Scottish
Bestsellers
Preferred Lies: A Journey to the Heart of Scottish Golf This book is a gift for anyone who has links to Scotland, golf, or awareness of their own mortality. It is a serious book about coming back to life through coming back to golf. Or vice versa. It is a joyful, heartfelt book of connections and reconnections with the body, the land, the language and life itself. It is the tribute of a grown son to a long dead father who guides him back to health through their shared passion: Scottish golf.
Voices in the Street: Growing Up in Dundee
This book presents a nostalgic account of life growing up in wartime Scotland. Born in Dundee in 1938, Maureen Reynolds grew up in wartime Scotland, a young girl surrounded by adult concerns - the endless queuing for rations that never seemed to stretch quite far enough, the blackouts and air raids - and as she came of age, a whole generation seemed to suddenly do the same, with the rise of the Teddy Boy and rock and roll. A memoir written with the grace and lucidity of a novel, "Voices in the Street" chronicles a life of typical proportions with all the heartache and hope that entails, and reminds us that the most commonplace stories, properly told, can give a greater insight into a time and place than any of the more exceptional. With great candour and earnestness, Maureen Reynolds' reminiscences of growing up with her wise, kind Grandad, of lumpy porridge, of tramcars and of broth night, of finding her love and then seeing him borrowed for the sake of National Service, will strike a chord with all those who see their own memories reflected there, and for everyone else "Voices in the Street" provides an intricate, caring portrait of a life and of a generation.
Calum's Road
This is the story of a statement made from the depths of one man’s heart in the most practical and indisputable of ways against the unnecessary destruction of his homeland. Calum MacLeod had lived on the northern point of Raasay since his birth in 1911. He tended the Rona lighthouse at the very tip of his little archipelago, until semi-automation in 1967 reduced his responsibilities. ‘So what he decided to do,’ says his last neighbour, Donald MacLeod, ‘was to build a road out of Arnish in his months off. With a road he hoped new generations of people would return to Arnish and all the north end of Raasay..
St
Kilda: Island on the Edge of the World
St Kilda, Island on the Edge of the World. For more than 2000
years the people of St Kilda remained remote from the world.
Its society was viable, even Utopian; but in the nineteenth
century the island was discovered by missionaries, do-gooders
and tourists, who brought money, disease and despotism. St
Kildan culture gradually disintegrated and in 1930 the few
remaining islanders asked to be evacuated.
Driftnet
A Driftnet catches everything. A teenager is found strangled
and mutilated in a Glasgow flat. Leaving her warm bed and
lover in the middle of the night to take forensic samples
from the body, Rhona MacLeod soon recognises the likeness
between herself and the dead boy and is horrified to think
that he might be the son she gave up for adoption seventeen
years before. Amidst the turmoil of her own love life and
consumed by guilt from her past, Rhona sets out to find both
the boy's killer and her own son. But the powerful men who
use the Internet to trawl for vulnerable boys have nothing
to lose and everything to gain by Rhona MacLeod's death. Scottish
Bestseller.
On
the Crofter's Trail
In the Clearances of the 19th century, crofts, once the mainstay
of Highland life in Scotland, were swept away as the land
was put over to sheep grazing. Many of the people of the Highlands
and islands of Scotland were forced from their homes by landowners
in the Clearances. Some fled to Nova Scotia and beyond. David
Craig sets out to discover how many of their stories survive
in the memories of their descendants. He travels through 21
islands in Scotland and Canada, many thousands of miles of
moor and glen, and presents the words of men and women of
both countries as they recount the suffering of their forbears.
Blue
Shoes and Happiness (No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency S.)
Blue Shoes and Happiness brings more adventures for Precious
Ramotswe and her fine assistant Mma Makutsi, including an
encounter with a cobra, a sinister blackmail plot and a rather
tight-fitting pair of blue shoes, as well as plenty more bush
tea and Botswana skies.
Forever
Francie: My Life with Jack Milroy
A funny, touching memoir of Jack Milroy, one of Scotland's
best-loved showbiz legends, by Mary Lee, his partner for 50
years When Mary Lee first met Jack Milroy, it wasn't exactly
love at first sight. She was the star and he was the new boy
in town. At the end of their first performance together, they
took a bow to thunderous applause and Mary told him, 'Don't
get too excited, the applause is for me!' But, from this slightly
difficult start, romance soon blossomed and they went on to
became one of Scotland's most famous showbiz couples. Scottish
Bestseller.
My
Father and Other Working Class Football Heroes
Stewart Imlach was an ordinary neighbourhood soccer star of
his time. A brilliant winger who thrilled the crowd on Saturdays,
then worked alongside them in the off-season; who represented
Scotland in the 1958 World Cup and never received a cap for
his efforts.
Black
Watch: The Inside Story of the Oldest Highland Regiment in
the British Army
The Black Watch is one of the finest fighting forces in the
world and has been engaged in virtually every worldwide conflict
for the last three centuries. Named after the dark tartan
of the soldiers' kilts, its unique formation - raised from
loyal Scottish clans in the wake of the 1715 Jacobite rebellion
- make it the oldest Highland regiment.
The
Endless Tide
Meeting a vast cast of characters, Thomson ranges from personal
anecdotes of impromptu ceilidh's, to more political and scientific
issues, looking at agricultural politics and ecological debates.
North Scotland's brutal Viking origins and the mysterious
Pagan practices of its past are explored, yet "The Endless
Tide's" reach extends far beyond this country, touching
on world events since pre-Biblical times.
A
Sense of Belonging to Scotland Ewan McGregor says, The
photographs in this book will inspire the beautiful melancholia
experienced by Scots away from home all over the world. Sir
Cameron Mackintosh says, A ravishing book, with some of the
most beautiful shots of Scotland I have ever seen.
Scottish
Bestseller.
Fleshmarket
Close
Fleshmarket Close is not one of the best of Rankin's John
Rebus thrillers, but his second-best is still more than excellent.
Middle age is catching up with Rebus, he currently has no
desk as a none-too-subtle hint from his superiors that he
should seek retirement, but he and his friend and protegee
Siobhan, who is still not his lover, race around investigating
a variety of seemingly unconnected cases.
The
Scottish Gardener.
Gardens can have many different functions: some exist to provide
food or medicines, some for pleasure and recreation, while
others serve to proclaim their owners' status, wealth and
taste. People garden for a variety of reasons, and The Scottish
Gardener looks at herbalists, plant collectors, nurserymen,
botanists, artists and gardener's gardens. It explores monastic
gardens, royal gardens, walled gardens and town and village
gardens historically up to the present day. Scottish
Bestseller.
Ghosting:
A Double Life
Ghosting moves from a vivid evocation of an austere upbringing
in Fife to superbly rendered portraits of the people with
whom Jennie Erdal worked at a London-based publishing house.
A
Gift from the Gallowgate
Doris Davidson recounts her growing up in Aberdeen in the
'20s and '30's, the war years, her marriage and the unexpected
paths her career has followed. With her novelist's skill,
she brings into vivid focus a life of rich experience in a
book every bit as riveting as her works of fiction. Scottish
Bestseller.
A
Picture of Britain
A Picture of Britain is a celebration of the British landscape
and the art that it has inspired, from Constable to Lowry,
from Turner to Nash.
In
the Company of Cheerful Ladies Precious Ramotswe, that
cheerful Botswanan private investigator of 'traditional build',
is now married to Mr J.L.B. Matekoni of Tlokweng Road Speedy
Motors. The Agency is busy, but Mma Ramotswe cannot ignore
the plea which is made by a woman who comes to her with a
tale of particular misfortune. Unfortunately, her attempts
to help are interrupted by a close encounter between her tiny
white van and a bicycle, and by a spectacular disagreement
between her assistant, Mma Makutsi, and one of the apprentices
at the garage. This apprentice has found a fancy girlfriend
who drives a Mercedes-Benz. How can he be rescued from his
folly? And as for Mma Makutsi, she has found a dancing class,
and a man who may not be able to dance very well, but who
admires her greatly. And all of this happens against a background
of quiet sessions of bush tea, and of a land that stretches
out forever under mile upon mile of empty sky.
Life
and Limb Scottish Mountaineer; Jamie Andrew's survival
and rescue after five nights trapped by a ferocious storm
in 1999 has passed into Alpine legend. It was a miracle that
he survived; but Jamie had to come to terms not only with
the death of his close friend, Jamie Fisher, who died beside
him, but also with the loss of all his limbs to frostbite.
Since the accident, Jamie has struggled painfully and successfully
to overcome his disabilities; not only has he learnt to walk,
and run, on his prosthetic legs, but also to ski, snowboard,
paraglide, and even take up his beloved mountaineering again.
Scottish
Bestseller.
The
Wreckers: A Story of Killing Seas,...
From the bestselling author of The Lightouse Stevensons, a
gripping history of the drama and danger of wrecking since
the eighteenth century, and the often grisly ingenuity of
Scottish and British wreckers, scavengers of the sea. A fine
wreck has always represented sport, pleasure, treasure, and
in many cases, the difference between living well and just
getting by.
Flying
Scotsman: The Graeme Obree Story On the way to breaking
the World hour record, he created major controversy in the
professional cycling world over his unique riding style and
his pioneering construction techniques. He famously had to
use washing machine parts to complete the building of his
'Old Faithful' machine. Graeme's story starts with his tough
upbringing in the Ayrshire valleys, where he found his escape
by taking to the roads. From there he tells an inspiring story
of what it takes to become a world record breaker, of his
thrilling head-to-head duels with Chris Boardman and how he
became a major international star on the European circuit.
The story ends with Graeme's searingly honest account of his
battle against depression which drove him to attempt suicide.
This will be one of the most talked about sporting books of
the year.
Stay
of Execution As international terrorism stalks the City
of Edinburgh, DCC Bob Skinner confronts his darkest demons.
Scottish
Bestseller.
Be
My Enemy Jack Parlabane's one-liners are as spot-on as
ever, and the juggling of violence and black humour is as
precisely judged as we expect from this writer.
44
Scotland Street Alexander McCall Smith tackles issues
of trust and honesty, snobbery and hypocrisy, love and loss,
but all with great lightness of touch. Clever, elegant and
funny, this is a novel that provides huge entertainment but
which is underpinned by the moral dilemmas of everyday life
and the characters' struggles to resolve them. Best Scottish
Books.
Before
Scotland: The Story of Scotland... Before History. Before
Scotland transforms prehistory into gripping narrative history,
demonstrating that the history of the land that became Scotland
is one of dramatic geological events and impressive human
endeavour. Scottish
Bestseller.
Night
Song of the Last Tram: A Glasgow... Childhood. Douglas
has real skill in conveying experience, his use of the Glasgow
vernacular lends an extra poetry to the writing. A quite exceptional
autobiography.
The
Knife Man The vivid, often gruesome portrait of the 18th
century pioneering surgeon and father of modern medicine,
John Hunter. Scottish
Bestseller.
Wizards
and Bravehearts: A History of... the Scottish National
Side. This title reveals the history of Scotland's national
football team from 1872 to 2004.
Fleshmarket
Close
by Ian Rankin. Another surefire bestseller for Britain's No1
crime writer, Ian Rankin.
Watchman
A riveting read by Ian Rankin that will have you turning page
after page until there are none left.
A
Year in a Scots Kitchen This cookbook follows a traditional
year north of the Border, based on feasts and festivals commencing
in October and November with dishes such as Cock-a-Leekie,
Clapshot and Stovies. The author is the food correspondent
of "The Herald" and winner of the Glenfiddich Food
Writer of the Year (1989 and 1995). The year's worth of recipes
includes: a Shetland Yule Breakfast; Atlantic Salmon; Aberdeen
Rowies; Ayrshire Bacon; Tripe & Potatoes; Scotch Pies;
and Forfar Bridies. The recipes are accompanied by colour
illustrations by Fiona Taylor which were originally published
in "The Herald".
The
Scottish Islands.
The acknowledged Rosetta Stone of island hopping. Scottish
Bestseller.
The
Steamie When it first opened in 1987, The Steamie took
the theatrical world by storm. Set during the 1950s, the play
takes place on Hogmanay in a Glasgow public wash house or
'Steamie'. As the washing is done, four women sing, laugh
and cry their way through the last working day of that year,
with a little help from the increasingly not so handy Andy.
Portraying a way of life in the midst of change, The Steamie
fast became a firm favourite with people of all ages up and
down the land and, to this day, its popularity shows no signs
of waning.
Mccrae's
Battalion: The Story of the...
16th Royal Scots.
The
Sunday Philosophy Club.
Sets up Isabel Dalhousie as Edinburgh’s latest, and
most engaging investigator.
In
the Company of Cheerful Ladies (The...
No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency) The Agency is busy, but Mma
Ramotswe cannot ignore the plea which is made to her by a
woman who comes to her with a tale of particular misfortune.
Unfortunately, her attempts to help are interrupted by a close
encounter between her tiny white van and a bicycle, and by
a spectacular disagreement between her assistant, Mma Makutsi,
and one of the apprentices at the garage. This apprentice
has found a fancy girlfriend who drives a large silver Mercedes-Benz.
How can he be rescued from his folly? And as for Mma Makutsi,
she has found a dancing class, and a man who may not be able
to dance very well but who admires her greatly. And all of
this happens against a background of quiet sessions of bush
tea, and of a land that stretches out forever under mile upon
mile of empty sky.
Still
Game With Series Three over and Series Four yet to come,
here is an ideal way for fans of Still Game, BBC Scotland’s
hugely successful TV comedy, to keep in touch with their favourite
characters. In Still Game, Ford and Greg present the original
scripts from six of their favourite episodes, illustrated
in full colour with stills from the shows and with a specially
written introduction to each episode in their own inimitable
style. The characters of Jack, Victor, Winston, Isa and their
pals have become firm favourites with TV viewers and now they
can read the scripts and relive some classic episodes that
led to them being established as Scotland’s best-known
and funniest pensioners. Scottish
Bestseller.
Plaids
and Bandanas: From Scottish...
Drover to Wild West Cowboy. From droving to driving, reivers
to rustlers, heilan kye to long horns, "Plaids and Bandanas"
explores the link between the two cattle cultures in music,
song and dance, and folklore. The vast number of Scots who
emigrated to North America has been well documented, whether
through forcible eviction during the clearances of the 18th
and 19th centuries, or voluntarily in the hope of a better
life. With them they took their culture, their language, their
music, and their skills. Cattle droving in Scotland was an
established profession from the 16th century, and many such
migrants took cowboy jobs in the American West. The medium
of music paints a vivid picture of their social and personal
lives and the exchange was not all one way. The music crossed
and re-crossed the Atlantic creating strong links between
the old culture and the new. Lonely men in strange surroundings
found comfort in songs that reminded them of home. The author,
himself a musician, researched the roots of the songs and
the routes of the drovers, provding a text which highlights
the links between the Wild West and the no-less-wild Highlands.
Who
Wants to Be an Edinburgher? Do you think you know all
there is to know about Edinburgh? Fed up of being called a
'know-it-all' by friends and family? Now's your chance to
prove just how much you do know! Or maybe you want answers
to all those niggling questions about Edinburgh's more peculiar
aspects. Why, for instance, is the clock on the Balmoral Hotel
always slightly fast? And who inspired Robert Louis Stevenson's
famous novel, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde? Step
into the hot seat for hours of fun with Who wants to be an
Edinburgher? - What kind of dog was Greyfriar's Bobby? - Is
there really nude skydiving at Ingliston Market? - What is
so unusual about the Tron Kirk? These are just three of the
500 questions on subjects such as sport, history and entertainment.
As you monkey around at Edinburgh Zoo, take a trip down Mary
King's Close and relive memorable football matches, you'll
soon learn all you ever wanted to know about Auld Reekie.
Scottish
Bestseller.
