On the Trail of William Wallace

About the Book: 

On the Trail of William Wallace offers a refreshing insight into the life and heritage of the great Scots hero whose proud story is at the very heart of what it means to be Scottish, and whose effect on the ordinary Scot through the ages is manifest in the many sites where his memory is marked.

In trying to piece together the jigsaw of the reality of Wallace’s life, David R. Ross weaves a subtle flow of new information with his own observations. His engaging, thoughtful and at times amusing narrative reads with the ease of a historical novel, complete with all the intrigue, treachery and romance required to hold the attention of the casual reader and still entice the more knowledgeable historian. An encyclopaedia-cum-guidebook, this is stuffed with fascinating titbits not usually on offer in the conventional history book.

Reviews: 

You have to keep reminding yourself, listening to David Ross talk about William Wallace, that the Scottish patriot lived and died 700 years ago. For the freshness and vigour with which he tells the tale gives the impression that it all happened only yesterday - and that he was the reporter on the spot, charged with recording the events for posterity. (Televisual on 24/02/1999)

About the Author:

The Glasgow-born historian DAVID R ROSS always had a passion for Scotland, its landscapes, its traditions and its history. Every free moment was spent on his motorcycle stravaiging around historic sites, battlefields and castles exploring the spots where the great and not so great Scots of history stood. His works ‘On the Trail of… Wallace, Bruce and Bonnie Prince Charlie’ have the exact proportion of unconventional and unashamed patriotism, highlighting the freedom and independence Wallace, Bruce and others fought so hard to win. There is nothing wrong with academic history books, it’s just that David Ross was not one to sit on the fence. He would rather jump down hard on one side of it, and probably, being a Scot, he would land with squelch. In A Passion for Scotland, David uncovered rare items of Scots provenance in Europe and rediscovered much of Scotland’s lost history. He deplored the loss of Scots culture now rapidly fading into dull universal conformity, but at the same time the book has a new refreshing look at Scotland’s past and its impact on the present is enlightening, making Scottish history accessible and understandable for the casual reader.