Behind the legendary figure of Robert Bruce is a man who led his nation to a famous victory over the English at Bannockburn and overcame great odds to win power for himself in Scotland, by defeating his rivals.

A superbly illustrated journey through the tumultuous landscape and fascinating events of the notorious life of Robert the Bruce Exploring Robert the Bruce's "kingdom" from the North of England to the Scottish Highlands, this gorgeously illustrated tome illuminates the little-known facts about this Scottish legend. For more than 600 years, Robert the Bruce has had a unique place in Scottish history. Yet behind the legendary hero-king is a complex--and in many ways more fascinating--picture. He was a man who not only led his nation to a famous victory over the English at Bannockburn, but who overcame great odds to win power for himself in Scotland and fulfill his family's long-held ambition for political power. This book, illustrated with color and black-and-white photographs, takes the reader on Bruce's journey--from his birth in southwest Scotland to his kingship and triumph at Bannockburn. Here are the sites and settings associated with Robert the Bruce and those he fought, perfect for any visitor to Scotland or the North of England wanting to learn more about the myth and the man.

The life of Robert Bruce is one of the greatest comeback stories in history. Heir and magnate, shrewd politician, briefly 'king of summer' and then a desperate fugitive who nevertheless returned from exile to recover the kingdom he claimed, Bruce became a gifted military leader and a wise statesman, a leader with vision and energy. Colm McNamee combines the most up to date scholarship on this crucial figure in the history of the British Isles with lucid explanation of the medieval context, so that readers of all backgrounds can appreciate Bruce's enormous contribution to the historical impact not just on Scotland, but on England and Ireland too. It is designed to encourage popular reassessment of Bruce as politician, warrior, monarch and saviour of Scottish identity from extinction at the hands of the Edwardian superstate. Peeling back the layers of misconception and propaganda, the author paints an accurate, sympathetic but balanced portrait of a much beloved national hero who has fallen out of fashion of late for no good reason.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1965.

In the footsteps of Robert Bruce

Experience the abundant history of Britain firsthand with this scenic, thorough, and altogether superlative guide.