Written by: Nigel Tranter
Submitted By: Caroline Miley
I was rather surprised that Mr Tranter has not yet appeared on this site, as he is the author of innumerable historical novels, as well as (like our favourite BC) some contemporary ones. Tranter's are set in Scotland and deal with various interesting episodes in Scottish history. The Robert the Bruce trilogy is a good example of the works. Like the others, it is carefully researched and shows a great enthusiasm for and love of the author's native land. He is clearly partisan but this is endearing rather than off-putting. As well as the obvious politics and historical scenes, with plenty of battles (but rather less detailed gore than Sharpe's), there is the necessary love interest, here supplied by Bruce's wife. After you have read a few of the novels you get the idea of the sort of women Tranter favours - they are usually strong-minded women with "generous" figures. Slow fade to black over sex scenes. Tranter also excels in describing the Scottish landscape. He makes the historical figures more interesting with accounts of inner struggles and doubts, and proposes explanations for some of the mistier bits of recorded history. Personally I think that those set around the time of Bruce, and later the rise of the House of Stewart, and James the VI and 1st, are the best. Not up to BC in my opinion, but a good ripping read, at the end of which you will be well-informed about all sorts of aspects of Scottish history.
