.
Dr Lachlan Grant (1871–1945) was a star pupil of Edinburgh medical school, who went on to general practice in the Highlands and Islands, while continuing medical research in his own private laboratory to work on problems such as tuberculosis (which reached epidemic proportions in the interwar Highlands), anaemia and eye health. Grant was an important figure in the public life of the Highlands, deeply involved in industrial disputes in the early twentieth century at the Ballachulish slate quarries, where he was employed as a doctor for the workers. He was also active politically, both in the Liberal party and the early years of the Scottish National Party, and was a prolific journalist, writing on medical and wider political, social and economic issues in the Highlands, particularly mental health care in the region. An active campaigner in the promotion of economic and social development of the Highlands, he placed special emphasis on improved health administration in the region. He was a key a contributor to the Dewar Report (1912), which led to the establishment of the Highlands and Islands Medical Board in 1913, considered by many to be a ‘proto-NHS’. Format: 234 x 156mm pbk Price: £25 16pp b/w plates
ISBN: 9781906566746 Rights: World August 2015
Brian R. W. Lockhart
42
BRIAN LOCKHART studied History and Politics at the University of Aberdeen and joined the staff of George Heriot’s School in 1968, becoming Principal Teacher of History and Economic History in 1972. In 1981 he was appointed Deputy Rector of the High School of Glasgow and in 1996 became Headmaster of Robert Gordon’s College, Aberdeen. He retired in 2004 but remains heavily involved in the wider world of education in Scotland. He was a Governor of the Glasgow Educational and Marshall Trust from 1989 until 1996, a Governor of Hutchesons’ Educational Trust from 2005 until 2012 and Convenor of its Education Committee, 2011–12. He is author of a number of major works on the history of Scottish schools, including Jinglin’ Geordie’s Legacy, Robert Gordon’s Legacy, The Town School: A History of the High School of Glasgow and was co-author of Bon Record: A History of Aberdeen Grammar School.
‘A Great Educational Tradition’
A History of Hutchesons’ Grammar School This is the story of Hutchesons’ Grammar School from the time of its foundation in 1641 until recent days when it has become one of the largest and most successful academic schools in the country. Brothers George and Thomas Hutcheson were the joint founders of the Hospital or Endowment for Pensioners, but the School, which was to co-exist with the Hospital, owed its existence to the benevolence of Thomas Hutcheson. The original Hospital School was built in the Trongate in the centre of Glasgow and housed twelve ‘indigent orphanes’ in a basement in the wing of a home for ‘aigett and decreppit’ men. It moved location and changed status several times in its history: it began as a charity school for primary-age boys, then became an elementary and secondary school for boys. In 1876, Hutchesons’ Girls’ School opened, finally amalgamating with the Boys’ Grammar School in 1976 at Beaton Road (Crossmyloof), its present site. The School has produced many well-known alumni, a number of whom are highlighted in biographical profiles in this book. They include John Buchan and R.D. Laing, and among many honours the School has achieved it was named Scottish Independent School of the Year in 2011. Format: 234 x 156mm hbk Price: £25 448pp 16pp bw plate section, 8pp col plate section
ISBN: 9781906566883 November 2015
SALES CONTACTS SCOTLAND Seol Ltd West Newington House 10 Newington Road Edinburgh EH9 1QS Tel: +44 (0) 131 668 1456 Fax: +44 (0) 131 668 4466 West Carol Crawford Email: carolc@seol.co.uk Tel: 07810 484001 East Vikki Reilly Email: vikkir@birlinn.co.uk Tel: 07920 018136 Argyll Hugh Andrew Email: hugh@seol.co.uk Highlands and Islands Carole Hamilton Email: caroleh@seol.co.uk Tel: 07780 606493 ENGLAND AND WALES Compass IPSL GW Business Centre Great West House Great West Road Brentford Middlesex TW8 9DF Tel: +44 (0) 208 996 5764 Sales Administration Pat Vance Email: pat@compass-dsa.co.uk
AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND New South Books c/o TL Distribution 15-23 Hailes Avenue Moorebank NSW 2170 Australia Tel: (02) 8778 9999 Fax: (02) 8778 9944 Email: orders@tldistribution.com.au Website: www.newsouthbooks.com.au USA, CANADA & CHINA Independent Publishers Group (IPG) 814 North Franklin St Chicago, Illinois 60610 USA Tel: (312) 337 0747 Fax: (312) 337 5985 Email: frontdesk@ipgbook.com Military Titles Only Casemate 2114 Darby Road Havertown, PA 19083 USA Tel: (+1) 610 853 9131 Fax: (+1) 610 853 9146 Email: casemate@casematepublishing.com NORTHERN EUROPE Bill Bailey Publishers’ Representatives 16 Devon Square Newton Abbot Devon TQ12 2HR Tel: +44 1626 331079 Fax: +44 1626 331080 Email: info@billbaileypubreps.co.uk SOUTHERN EUROPE Ted Dougherty Export Sales Agency 72 Hadley Street London NW1 8TA Tel: 020 7482 2439 Fax: 020 7267 9310 Mob: 07802 500 448 Email: ted.dougherty@blueyonder.co.uk
TRADE TERMS All orders are subject to a 35% discount, unless otherwise arranged. The standard discount will be applied to all subscriptions and cash with order. Single copy orders are subject to a 20% discount. Orders with a net invoice value under £30 may be subject to a reduced discount of 25%. Returns Policy All books must be in mint condition and suitable for resale. All returns requests must be authorised in advance by Birlinn Ltd or an authorised representative. No out-of-print titles may be returned unless permission is sought from the publisher. Books may not be returned within three months or after twelve months from receipt by the customer. Single copy returns will not normally be accepted unless by special arrangement. Faulty books must be returned complete. Title page is not acceptable. Returns must be sent to the Booksource warehouse within one month of written authorisation being received, otherwise they may not be accepted. Returns should NOT be sent to the publisher’s office. All returns must have an authorised returns label and should be addressed to: Booksource 50 Cambuslang Road Glasgow G32 8NB
www.birlinn.co.uk
www.birlinn.co.uk