2 minute read
The library
A haunted house, Hebridean poetry and a woman’s daring escape across the Atlantic
HERITAGE
Sword of Scotland: ‘Our fi ghting Jocks’
BY ANTHONY LEASK
Written by senior and respected Scottish military fi gure, Major General Anthony Leask CB CBE, this is the story of Scotland’s military heritage. Over 300 years, the contribution and sacrifi ces of Scotland’s fi ghting men have been out of all proportion to the size of the country and this book gives numerous examples of how the indomitable spirit of the Scots has shaped international history. According to Leask, the reasons for this are rooted at home; the clan structure is the foundation of Scotland’s military prowess and its greatest strength.
(£14.99, Pen & Sword) pen-and-sword.co.uk
POETRY
Iona: New and Selected Poems
BY KENNETH STEVEN
Born in landlocked Highland Perthshire, even as a child Steven craved the sea. His family took many trips to Scotland’s westerly isles during the summer holidays, which were “utterly safe havens for children” and “traditional island worlds,” according to Steven. Yet Iona is what he describes as “the jewel in the crown” of the Hebridean islands. Though the powerful allure of Iona remains a mystery to Steven, who has also written our feature on the Outer Hebrides in this issue (page 14), these poems are an attempt to translate it into words.
(£9.99, Paraclete Press) paracletepress.com
FICTION
Luckenbooth
BY JENNI FAGAN
No 10 Luckenbooth Close is an archetypal Edinburgh tenement and this novel spans nine centuries of the building’s demise, as it warps from grand residence to squalid squat under a wrathful curse. The characters that live through these dire times include a spy, a famous Beat poet, a coal miner who fears daylight, and a psychic. But for all its supernatural themes, the novel also bears witness to the real city’s history. Author and fellow Scot Ian Rankin says it is “one of [his] books of 2021, a gloriously transgressive novel of Edinburgh denizens past and present.”
(£16.99, William Heinemann) penguin.co.uk
HISTORY
The Tycoon & The Bard
BY JOHN CAIRNEY
Renowned actor, writer, painter and raconteur, John Cairney’s masterful story-telling forms the backbone of this new breed of biography. John Cairney tells the intriguing tale of how the richest man in the world at the time, Andrew Carnegie, was inspired by Scotland’s national bard, Robert Burns. Though Carnegie’s life is Cairney’s central concern, the infl uence of Burns’ romantic lyrics and ideas is undeniable and woven throughout. This connection draws out unexpected truths about both men, particularly regarding how Burns inspired Carnegie’s beliefs in fortune, fate and fairness. (£9.99, Luath
Press) luath.co.uk
BIOGRAPHY
Marjorie’s Journey: On A Mission Of Her Own
BY AILIE CLEGHORN
Scotland Street Press, an independent publisher based in Edinburgh, is promoting work on the theme of ‘International Women’ in 2021. Marjorie’s Journey is written by Canadian professor emerita at Concordia University, Ailie Cleghorn, whose mother was born in Scotland. It charts the extraordinary real-life journey of Marjorie, the author’s relative, who saved the lives of 10 children by sailing with them across the Atlantic from Scotland to South Africa during the Second World War. There she set up a home for them all. (£9.99,
