Fantastic book! It is full of great history on Scotland, Scottish lore, famous Scots, just about anything you want to know about the land, it's people and customs! A great read and a good reference book you'll go back to time and again! (5 out of 5)
Christmas Miscellany (called What is Myrrh Anyway? in the UK) came out a year earlier, in 2009, and has so far received two reviews on Amazon.com. One was 5 out of 5 again, but the one which really interested me was this:
This book is meant to give insight into Christmas traditions and is kind of a hodge podge of of tidbits with no particular order. It does contain good information like answering the question about what are the twelve days of Christmas? What is the yule log,etc.? The author is not a historian however, and makes, in my opinion, wrong historical assessments. For example, the fact is that there is more historical evidence for the birth of Jesus being on December 25th than there is against. Yet the author does not share any arguments in either direction, but parrots those who say that Jesus was not born in December. This book, though having some good information does take a poor view of the Church.Wrong historical assessments, eh? The writing of Christmas Miscellany involved a very great deal of research and I would love to know what research the reviewer has to back up the statement, "there is more historical evidence for the birth of Jesus being on December 25th than there is against". Really?
Oh and I do not feel that I, "take a poor view of the Church". I was raised as a Christian and have great respect for the Church. What I don't have great respect for is people who's faith is so easily shaken by having elements of dogma challenged and questioned.
Anyway, if you've not read Scottish Miscellany or Christmas Miscellany yet, do so and then you can make your own assessment of the quality of my historical research.
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