The first draft of “Rebellion” is almost complete. At present, I am working on the battle of Culloden. The aftermath has already been written. Once I’ve done, all that remains is proofreading and rewrites as appropriate. I had been writing furiously during November and December, but as the New Year started, things slowed down a bit – partly work and partly personal circumstances. However, I’m determined to get this one to Leg Iron sometime in March then I can sit back for a bit.
What struck me though was that while my research threw up things I didn’t know and usefully fitted with my narrative of failed spying attempts and double-agents, when I discussed this work with anyone under the age of thirty, they had no idea what I was talking about.
This story is the final throw of the dice for the Stuart dynasty, a turning point in our history, the last civil war fought on British soil, but the whole episode from James II’s abdication, the Glorious Revolution, the battle of the Boyne and the subsequent Jacobite uprisings ending with the ’45 is a complete blank. I grew up with this stuff and have been aware of it since childhood, but we have a generation that is completely ignorant of it.
I find that disturbing.
I greatly look forward to reading this.
The irony of the ’45 rising is that had that most Scottish of regiments, the Black Watch, not been abroad at the start of the rising it would probably not have happened.
If you have the opportunity to see the play Black Watch, I do recommend it.
(https://www.nationaltheatrescotland.com/production/black-watch-2008/?page=home_showBlackwatch)
As a rule I do not like foul language in my entertainments but in this case I feel it is justified. One would hardly expect a bunch of squaddies in the desert to say “Oh bother”.
The interesting thing for me has been getting the dialogue to sound right as the syntax was different. So it needs to be easy for a modern reader to follow yet still have a period flavour.
A long time ago John Prebble, a Canadian, wrote a good book on the subject.
Before that it was hard to avoid the English v Scots rubbish.
Given that a significant proportion of the Hanoverian troops consisted of Scottish regiments, it was indeed rubbish 😉
I have seen Culloden described as the last battle of the Scottish Civil War, viz Highlands v Lowlands/Catholic v Protestant.
These islands suffered the misfortune of being governed by two wretched dynasties, the Tudors and the Stewarts. and life would have been much better for everyone had Harold defeated William at Hastings. Just my opinion of course.
There was also the reaction to the Act of Union – even in ’45, there were those who opposed it enough to join the Jacobite cause. Also, the Irish supported a Stuart restoration as they were Catholics.
Going back 50 odd years I believe the pope supported William. Funny old world.
Yes, I believe he did. Apparently he was worried about French ambition in Europe (so what’s new?) and felt that a good stuffing would do the French good.
I did try to cover this when I was teaching History. I stopped quite recently but I spent some lessons on ” Enforcing the Glorious Revolution ” and dealt with Jacobite that way. It was difficult, however, because we only had two lessons a week to cover everything from Henry VII to 1914. Inevitably one had to make some choices. I covered what I thought important and, I admit, interesting. I taught at a Grammar School ( yes some still exist) . That may have made a difference.
I found history a real turn off when I was at school (a grammar). There was no context and we just seemed to deal with disparate episodes with no links. Of course, the fault may well have been with me, but these days I find reading history a fascinating pursuit (even if I tend to forget what I’ve read quite quickly).
Longrider i think it is true to say that more English than scots were opposed to the act of union.
And it is certainly true that had the English been involved in the Scottish referendum they would be venezuela by now..
Food luck with your book I will be interested to see it.
The first draft is now complete. I’m onto proofreading and rewrites.