Stephen Spinks - Robert the Bruce: Champion of a Nation

First published 2019

Amberley Publishing
The Hill, Stroud
Gloucestershire, GL5 4EP

www.amberley-books.com

Copyright Stephen Spinks, 2019

The right of Stephen Spinks to be identified as the Author of this work has been asserted
in accordance with the Copyrights, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any
form or by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented,
including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system,
without the permission in writing from the Publishers.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781445685076 (HARDBACK)
ISBN 9781445685083 (eBOOK)

Typesetting by Aura Technology and Software Services, India.
Printed in the UK.

For Alexander John Lee in respect of his many years of
friendship, peppered with the indomitable cries offreedom!

An author friend of mine once said that writing a second book is nothing like the first. The hiatus of the unknown, of when deadlines should or do roll in, the random requests that are made of you, become, by book two, something of a well-learned lesson. You definitely set out on this later journey more armoured and experienced. There are still pitfalls, of course, with the unknown trials and tribulations that come with bringing life to another book. It is, after all, part of what makes it all so exciting. So, armed with my research, my many tomes, notebooks, pens, pencils and of course a MacBook, I boldly stepped out on to that familiar path once more and began my new adventure. As I travelled along the dusty road, I also learned another truth. In exercising my craft, I soon rediscovered some familiar faces, like beacons of light guiding me along my way, whose help, support or simple encouragement kept me on my path. But along with the familiar, I also had the pleasure of meeting many new people. Together, each in their own unique way, these guiding lights have helped shape the writing of this book. For that I wish to thank every one of you. There are too many to name, but in the spirit of celebration and gratitude, I wanted to note at least a few here.

Firstly, I wish to thank my editor Shaun, who decided he was a glutton for punishment and offered me the opportunity to write a second book with Amberley. I had wanted to tell Roberts story for the last few years, and his support and encouragement has made that possible. I still smile every time I walk into a bookshop and see copies of Edward II on the bookshelves, and I cant wait to see Robert the Bruce there too. My thanks also extend to Alex, whose sharp eye for detail, boundless enthusiasm and flexibility throughout the editorial and imaging process helped to bring polish to the final cut.

Secondly, I want to thank my close friends Ann Ryan, Simon Pickering, Hannah Mitchell and Catherine Taylor for their enduring friendship and commitment to marching up steep-sided Scottish lochs or battling across rather posh golf courses all in search of a castle, a battle site or a location in King Roberts illustrious story; all this while enduring arctic December blasts of minus five! I also want to thank the wonderful Emma Dwan OReilly, who never fails to check in and proffer words of sound advice. Collectively, these amazing people have stood by me, fed me cake and wine, held out the hand of encouragement as well as celebrating the milestones over the last few years. Your friendship is a fellowship, and I for one feel very privileged to have you in my life.

I also want to thank Amy Schrepel from The Tudor Rose Shop on Etsy.com, whose handcrafted brass rubbings of historical figures, based on their tombs and effigies, are so beautiful I just had to have Roberts on the front cover of my book. Amys speedy replies, kind permission and infinite support to make that happen, including sending a rubbing across the pond from sunny Florida, has produced something that I am sure we are both very proud of. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Go check out her amazing shop if you can. You wont be disappointed.

Lastly, I want to thank my readers from around the world, and those of you who follow me on Twitter (@Spinksstephen) as well as my website (fourteenthcenturyfiend.com). I learn so much every day from you, and thoroughly enjoy talking about our shared passion for the past and our enthusiasm to hand on the history of our ancestors to anyone who will listen. Your advocacy and determination does much to keep history alive.

Wherever I go, it seems there are few people who have not heard of Robert the Bruce. Its hardly surprising. Synonymous with the underdog, King Roberts extraordinary career is ultimately characterised by gritty determination, clever and calculated ruthlessness, and a good dose of royal ambition. Hes the outsider made great through his own ability and prowess, and his many victories and achievements, both for himself and his people, which were forged in the face of such overwhelming adversity, are all the more profound because of it. Born in 1274, and leader of the Scottish nation from 1306 to 1329, Robert I faced the very real threat of long-term English subjugation at the hands of successive Plantagenet kings of England. In desperation, he seized a vacant crown, outwitted his mighty English neighbour and resisted the stubborn and determined monarchs Edward I and II. In doing so, he secured both recognition of his status as king and the independence of the Scottish nation. Robert remains a national hero in Scotland to this day, even if his actual deeds are now shrouded in seven hundred years of almost impenetrable myth and legend. In England he is begrudgingly acknowledged as the hero of the Battle of Bannockburn, the monarch who dared defy the might of the English nation and won. Around the world his name continues to resound, bold and triumphant. The many monuments erected in his honour stand testament not only to his valour and might but his continued appeal in our collective memory. In our world, increasingly marked out by division, intolerance and indifference, Roberts story is as profound and relevant as ever; his history is a lesson for us all.

I first discovered this enigmatic man as a teenager while glued to the silver screen watching Mel Gibson and Angus Macfadyen fight it out against the likes of the devilishly brilliant Patrick McGoohan, whose portrayal of Edward I was both salacious and tyrannical. Macfadyens depiction of a carefully calculating Robert Bruce, torn in loyalty between what he knew to be right and what he needed to do in order to survive, reached into the heart of this near-mythical man, even if Braveheart is legendary for its many historical inaccuracies. Yet despite its many shortcomings, that film and others since, such as the recent Netflix drama