2 comments about Ancestral Roots Of Certain American Colonists Who Came To America Before 1700: Lineages from Alfred the Great, Charlemagne, Malcolm of Scotland, Robert the Strong, and other Historical Individuals.

1. This book has an extreme amount of valuable information contained in it, but for the novice researcher, you may want to wait on this one. There's no plot to this book, simply titles, dates & places of birth/death, spouses and parents. Occasionally you'll get tidbits like 'participant in War of 1066' or 'Sheriff of Berkley Castle'.



2. Just cut to the chase. This book is in its 8th edition due to the devotion of Weis and his colleagues who carry on his life work. Do NOT spend hundreds of dollars buying research that the geneologist gathers from free online sources. FIRST, if you have ancestors from Massachusetts, New York, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Conneticutt and Virginia you very probably are descended from or cousin to many lines documented from about 350 A.D. Gallo Roman period right through to the Pilgrims, Puritans, etc. Why? Because as Nathaniel Philbrook states in his book, 'Mayflower,' 35 million AMericans are descended from the 52 survivors of the first winter in Plymouth. Why are they related to uddles of British and continental nobles? Because the some 2,000 Norman families who ruled England married the rest of Europes nobles and by 1600 they had grown to 20,000 and had more spare children than Davey Crooket has money. The spares took up Puritism and or wanted to flip properties in the new world. SECOND, load up a good family tree software program (about $30.00)... Spent 2 years entering...

No comments about Clans and Tartans.

1 comments about Scots Kith & Kin: A Guide to the Clans and Surnames of Scotland (Collins Pocket Guides).

1. The Collins Guide to Scots Kith & Kin is packed with all the information you need to find out if you are descended from one of the Scottish clans, or a sept of a Scottish clan. It is cross-indexed so you can look up surnames easily and find out when and where the surname lived in Scotland. A large, color fold-out clan map shows where the various clans lived. The clan location on the map is also included in the surname index. Because of its accuracy and ease of use, even the best kiltmakers have it on hand as their basic reference for tartan selections. There is no better value for your money than this little guide.

2 comments about Scottish Clan and Family Names: Their Arms, Origins and Tartans.

1. This is an invaluble resource for anyone looking for information relating to the Scottish Clans. It includes colour pictures of coats of arms and tartans for each as well as information relating to their history and origins. The book is also liberally illustrated with excellent colour photographs of places of significance to the names under consideration. The introuction includes first rate information regarding coats of arms in Scotland, tartans, the Clan system, Scottish royalty and so on. Slightly dissappointing is the brevity of the histories for some of the Clans, for example Macrae only merits seventy words.



2. This book is an encyclopedia of Scottish Clans and family names. After a very informative introduction, which gives some interesting facts on tartan, and a great thumbnail history of Scotland, it launches into a list of the Scottish Names. A short history is given of the family, and a coat of arms is shown (in-color, of course) along with a colorful picture of the clan's tartan. Along the way, the reader is treated to many large and attractive color pictures from Scotland.
   
   Overall, I found this to be a great book, and quite a resource for anyone of Scottish descent (such as myself). I loved this book and highly recommend it to all my fellow Scots!

No comments about Tartans (150 Guides).

1 comments about Scottish Tartans in Full Color (Dover Pictorial Archive Series).

1. Full page color plates of some of the most common tartans, but the book is not as complete as I was looking for. The plates are not as crisp as they could be, and the color quality is off. Altogether, a good introduction to the common tartans, but not the definitive guide the title suggests.

1 comments about Tartans.

1. Everything you wanted to know about plaids & tartans and more. A good coffee table book that looks at a culture & family from a unique point of view. Pick it up and read it, you don't need to be Scottish to enjoy it.

No comments about The Surnames of Scotland.

5 comments about The Mark of the Scots: Their Astonishing Contributions to History, Science, Democracy, Literature.

1. I am always leary when I hear about Americans who try to write books about Scotland. Mr Bruce's book is incomplete, inconclusive, innaccurate in many places and, at best, opionated and not entirely factual waffle. Indeed some of the people included in this book have so tenuous a link to Scotland that they patently should not be included as Scots, while at the same time there are some enormous ommissions in both people and events.

   Let me give you some examples from only one page.

   For example, Lawrence Olivier, the great actor, is included in this book of Great Scots simply because as a child he wore a kilt on Sundays. (page 247.) At the same time, Sean Connory, only gets a perfunctory mention in passing in relation to other people.

   Bea Lille ("known as the funniest woman in the world 1894-1989" p247)was born in Canada and had Irish ancestry. However, she gets in the book because a Scotsman managed to get a part in a play about her life. Oh, and by whose criterion was she the funniest woman of the 20th Century?

   And by far, the greatest stupidity of all in this book is it's sporting discussions - stupid because Mr Bruce's misunderstanding about the role sporting life plays in the Scottish culture merely underlines the weaknesses in his book.
   For example, on the one hand American football has a passage only to say that there has been "no evidence that Scottish Americans have made any significant development" whilst soccer, which was invented in Scotland and has been played between villages originally hundreds of years ago gets only the most fundamental treatment. From soccer also came rugby in England and a host of other sports which have made an impact worldwide. Why is this never mentioned?

   His ignorance about Scottish 'soccer' is displayed in his treatment of the historically significant Celtic and Rangers support, which he tries to gloss over merely by a writing a joke. His opinions on other matters cannot be regarded as being as factual and universally agreed as he tries to present them, eg as to the greatest Scots players, and his basis for evaluation of said players are even more ridiculous. For example, Kenny Dalglish gets quoted for winning some domestic competitions but not for his European triumphs, which are far more significant. (ask an American sports fan - the local divisional title or the World Series, and you get my point!!) Please note, my issue is not with his opinions on who were great Scottish stalwarts, but rather on the way in which they were chosen and the way Mr Bruce presents it as though all Scots share the same opinion.

   I could go on at length by his other 'opinions' regarding so many of his choices. As great as he was, Bobby Orr is not the automatic choice of the greatest hockey player ever. Wayne Gretzky is regarded by many as the holder of that title.

   In my opinion, Mr Bruce, an American who doesnt understand the Scottish culture let alone the influence it has on the rest of the world, who has 'padded his book out with people who have the most tenuous links to Scotland, would be better placed moving to Scotland and living there while he does some research!!!!

   What is interesting is how Mr Bruce has tried to back up his book with the proclamations that he is Scottish simply because he has arms from the Lyons Court in Scotland. The Lyons Court is actually nothing more than a small hotel owner in the north of Scotland who calls himself Lord Lyon and for the princely sum of $1.75 million you can buy the 'title' of Barony of Macdonald and apply to the Lyons Court for a personal coat of arms, not too dissimilar to the arms Mr Bruce has.

   If you want a book that accurately reflects the mark of the Scots, try " How the Scots Invented the Modern World: The True Story of How Western Europe's Poorest Nation Created Our World & Everything in It" by Arthur Herman.

   A MESSAGE FOR MR BRUCE

   When you write about Scotland the next time remember two things.
   1) If it has nothing to do with Scotland then leave it out. We dont need a book on historical influence that focuses on the things that Scottish culture hasnt touched (re examples above on American Football and Lawrence Olivier)
   2) If it has to with Scotland, BE FACTUAL, and if you really must be so opinionated, try and back it up with sound reasoning, or you could actually try talking to some Scots who might give you a flavor about what the Scottish people really think!!




2. While there are kernels of truth in your over-the-top fulmination, your own lack of blanced understanding of things Scottish is readily apparent in a number of your accusations, most particularly in your gross mis-description and mischaracterization of the Lord Lyon and the function of the Lyon Court. Suggest you get a) a grip on yourself and your understanding of Scotland, and b) a spellchecker.



3. Sir, not only have I knowledge of Scotland, I am Scottish, have lived there for 4 decades and I have a great deal of insight into the machinations of societies within the conurbations that create the cities of Scotland. These are not kernals of truth in my review - but factually accurate statements reflecting a book. Go check the pages yourself and you will see that no where have I made this up! I challenge to tell us all, have you even BEEN to Scotland yourself? If indeed you knew Scotsmen, you would have a full and complete undertanding of my review!! Apparantly you do not!! And therefore you are in no position to discuss the factual relevence of my review.



4. This is all we need - yet another book telling us how great we Scots are. Recently, we've had Hermann's "How the Scots Invented the Modern World," Buchan's "Capital of the Mind: How Edinburgh Changed the World," and Lamont's "When Scotland Ruled the World: The Story of the Golden Age of Genius, Creativity and Exploration." Enough already!!!
   
   This pathological need to hear our praises continually sung and to have the sound of our backs being patted forever ringing in our ears is pathetic. Bruce's new book takes this national self-obsession mania to new heights by taking a leaf out of the Scottish Rugby Association's book and granting Scottishness to anyone even remotely related, cobber. Thus we are told to our eternal and insufferable conceit that a fat American pill popper and donut chomper who had a few hits with cover versions was ... gasp! ... Scottish, because his name was Presley. "Awl-right!!!" as Neil Kinnock (another great ersatz Scot) once proclaimed. Oh, and while you're going on about Neil Armstrong of the famous Borders name, what about Louis Armstrong? Or Diana Ross for that matter!?
   
   Instead of burying their noses in a badly compressed pile of laurels, Scots should sit up and look around at their garbage infested streets, grafitti disfigured walls; the constant vandalism, drunkeness, and violence that make their living environment intolerable; and the cozy political cronyism, high taxes, and public service inefficiency that make all these pats on the back sound so damnably hollow.
   
   Scots might have once made a mark in the world, but now Scotland's just a land of obese, junkie, drunken neds, who cannae e'en kick a ba', and their dysfunctional parents and siblings. Pride doesn't even enter into it anymore.



5. Aptly sub-titled "[the Scots] astonishing contributions to History, Science Democracy, Literature and the Arts," in little more than 350 pages, Mr. Bruce presents a well documented, enlightening and enjoyable compendium of Scottish achievement in a fast-paced, rat-a-tat fashion. This is a user-friendly guide to the formidable multi-faceted impact Scottish thought, emotion and effort had on the culture, sciences, and arts in the world. I was surprised at how often I found myself saying "I didn't know that!" during my reading this book.
   
   It's impossible not to be moved by the breadth of Scottish contributions and the many lessons one can learn from them. Regardless of whether you read this book for pleasure or as a starting point for research --its copious footnotes and citations are an excellent starting point-- in the end, you'll find Duncan Bruce's "Mark of the Scots" a worthwhile read. And since the chapters are fairly independent of one another you can read them in any order you like.
   
   The phrase "If it ain't Scottish, it's crap!" has become a cartoon catchphrase. But after reading "The Mark of the Scots", the breadth of Scottish accomplishment will be more than a mocking pop culture reference.

1 comments about Clans and Families of Scotland: The History of the Scottish Tartan.

1. This book follows a well worn pattern but does it well. A small section is devoted to each name, its tartan is illustrated and, in this case, a major advantage is the inclusion of the heraldic drawings of the chief's arms and in some cases, standards, by the late Don Pottinger, Islay Herald at the Court of the Lord Lyon.

   The limitation of this formula is that is it virtually impossible to say anything meaningful in such a short space about a whole clan and often the illustrations of the tartans are too small to allow the full sett to be seen.

   This book finds the same problems when describing each name but its tartans are better than most, although it is impossible, for instance, to see the whole pattern of the Cameron of Lochiel tartan as illustrated. Useful additions, however, are some of the main branches of each clan, and,where one exists, its slogan or battle-cry.

   Some names are included which are not clans but families for whom a tartan is named. Particularly useful for those not already familiar with it is the map showing main clan locations on pp52-55. This is the work of Don Pottinger and the late Sir Iain Moncreiffe of that Ilk, Albany Herald and it contains a wealth of information.

   There are a number of useful articles included in the text and the whole book is most atractively laid out. A good introduction to the subject and well above the usual standard.