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In James Robertson, Scotland has a writer of the highest literary quality and cultural acuity. He recently served as the Scottish Parliament’s first Writer in Residence and his second novel, Joseph Knight, won the two major Scottish literary prizes in 2003/4 – the Saltire Scottish Book of the Year and the Scottish Arts Council Book of the Year. He has published two novels, stories, poetry, anthologies, compiled a Scottish Dictionary of Quotations and is also editor of an educational Scots imprint. James lives in Angus.
Leading Scottish novelist, James Robertson has teamed up with illustrator, Jill Calder to retell the story of Robert the Bruce. It’s bold and colourful, a record of one of the great heroes of Scottish history. Like for Like Reading Robert the Bruce: King of the Scots, Ronald McNair Scott A History of Scotland, Neil Oliver
Reviewed on Richard & Judy on Wednesday 28 March 2007.Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize for Fiction 2006. Lyrical writing with a great storyline that takes its starting point from the discovery of an ancient manuscript. It’s a novel that can be read on two levels – firstly, as a compelling, incredibly imaginative and entertaining thriller and secondly, on a deeper level, it’s immensely thought-provoking given the religious implications for the characters. Longlisted for the Booker and deservedly so, this is a novel you’ll dwell on long after you’ve finished it, which for me is the sign of a good book. A real star is born.
Understand and Solve Your Customers' Real Problems with Agile Business Analysis To deliver real value, you must understand what your customers truly value, and solve the problems they really need solved. Business analysis can help you do this-and it's as crucial in agile environments now as it always has been. In Business Analysis Agility, leading experts James Robertson and Suzanne Robertson show how to perform business analysis in an agile way: trying new things, adapting to changes and discoveries, staying flexible, and being quick. Drawing on their unsurpassed experience of hundreds of projects and organizations, the Robertsons help you prioritize relentlessly, focus investments on delivering value, and learn in ways that improve your results. Uncover the real customer problems hidden behind assumptions and conventional solutions Hypothesize potential solutions and quickly test them with safe-to-fail probes Understand how people, hardware, software, organizations, and other components come together in an optimal customer experience Write stories that help you find solutions that deliver more value to customers and the business Think about problems and projects in more agile, nimble, and open-minded ways The Robertsons' approach to analytical thinking will be valuable to anyone who wants to build better software in agile environments: analysts, developers, team leads, project managers, software architects, and other team members and stakeholders at all levels of experience. Here is a link to a video with more information about the book - https://youtu.be/l_9u5UI12uo
In this exciting and visually stunning book, the most talented Scottish novelist of his generation teams up with Jill Calder, whose bold and colourful illustrations are a perfect complement to one of the most dramatic tales in Scottish history. In addition to the big set pieces from the Bruce story - not least of course the Battle of Bannockburn - and the other famous elements - such as the murder of the Red Comyn and Bruce and the spider - book is full of accurate historical detail and imaginative touches which offer a fresh and vital perspective on one of the great heroes of Scottish history.
Originally written in the 1440s by Richard Holland, a Scottish cleric who was chaplain to Archibald Douglas, Earl of Moray, The Buke of the Howlat is one of the great poetic gems of fifteenth-century Scots. Believing himself to be ugly, a young owl (howlat) decides to speak to the most handsome bird of all, the peacock, and ask his help so that Nature can change him. But the peacock isn't sure this should be done - after all, Nature doesn't usually make mistakes - and summons a council of birds to make a decision. A huge feast takes place, and Nature herself appears and orders all the birds present to give the owlone of their feathers. But the result is not what they expect. The howlat's initial joy turns to unbearable arrogance at his new found beauty, and drastic action must be taken ...
Originally written in the 1440s by Richard Holland, a Scottish cleric who was chaplain to Archibald Douglas, Earl of Moray, The Book of the Howlat is one of the great poetic gems of fifteenth-century Scots. Believing himself to be ugly, a young owl (howlat) decides to speak to the most handsome bird of all, the peacock, and ask his help so that Nature can change him. But the peacock isn't sure this should be done - after all, Nature doesn't usually make mistakes - and summons a council of birds to make a decision. A huge feast takes place, and Nature herself appears and orders all the birds present to give the owl one of their feathers. But the result is not what they expect. The howlat's initial joy turns to unbearable arrogance at his new-found beauty, and drastic action must be taken ...
SHORTLISTED FOR THE WODEHOUSE COMIC FICTION PRIZE 2017 An utterly mad, entirely heart-warming Highland adventure from the Man Booker-longlisted author of And the Land lay Still Douglas is fifty years old - he's just lost his job, been kicked out by his girlfriend and moved back into his dad's house. Just when things are starting to look hopeless, he makes a very unexpected new friend: a talking toad. Mungo is a wise-cracking, straight-talking, no-nonsense kind of toad - and he is determined to get Douglas's life back on track. Together, man and beast undertake a madcap quest to the distant Highlands, hot on the trail of a hundred-year-old granny, a beautiful Greek nymph, a split-personality alcoholic/teetotaller, a reluctant whisky-smuggler, and the elusive glimmer of redemption . . .
Originally written in the 1440s by Richard Holland, a Scottish cleric who was chaplain to Archibald Douglas, Earl of Moray, The Book of the Howlat is one of the great poetic gems of fifteenth-century Scots. Believing himself to be ugly, a young owl (howlat) decides to speak to the most handsome bird of all, the peacock, and ask his help so that Nature can change him. But the peacock isn't sure this should be done - after all, Nature doesn't usually make mistakes - and summons a council of birds to make a decision. A huge feast takes place, and Nature herself appears and orders all the birds present to give the owl one of their feathers. But the result is not what they expect. The howlat's initial joy turns to unbearable arrogance at his new-found beauty, and drastic action must be taken ...
In the chaotic days following Abraham Lincoln's assassination, Washington and the world struggled to come to terms with the loss of the figure who symbolized America's Union. Best-selling author James Robertson brings readers back to 1865, exploring the critical years following the Civil War, and focusing on 75 key figures who would come to shape America during Reconstruction and beyond. We meet Edwin Stanton, the dour secretary of war who would attempt to seize political power amid the chaos of post-assassination Washington and avenge the Union with harsh punishments for Confederate president Jefferson Davis. We meet the Old Soldiers such as Winfield Scott, the general who was older than the city of Washington, D.C. when he took command of the Union Army in 1861, and William Tecumseh Sherman, an enigma of a man who would revolutionize modern warfare. And we meet the people whose lives marked shifts in everyday life in the United States, from Edwin Holmes, who would revolutionize the funeral industry, to Clara Barton, who would found the modern Red Cross. Together their stories tell the complex and fast-paced history of America as the country struggled to reunite and adapt to the inevitable changes wrought by war. The Greatest Generation of their day, the 75 figures in this book would forever change - and be hanged by - the Civil War.
Returning to the turbulent days of a nation divided, bestselling author and acclaimed historian James Robertson explores seventy fascinating figures who shaped America during Reconstruction and beyond.Relentless politicians, intrepid fighters, cunning innovators-the times called for bold moves, and this resilient generation would not disappoint. From William Tecumseh Sherman, a fierce leader who would revolutionize modern warfare, to Thomas Nast, whose undefeatable weapon was his stirring cartoons, these are the people who weathered the turmoil to see a nation reborn.Following these extraordinary legends from the battle lines to the White House, from budding metropolises to the wooly west, we rediscover the foundation of this great country.
365 is James Robertson's innovative collection of 365 stories, each 365 words long. In 2013, James Robertson wrote a story every day. Each was exactly 365 words long. A year later, on a daily basis, the stories were published on the Five Dials website. Now the 365 stories are gathered together in one volume. Some draw on elements of ancient myth and legend, others are outtakes from Scottish history and folklore; there are squibs and satires, songs and ballads in disguise, fairytales, stories inspired by dreams or in the form of interviews, and personal memories and observations. Underpinning all of them are vital questions: Who are we? What are we doing here? What happens next? 'Wow. James Robertson wrote a 365-word short story each day in 2013. They'll be posted throughout 2014' Ian Rankin, via Twitter 'A great storyteller' The Times 'One of Britain's best contemporary novelists' Irvine Welsh, Guardian James Robertson is the author of five novels, The Professor of Truth, And the Land Lay Still, The Testament of Gideon Mack, Joseph Knight and The Fanatic. The Testament of Gideon Mack was longlisted for the 2006 Man Booker Prize and selected for Richard and Judy's Book Club the following year. Joseph Knight was the Saltire Scottish Book of the Year in 2003 and And the Land Lay Still was recipient of the same prize in 2010.
New from Itchy Coo! KATIE'S A tae Z is the eighth in the KATIE series, following the bestselling success of KATIE'S COO, KATIE'S MOOSE, KATIE'S FERM, KATIE'S BEASTIES, KATIE'S YEAR, KATIE'S ZOO and KATIE'S PAIRTY. This new book is aimed at very young children and is the simplest and easiest introduction to Scots words with Karen Sutherland's cheerful and engaging pictures to go with them. On each of the thirteen spreads KATIE introduces two things or animals: one word and one image for each. For example, A is AIPPLE, D is DUG, M is MOOSE, P is PUDDOCK. KATIE'S A tae Z should prove a brilliant introduction to all the other KATIE books.
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