Two hundred years ago this month, on 8th September 1820, two men were hanged and then beheaded in Broad Street, Stirling. They were John Baird, aged 38, and Andrew Hardie, aged 28. Found guilty of treason at what can only be called a show trial, their crime had been their involvement in the Scottish...
Eighty years ago this month, on 10th June 1940, Italy entered the war on the side of Germany, declaring war on Britain and France. Italian men living and working in Britain were promptly interned as ‘enemy aliens’. As Churchill said when told most of them would be innocent of any fascist loyalties, “Collar the...
I’m beyond excited that the latest instalment of the life and adventures of Captain Robert Catto and Miss Christian Rankeillor is now available as an audiobook, evocatively read by the multi-talented Mr Steven Worsley. Steve is very much in demand as a narrator. He has read many novels, including by tartan noir authors such as Stuart...
JOIN IN ON YOUTUBE FROM THURSDAY 30TH APRIL AT 6 pm. ...
Hooray! After nearly two years of research, visiting the relevant sites and writing, One Week in April: The Scottish Radical Rising of 1820 will be launched tomorrow. This will be a virtual launch and everyone’s invited. Wednesday 1st April at 3 o’clock on Twitter. There will also be a link on Facebook (Birlinn Books)...
Dance to the Storm will be published as a Kindle ebook this Thursday, 20th February, paperback and audiobook publication to follow. You can pre-order here. You don’t have to have read Gathering Storm first but if you would like to, the ebook version is on at 99p for a limited period to celebrate publication of...
I’m delighted to be part of the launch event of the inaugural Paisley Book Festival. I’ll be speaking at the Paisley Arts Centre in the Abbey Close, Paisley on Thursday 20th February between 7 and 9 pm. Tickets and more information here. The theme of the festival is Radical Voices and Rebel Stories, so...
Delighted to announce that my next non-fiction book is One Week in April: The Scottish Radical Rising of 1820. This will be published on 9th April 2020, marking the 200th anniversary of the events of one turbulent week in Scotland’s history and their historical context. To read more about the book or to pre-order...