1 comments about From the Bloody Heart: The Stewarts and the Douglases.

1. From the Bloody Heart; the Stewarts and the Douglases by Oliver Thomson, is a basic Douglas family history. The Douglases are definitely impacted by and connected to the Stewarts throughout the ages but this book focuses on the Douglas family specifically.
   
   The book is divided into sections, the Black, the Red and the Queensberrys; referring to the different branches of the family. The Douglas family comes to fame under the Good Sir James Douglas, right hand of Robert the Bruce. His amazing life and successes supporting the Bruce and the independence of Scotland led to him being asked to take the heart of Robert the Bruce on Crusade after the hero King's death. The Good Sir James died valiantly in Spain fighting and the family adopted the crowned heart as a symbol on their coat of arms. The Douglases were, from then on, linked to the throne of Scotland. First the Black Douglases and then the Red Douglases rose to power around the throne, some marrying princesses. Others became regents or high officers for the Stewart Kings. The family was large and ambitious and soon obtained numerous Earldoms and lands all over Scotland. Murder, treachery, and deceit was rampant both in politics and internal in the family as each generation of the Douglas family came of age. Although most competed against or used the Royal Stewarts to forward their cause, many Douglases helped and followed in the tradition of the Good Sir James giving their lives for the Stewart Kings. Their impact on the Early Stewart Kings was huge and the Douglases were definitely impacted by the Kings, especially the Black branch. Then in more recent history Mr. Thomson shows how the family ended with 3 Dukes going into the Union with England and today the head of the Douglas family is the Duke of Hamilton.
   
   The family is strong and spread across Scotland and then into Europe and out into the British Colonies. There is an Italian and Swedish branch of the family mentioned as well as specific successful Douglases in America, Canada and Australia. An amazing family indeed. At the end of the book is a nice Tour guide around Scotland and a short reminder of each location's history related to the Douglas family and the individuals discussed in the book.
   
   Over all I think this book is a great intro for those interested in the history and impact on Scotland of the Douglas family. It is not very detailed but definitely gives you the taste. Anyone familiar with the history of the early Stewart Kings will be able to follow the text a little easier. This book covers a lot of different Douglases, many who deserve their own biography, in a short amount of time. I also wish a clearer family tree was included to aid in following the different branches.
   
   This is a must book for anyone interested in the Scottish Douglases or for those with the crowned heart in their genealogy. Thank you, Mr. Thomson for giving the Douglas family some attention is definitely deserves. This family could arguably have been the most influencal and powerful Lowland family in Scotland from the 13th to the 18th century. This book helps explain why.

No comments about Elizabeth I: The Golden Reign of Gloriana (English Monarchs-Treasures from the National Archives) (English Monarchs-Treasures from the National Archives).

No comments about Life Lines.

No comments about For Freedom: The Last Days of William Wallace.

No comments about Final Flights: Dramatic Wartime Incidents Revealed by Aviation Archaeology.

2 comments about Charles II: The Last Rally.

1. I've read several biographies of Charles II, the best of them Antonia Fraser's, with Stephen Coote's more recent Royal Survivor much less so. Almost all treat their subject as intelligent, but lazy, at best, feckless and disloyal at worst. Belloc takes the unique view that Charles had a strong and well developed set of principles that were reasonably adapted to a free and just society, but which were irreconcilable with the nouveau riche elements of his economy. This treatment was quite reasonable and fairly convincing, but most of all made good reading. As with much of Belloc's work, there is a strong institutional Roman Catholic orientation. Belloc does downplay the licentiousness of the Restoration Court in general and its monarch in particular, but those details can be readily found elsewhere.



2. Hilaire Belloc is truly without peer as a historian. His works are beautiful and riveting. One has the feeling in reading Belloc of having a long and deep conversation with an old and extremely wise friend. The mood of the discourse is intoxicating, and we don't want the interlude to end. But end it does, the good news being we can always find more of this prolific and insightful author to peruse.
   
   In Charles II, Belloc tells the story of the restoration of the Stuart monarchy after the Cromwellian "Commonwealth". We heartily recommend reading Belloc's "Cromwell" first and then this excellent work. Simply by reading the last chapter of each respective work, the reader will grasp firmly one of the great truths that Belloc imparts, what it is to die in an unrepentent state, that of Cromwell, and what it is to leave this Earth, being reconciled in the Eucharist, as Charles II finally was. The story of the good English Priest who both introduced Charles to the Catholic faith, once saved his life, and finally gave his last rites, is far more powerful than any dramatic fiction I have ever read. His brother James, later to be James II of England, perfectly sums up this scene in saying,
   
   "The man who saved your life has come to save your soul."
   
   This is wonderful. Read it. And be richly blessed.

No comments about The Assassination of Reinhard Heydrich.

No comments about Stalin and Stalinism (Lancaster Pamphlets).

5 comments about Irish Blessing.

1. This is one of those books that you pick up and you can't put it down. I read it in one evening. Carolyn takes us back in time to a wonderful story about perserverence and family love. It is a book that you will want to pick up for years and read it again. Can't wait for more books from this author!



2. This is a great book for readers of all ages! I picked it up and couldn't bring myself to put it down. It was fantastic!



3. The story was so interesting and descriptive, I came away feeling nostalgic, as if I had lived through it myself and wished I could go back.



4. Irish Blessing is a wounderful read. It has been a true blessing to share with my daughters. It gave us a feeling of what it must have been like to live in the time of our early America. If you like history, rich character developement, and the feeling of escaping into a good book, I strongly recommend reading this book.



5. This book is a great story that takes you back in time. As I read I found myself feeling very emotional.You find yourself feeling like you are a part of this family enduring all their hardships and sharing their laughter,joy, and sorrows. I found myself not wanting to stop reading just wondering what might happen next. This is a great book that should be shared with your family! This book reminds you of how much you love your family and how much you would sacrifice for thier needs, happiness and blessing.

No comments about Owain Glyndwr (Cyfres Cip Ar Gymru / Wonder Wales).