Search results for ""Luath Press Ltd""

Caledonian Dreaming examines the state of contemporary Scotland, the independence referendum, and its wider consequences. In this short, accessible book, Hassan challenges the myths that define modern Scotland and its place in the United Kingdom. He forensically examines the shortcomings of Scottish society – from the ‘missing Scotland’ of voters disconnected from public life to the collusion of Labour and SNP on most issues bar independence. He argues that Scotland has the potential to become a modern, progressive, democratic country – aided by the creative energies and passions unleashed by the independence question.

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Place one guga [almost fully grown gannet chick] and one stone in a pan of water and boil. Once you can pierce the stone with a fork, the guga is ready for eating…Meet Calum.In 1930, the last remaining St Kildans evacuated their isolated outpost 100 miles off the west coast of Scotland. Calum returns a few years later, alone and troubled, the sole guardian of the islanders’ abandoned homes. Haunted by the memories that linger there, he begins to re-live the experiences of residents long past.Acrobats, airmen, cormorants, cragsmen and angels leap, climb, shimmer and swoop through the pages of The Guga Stone.With subtle humour, Donald S. Murray mixes mythology, fiction and history to recreate St Kilda’s tales and legends for our time.

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Join Ian R Mitchell on a series of walks through Glasgow's industrial past as he retrieves the hidden architectural, cultural and historical riches of some of Glasgow's industrial and working-class districts. Many who enjoy the fruits of Glasgow's recent gentrification may be surprised and delighted by the gems. Ian Mitchell has uncovered beyond the usual haunts. An enthusiastic walker and knowledgeable historian, he invites us to recapture the social and political history of the working class in Glasgow. Taking in area including Pollokshaws, Springburn, Maryhill and Parkhead, Mitchell reveals the buildings that go unnoticed every day yet are worthy of so much more attention, and the stories behind them and their inhabitants. You will be inspired to follow in Mitchell’s footsteps and explore the Glasgow you thought you knew, and you will never be able to walk through Glasgow in the same way again.

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Life is there for the taking. We can choose to take it, or leave it to float by as it will. If we have the confidence, we can reach out and grab it.According to John Cairney, life is divided into four sections: birth, adolescence, maturity and old age. Writing from the final quarter, he looks over each section of his life and draws wisdom from the places he has been and people he has met.With tales of love and courage interspersed with dry Glaswegian humour, this book is a guide to a full living grounded in a simple philosophy spiced by anecdotes related by someone whose life has been well lived. The Importance of Being will make you laugh and ponder the complexities of life, at the same time.This is an unashamed celebration of the too-often ignored moment when breath is drawn in to give life and let out again to allow us to enjoy living. Everything else, no matter how wonderful, uplifting or rewarding, is decoration and extra to this breath-taking fact – that as long as we’re breathing we’re alive.

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In his time his revolutionary ideas appealed to women and he was surrounded by more than a generation of clever and forceful women. One who could say that ‘life is not really a gladiators’ show; it is rather a vast mothers’ meeting!’ could not fail to attract followers. WALTER STEPHENPatrick Geddes – Sociologist, Town Planner, Biologist, Peace Warrior. It is well known that this extraordinary Scot shaped the cityscape of Edinburgh, but for the first time Walter Stephen turns the lens onto the strong, wilful women who influenced the revolutionary man – and who were in turn influenced by him.From his wife and mother in Scotland, to a nun in India and a Marchioness in Ireland, this insightful volume shows the wide range of women across the globe whose lives intertwined with Geddes’s, whether professionally or personally.Delving deeper into Geddes’s personal life than ever before, Walter Stephen and his fellow Modern Geddesians go beyond the surface of the Scotsman’s acclaimed works to reveal the female characters that shaped him throughout his life. Contributors include: Veronica Burbridge, Siân Reynolds, Anne-Michelle Slater, Kenny Munro, Swami Narasimhananda, Sofia Leonard, Kenneth MacLean, Robert Morris and Kate Henderson.A well-researched and thoughtfully written book. SCOTTISH REVIEW OF BOOKS on The Evolution of Evolution[The book] makes the reader realise in what esteem Geddes should be held, not just in Scotland, but across the globe. LALLANS MAGAZINE on A Vigorous Institution

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‘The history of parliament in the UK has a consistent theme: the refusal to accept any binding contract with the people. This unacceptable status quo goes for Holyrood as much as for Westminster. The time has come for people to challenge the power of the ruling class.We want to see the Scottish Parliament become an institution that it has so far failed to be: an institution committed to the sovereignty of the people. We want the people of Scotland to lead the rest of the UK by example, and ensure that the actions of a government are bound by shared political and ethical values.And we propose the first step: a modest proposal, for the agreement of the people.Are you with us?’ANGUS REID and MARY DAVIS

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So stands Scotland where it did? Not on your nelly.The professional classes in Scotland may be busy with Commissions, vows, deals, submissions and General Election planning but the wider Yes Movement is busy with huge spontaneous meetings involving hundreds, even thousands of people – gatherings like birds flocking before winter or starlings swooping to throw shapes into darkening skies. Because they can.Wee White Blossom is a post-indyref, poppadom-sized version of Blossom for folk who’ve already sampled the full bhuna. It updates Blossom with a new chapter on Scotland’s Year of Living Dangerously. Lesley Riddoch shares her thoughts on the Smith Commission, the departure of Gordon Brown, the return of Alex Salmond and the latest developments in land reform and local control. She considers the future of the SNP, the Radical Independence Campaign, Common Weal, Women for Independence and Scottish Labour in the aftermath of the referendum. This is a plain-speaking, incisive call to restore equality and control to local communities and let Scotland flourish.Wee White Blossom is the ideal companion volume to Blossom, whether you want an update on the first edition or an appetiser before delving into the pages of the original.

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This book considers various aspects of the Referendum, with a particular focus on Scottish cultural institutions, such as the National Theatre and the National Portrait Gallery. Scott also pays close attention to Scotland’s past, frequently referencing literary figures and devoting a chapter to Scottish Literature to persuasively convince the reader of the benefits of independence. Following the success of A Nation Again, Scott discusses the idea of Independence once again but this time, in light of more recent political developments with the forthcoming Referendum little over a year away.

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Maybe it had just been a matter of time: had we had more time, what we would or could have achieved, together. Had we actually met that first time round, how different things might have been. The world we would have painted. Had we really loved each other, we would never have separated. It was a long hot summer… A chance encounter on a ferry leads to a lifetime of regret for misplaced opportunities. Beautifully written and vividly evoked, The Girl on the Ferryboat is a mirage of recollections looking back to the haze of one final prelapsarian summer on the Isle of Mull.

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A special hardback edition of David Purdie's controversial adaptation of Scott's classic historical novel.Ivanhoe follows Wilfred of Ivanhoe, part of one of the few Saxon families at a time when English nobility was dominated by the Normans, who is out of favour with his father for his allegiance to the Norman king, Richard the Lionheart. The gripping storyline beautifully captures the 12th century tensions between Saxons and Normans, Nobility and Commonality and Jews and Gentiles, with a whole host of well-known characters from Robin Hood to Friar Tuck.

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From Thomas Hamilton to contemporary artists Tom Normand traces the 200 year history of the Royal Scottish Academy. Featuring both men and women, short summaries precede each reproduction and orient the reader to particular points of interest within each art work. The artist’s history is related side by side with that of the Academy and, as such, they complement descriptions of the paintings. The book chronologically captures different periods as they influenced the style of what was produced in the Academy. Looking forward Normand states that ‘the Academy, in its history, has been a vital part of that international role, freely exhibiting the newest and the best of modern art and respecting the multi-dimensional approaches of contemporary art’. It is this vitality in the Scottish art scene that will sustain its visual culture in the future and place it on the international stage.

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John Barrington was a shepherd to over 750 Blackface ewes who graze 2,000 acres of some of Britain’s most beautiful hills overlooking the deep dark water of Loch Katrine. The yearly round of lambing, dipping, shearing and the sales is marvelously interwoven into the story of the glen, of Rob Roy in whose house John lived, of curling when the ice is thick enough, and of sheep dog trials in the summer. Whether up on the hills or along the glen, John knows the haunts of the local wildlife: the wily hill fox, the grunting badger, the herds of red deer, and the shrews, voles and insects which scurry underfoot. He sets his seasonal clock by the passage of birds on the loch, and jealously guards over the golden eagle’s eyrie in the hills. Paul Armstrong’s sensitive illustrations are the perfect accompaniment to the evocative text.

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The 50th anniversary of the last trams in Glasgow is 2012. The last regular tram in Glasgow ran on 1 September, 1962. However on the 2, 3 and 4 of September, a very special tram service was operated between Auchenshuggle and Anderson Cross, for which souvenir tickets were sold. The Last Tram tae Auchenshuggle is the hilarious patter and build up to the end of the Glasgow trams, featuring Glasgow's famous clippie, Big Aggie MacDonald.

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Filled with lively anecdotes, poems and mythological stories, Barrington sets out to map the evolution and bond between man and dog; how dogs developed from the wild into the beloved companions as we know them today.

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Civilisation is thirsty... it never stopped to think what would happen if the water ran out. ALEXANDER BELL Peak water is the point when the available water is not enough to meet the demands of the world's growing population. We might live on a watery world, but we are exhausting accessible supplies. Many parts of the world are already facing this crisis, and not only in the developing world. Some of the places experiencing 'peak water' are in the USA, Europe and the UK. Even the wettest lands will be engulfed in the global catastrophe that looms. This is the issue of our age.

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As Others See Us is based on a new photographic exhibition from Tricia Malley and Ross Gillespie, who together form the renowned partnership broad daylight. It forms part of Homecoming 2009, celebrating the 250th anniversary of Robert Burns' birth. The exhibition consists of 20 portraits of prominent and influential Scots, including Eddi Reader, Edwin Morgan, Peter Howson and Janice Galloway. The portraits capture a unique insight into the sitter, enhanced by the accompanying text, as each was asked to contribute their favourite poem from Robert Burns, and to explain why it is special to them and what they think it means to Scots today.

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A lifelong love of vintage clothes and bargain hunting sustained Lynne when she was made redundant. Borrowing, blagging and begging her way around the country, she found her feet again in the cowboy boots of yesteryear, and brought her discoveries back to share. From Aberdeen to Brighton, Victorian beading to 1980's neon, across 15 cities and all decades, Lynne reveals the things she loves about her favourite vintage haunts. Layering vintage chic, gorgeous photographs and a soupcon of fashion history, A Girl's Guide to Vintage is for both initiates and adepts at the alter of vintage.

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Whether dodging the men of the excise, fighting with government troops or simply indulging in a spot of the national sport of drinking whisky, Scots have long had a true love affair with their favourite amber nectar. In this book writer and storyteller Stuart McHardy, known to take a dram or ten himself, draws upon the wide range of tales associated with the world's finest tipple, to make you laugh, cry and wonder!

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Ian R Mitchell recognises his hometown is an often underloved place, but in Aberdeen: Beyond the Granite he sets out an overwhelming case as to why this sentiment is thoroughly undeserved. An Aberdonian born and bred, Mitchell has lived in Glasgow for almost four decades. Returning to his roots, he delves into Aberdeen's rich and often unseen history and culture from an exile's perspective, revealing a proudly unique city, home to the world's oldest surviving company, the UK's oldest newspaper, and perhaps Britain's oldest Italian restaurant!

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This work features a vibrant selection of the best Scottish love poems, with each poet limited to one poem excepting Burns himself, that spans centuries and feelings of affection and desire. These poems explore many different kinds of love: sexual, passionate, romantic, parental. In 100 Favourite Scottish Love Poems traditional Scottish verse mixes with great literature as Bonny Barbara Allan and Jock o' Hazeldean rub shoulders with Byron and Hogg. Modern Scottish writing from some of the most inspiring poets of our time, MacCaig, MacDiarmid, Morgan and Carol Ann Duffy, contrasts with Gaelic poetry by Sorley MacLean, Derick Thomson and Meg Bateman. Poems of first love, yearning for love, love in absence and epernal love are not grouped thematically, as in so many other anthologies, but seamlessly so that contrasting poems can strike sparks off one another, across the page - often with wit and jollity - to demonstrate that we experience love in individual and inspiring ways.

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Encouraged by Burns Nights, ceilidhs and poetry slams, reading poetry aloud is a valued Scottish tradition enjoyed by young and old alike. This anthology includes old favourites like Burns and Matt McGinn and new classics from contemporary Scottish poetry. Covering a range of themes, this wonderful collection really does have something for everyone.

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Using a contemporary voice to address themes of reflection, love, loss, culture, heritage, family and society that are traditional to Scotland and to the Gaelic world, MacIntyre's collection is poignant, engaging, and destined to be a classic. Each Gaelic poem is accompanied by a full English translation and there are several original English poems. This is the first collection of poetry from the winner of The Saltire Society First Book Award 2003.

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This tale of intrigue and betrayal goes to the heart of events surrounding the Treaty of Union in 1707. Daniel Foe (better known as Defoe), sent to Scotland to sway opinion towards Union, reports to his English spymaster. But Edinburgh is already a hotbed of counter-plots and nascent rebellion. Foe's encounters with a landlady who is not what she seems, and with a beautiful Jacobite agent, lead him to become a novelist, against his better instincts.

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Three men from Coatbridge set out for Italy to find a monk reputed to possess healing powers in order to help psychiatrically disturbed Jimmy Brogan. However, when they arrive on the mountain, they find that healing isn't that easy to come by. This is a funny, provocative story of redemption. As the characters learn that the monastery cannot provide sanctuary from Jimmy's past, they are all challenged to face their own lives. "Monks" was originally published by Hodder as "The Big Q".

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Welcome to Dillon's world; a world where murderous poultry and evolutionary elephants make their mark. He takes you from the darkness of the illustrated Man and Jif Lemons to the laugh out loud Bunch of c***s. These stories are instantly accessible and always personal. Relationships, places and language are set precisely with few words and no flinching. If you're an alchoholic, recovering alcoholic, insane, a policeman, prisoner, gold digger, farmer, animal lover, Scots or Irish Scots you may well recognise yourself somewhere in this book.

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The Immortal Memory remains the centrepiece of the traditional Burns Supper and although that rite might be seen by some to have had its day, the 'Immortal Memory' itself still retains its importance and prestige to Burns lovers all over the world. It is an honour to be invited to present this toast and it is to honour this status and to further respect its subject that Dr Cairney's third book on Burns is devoted to his 'Immortal Memory'. The extraordinary thing is that the contributors, while dealing with the same man, all appear to see him so differently, but what they all still have in common is a love and admiration for the man and his work. This is the factor that makes Burns unique, that he has the same appeal for so many different kinds of people.

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The Wallace Muse is an anthology of poem and song inspired by William Wallace - one of Scotland's greatest heroes - composed by some of Scotland's greatest writers. Robert Burns, William Wordsworth, Robert Southey and other literary greats are represented, and a selection of new poems by contemporary Scottish and Scotland-based writers such as Edwin Morgan and Rab Wilson illustrates Wallace's continuing influence on the nation's literature.

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In 2000, the NVA arts organisation created The Path: a light and sound event that attracted 5,000 people and stunned audiences. The Path was a night-time walk through Perthshire's Glen Lyon where music, light and international performances created an intense sense of pilgrimage that aimed to enhance the participants' sense of the power of the natural landscape and rediscover what we may have forgotten about the world around us. Now this unforgettable event is to be taken to one of Europe's most hauntingly beautiful landscapes - the high cliffs of Coire Faion and The Storr on Skye. Around midnight, groups, equipped with head torches and walking sticks, will be guided through this inspiring landscape as the words of Skye's legendary poet Sorley MacLean echo down from the mountain.This book of essays and photographs from the storr event will capture what promises to be one of the greatest single site-specific environmental artworks ever to be staged in Britain.

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From the arrival of James Ross & Co. in 1883 until the departure of BP in 1962, the fate of the West Lothian village of Philpstoun was inextricably linked to the shale industry. Hail Philpstoun's Queen and other tales from the shale, however, is more than just a tale of mines and oil works. Mother and daughter team Barbara and Marie Pattullo take us back to the days of Rows houses and horse drawn grocers' vans, to summer gala days and thriving village sports clubs. Back to a life of walking to school, coping with life at war so close to the Forth and socials at the village hall. To a time when working life may have been hard but community spirit and village pride were well-founded. It is that spirit, and that pride, that this book aims to record, and to honour.

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For anyone interested in researching family history, Scottish Roots is a fundamental tool in tracing your Scottish ancestry. In this excellent step-by-step guide, Alwyn James illustrates just how easy it is to commence the research process and gradually compile a meaningful family tree. James navigates the reader through the first steps of sourcing family details, making contact with distant relatives and collating new information. This easy-to-use guide explains how to begin searching for family records in New Register House, the Scottish Record Office, and local libraries and folk museums. In detailed but user-friendly terms, James provides information on the costs associated with record searching, along with useful advice on maintaining realistic expectations during your research. This new and updated edition includes information on how to utilise electronic resources and the internet to access family data - a must if conducting research from an overseas base - is essential for anyone interested in discovering their Scottish roots.

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Based on its predecessor, Walks In the Cairngorms (1984), this book comprises a number of new walks spread widely across the 'Monarch of the Glen Country', in addition to some favourites from the first book. The problems posed by the opening of the Cairngorm funicular, and restricted access to the mountains, are dealt with effectively by this informative and comprehensive guide to the area.

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Roderick Watson is a poet of introspection and retrospection. In the rich distillation of his language, the images of a remembered picnic, a Tuscan encounter, an out-of-date postcard, a holiday cottage - all these assume an iconic intensity in the quiet deliberation of this verse. Roderick Watson is a poet who ponders rather than postures. Each one of these poems, in his accomplished Scots as well as in English, is a pleasure to read, to re-read and to remember. -- Philip Hobsbaum

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Twenty-four hours after meeting and falling for archaeologist and Pictish expert Michael Hurt, Jess Kavanagh suffers a horrific accident that leaves her with aphasia and amnesia. No words. No memory of love. Michael travels south, unknowing. Will their relationship survive this test? Should it survive? Will Michael find Jess again?

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Like Charles Rennie Mackintosh John Cairney began his career at the age of 15 at the Glasgow School of Art. He tells of the working life of Charles Rennie Mackintosh as well as the beautiful love story which tragically ended with Mackintosh's sudden death at the age of 60. His wife and co-artist, Margaret Macdonald died three years later.

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Packed full of historical documentation, including some rarely-seen material, this text takes a close look at Scotland's history through the eyes of those that were there. The eye-witness accounts set out to bring both the great and small events to life.

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Sickened by the English jingoism that surfaced in rampant form during the 1982 Falklands War. Emma Wood started to dream of moving from her home in East Anglia to the Highlands of Scotland. She felt increasingly frustrated and marginalised as Thatcherism got a grip in the southern English psyche. The Scots she met on frequent holidays in the highlands had no truck with Thatcherism, and she felt at home with grass roots Scottish anti-authoritarianism. The decision was made. She uprooted and headed for a new life in the north of Scotland. She was to discover that she had crossed a border in more than the geographical sense. In this book she sets a study of Scots-English conflicts alongside personal experiences of contemporary incomers lives in the Highlands. Her own approach has been thoughtful and creative. Notes from the North is a pragmatic, positive and forward looking contribution to cultural and political debate within Scotland.

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This is a timely collection of poetry through the ages and throughout the world. Homeric poems, epics and tragedies have been collected from two and a half millennia of literature. Each poem is introduced with a commentary.

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Journey with Russell Lyon through the fascinating story of the Society of Horsemen, the secret group of strange gifted men who traditionally ruled the world of the stables. Discover a culture stranger than fiction, where a stable-boy could be asked to shake hands with the devil through a wall, and the sign of power would float upstream. An informative investigation of the rituals, beliefs and skills of the Original Whisperers.

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Immerse yourself in the captivating world of Scottish football with We Are Scottish Football, a poetic masterpiece by Julie McNeill, accompanied by mesmerizing photography by Campbell Ramage. McNeill navigates the emotional landscape of the beautiful game, skillfully portraying its highs, lows, triumphs and tribulations. Through her verses, readers are transported to the electric atmosphere of packed stadiums, where every cheer and roar echoes through the pages, igniting the senses.This collection is for anyone who appreciates the power of poetry to evoke deep emotions and capture the essence of a cultural phenomenon. Whether you're a die-hard fan or simply a lover of expressive artistry, We Are Scottish Football promises to enchant and inspire, offering a poignant tribute to the soul-stirring drama and unwavering devotion that define Scottish football.

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No.Not the Palace.Anywhere but the Palace.12-year-old Alexander Buchan was once content, training as a falconer at Strathbogie Castle in Huntly. But when his Earl sends him to Edinburgh to the courtof the newly arrived Mary, Queen of Scots, the boy finds himself lured into a world of intrigue, terror and treachery.Alexander knows right from wrong, but how can he hope to outwit the Earl''s murderous messenger? Surely no one can defy such a powerful master whose wife is rumoured to be a witch!Soon, more than the boy''s own life is at stake:his friend Lizzie is arrested and thethe angry clouds of Reformation Scotland gather around the young Queen.It seems that Alexander must spy or die.

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Magnaccioni: (Roman dialect) people who live to eat well. I know no other word that captures that rare gift, that supremely basic human quality of eating with mind, eyes and heart and radiating uncontainable pleasure in so doing.In Magnaccioni, Anne Pia wants to make you feel tempted, greedy. She celebrates her heritage, the way of life, food, wine, music and dialect of southern Italy.Writing as a passionate food aficionada, she shares family recipes and food she has enjoyed in Italy based on la cucina povera, la cucina di terra – the use of fresh produce and simple ingredients to create sumptuous, joyful feasts. This book is a glorious and bold celebration of a very special culture and a fundamental way of looking at life and food which Anne is proud to call her own.Wine and music are essential in the mix that is southern Italian life. Anne guides you through her own pairings to her food so that you may join her in becoming joyful magnaccioni!

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Well-known as a stand up comic and folk musician, Mike Harding is now equally known for his rich and varied poetry.Music, place, landscape, politics, memories and stories have always been Mike Harding’s creative touchstones, never more so than in ‘The Lonely Zoroastrian’, his first collection since the 2020 pandemic and lockdown, both of which feature in some of the earlier poems in this book.Storytelling is the essence of his work whether telling the true story of a lost city buried under the ice cap, the curse an old Ukrainian woman laid on a group of Russian soldiers or stories from his beloved Connemara like Islandman and St Luke’s Little Summer.From his ‘little shed of words’ here is Mike Harding ‘singing about the dark times’.

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Living in Picinisco, Italy a er World War II brought enough societal challenges, never mind having to find the means to feed 19 other mouths. It is up to Mamma Matilda to make the needed sacrifices to ensure her family’s survival.With another baby on the way and the older siblings looking towards their future, tension begins to seep through the cracks. Upholding tradition, during a time of Italian poverty, death and lack of opportunities, is fading further away in the children’s minds.But Mamma Matilda will do what she must to protect what she loves the most – her family.A fictional story inspired by a real gravestone inscription ‘An Exemplary Mother of Nineteen Children’, this book tells the story of struggling to support a large family, but the harsh realities one must face when it comes to deciding to follow your footsteps or continue down the path of tradition.What truly is the importance of family? Does one’s dreams come before or after it? How would Mamma Matilda cope with an empty nest? In the end, it is family that has driven her all these years.

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What do we mean by ‘Scottish literature’? Why does it matter? How do we engage with it? Bringing infectious enthusiasm and a lifetime’s experience to bear on this multi-faceted literary nation, Alan Riach, Professor of Scottish Literature at the University of Glasgow, sets out to guide you through the varied and ever-evolving landscape of Scottish literature. A comprehensive and extensive work designed not only for scholars but also for the generally curious, Scottish Literature: an introduction tells the tale of Scotland’s many voices across the ages, from Celtic pre-history to modern mass media. Forsaking critical jargon, Riach journeys chronologically through individual works and writers, both the famed and the forgotten, alongside broad overviews of cultural contexts which connect texts to their own times. Expanding the restrictive canon of days gone by, Riach also sets down a new core body of ‘Scottish Literature’: key writers and works in English, Scots, and Gaelic.Ranging across time and genre, Scottish Literature: an introduction invites you to hear Scotland through her own words.

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Glasgow. 2007. Emo culture is thriving, but fifteen-year-old Cathy O’Kelly’s world couldn’t be more insular. It’s her first day at high school. Bullied out of primary, she’s got a new start after two years being taught at home by her Mammy. She’s dreaming of getting the marks she needs to be a proper Scots writer and avoiding getting on the wrong side of the neds. Again. But her bully doesn’t wear a tracksuit. Mark’s a third year in an oversized hoodie and Converse. A poet. Or so he wants to be. When he learns of Cathy’s dream, he’s makes it his mission to tear it down — and win her admiration.Will a chance encounter with a punk band at Glasgow’s seminal underage club save her? Or will a different kind of bully push Cathy further into herself?

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How did Aberdeen revolutionise modern midwifery and mother and baby care? Whether you were born in – or gave birth in – Aberdeen or elsewhere, you will probably have benefitted from the pioneering work of some of the people mentioned in this book.Bringing life to Aberdeen highlights many of the individuals who have made major contributions to the advancement of midwifery and neonatal services, and describes their influence and impact. Foremost amongst these are the lasting and defining accomplishments of Professor Sir Dugald Baird and Lady May Baird who give their name to a new hospital dedicated to the care of women and their babies in North East Scotland, known as the Baird Family Hospital.From Margaret Bane, an Aberdeenshire ‘howdie’ (midwife) accused of witchcraft in 1597 and put to death, to Margaret Myles, born in Aberdeen in 1892 and responsible for Myles Textbook for Midwives which – now in its 17th edition – remains the definitive resource on practical midwifery, through to the present day, the story of the people who have brought life to Aberdeen is truly remarkable.

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Strap on yir seatbelts for a brah an’ bumpy ride alang eviry twist an’ turn o’ the Dundonese dehelict.From the vehrus to the V&Eh, from matteramonial matters to shoppin’ – and never forgetting pehzn beans an’ pehzn peas – Wha Bohked in the Aspadeestra? is a delightful slice of the Tayside pie. Peppered with Bob Dewar’s quirky illustrations and salted with Norman Watson’s tongue-in-cheek translations, this wee gem of a book will resonate with Dundonians and their kin the world over.M’wah. E’ve got tae skoot!

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A consultant physician for 22 years with a strong interest in Robert Louis Stevenson's life and work, Richard Woodhead was intrigued by the questions raised by the references to his symptoms. The assumption that he suffered from consumption - the diagnosis of the day - is challenged here. Consumption (tuberculosis), a scourge of nineteenth century society, it was regarded as severely debilitating if not a death sentence. Dr Woodhead examines how Stevenson's life was affected by his illness and his perception of it. This fictional work puts words into the mouths of five doctors who treated RLS at different periods of his adult life. Though these doctors existed in real-life, little is documented of their private conversations with RLS. However everything Dr Woodhead postulates could have occurred within the known framework of RLS's life. Detailed use of Stevenson's own writing adds authenticity to the views espoused in the book. RLS's writing continues to compel readers today. The fact that he did much of his writing while confined to his sick-bed is fascinating. What illness could have contributed to his creativity?

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