Publisher Description

Saltire First Scottish Book of the Year 2012

The notorious and romantic story of Lord Lovat: double-agent, spy, the most famous supporter of Bonnie Prince Charlie and the last nobleman to be executed for treason. For all fans of Ben MacIntyre and C.J. Sansom, a great non-fiction historical adventure.
Lord Lovat was a spy, clan-chief, traitor, polyglot, deserter and philosopher. His wit, ambition and dubious morality thrust him repeatedly into the thick of political intrigue. A treacherous turncoat, and yet a martyr for Bonnie Prince Charlie's dreams to retake the British throne, Lovat conjured a legend: a man whose loyalty had no home, whose sword had a price, and whose taste for risks led him into pacts with Catholics and Protestants, Scots and Englishmen.

The last nobleman to be executed for treason, Lovat was one of Scotland's most notorious and romantic figures, and this swashbuckling account of his life creates an extraordinary portrayal of a nation in revolt. As Sarah Fraser argues, the defeat at Culloden led directly to the end of traditional Gaelic civilization; to the brutal clearances and 'pacification' of the Highlands which followed and the lost civilisations of Scotland that were destroyed after 1745 by English repression.

Notes

Subtitled Scotland's Most Notorious Clan-Chief, Rebel and Double Agent. A highly readable and accessible tale of one of Scotland's most notoric and romantic figures.

Author Biography

In 2002 Sarah Fraser and her family moved to a ramshackle Italian farmhouse in Tuscany with dreams of self-sufficiency and a more 'down-to-earth' lifestyle. Seven years and three TV series later (UK Channel 4's 'No Going Back', 'A Year in Tuscany' and 'The Great Italian Escape'), Sarah has amassed a wealth of knowledge about cultivating Italian produce and what you can do with it.

Review

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERSaltire First Scottish Book of the Year 2012'Sarah Fraser tells the story of the "Old Fox" with notable panache … Makes delightful bedside reading for a posterity spared from having to live with him' Max Hastings, Sunday Times'Superb … akin to a John Buchan adventure story' Mail on Sunday'In this colourful, entertaining biography, Sarah Fraser does not attempt to excuse Lord Lovat's personal faults or political chicanery but, rather, [presents] him amply in a complex historical context' The Times'Sarah Fraser deserves to be acclaimed as a notable biographer … This is a brave and meaty book tells this remarkable tale with admirable patience, industry and understanding' Spectator'A vivid and fascinating biography of a quirky aristocrat' Evening Standard'Irresistibly romantic biography' Sunday Telegraph

Long Description

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER PERFECT FOR FANS OF OUTLANDER The true story of one of Scotland's most notorious and romantic heroes. He was a spy, a clan-chief, a traitor. A polyglot, a deserter and a man of philosophy. Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat, was the last of the great Scottish chiefs - and the last nobleman executed for treason. In life, his wit, ambition and dubious sense of morality kept him in the thick of political intrigue. With a taste for risk and determined to make his fortune, Lovat made pacts with Catholics and Protestants, Scots and Englishmen. Lovat found his famous end a turncoat and a martyr: he threw himself in with the '45 rebellion and fought for Prince Charles against the crown. His execution in Tower Hill, at the age of 80, was the last of its kind. Lovat was one of Scotland's most notorious and romantic figures: a man whose loyalty had no home, whose sword had a price. This is the swashbuckling account of his life, and a brilliant portrayal of nation in revolt.

Review Quote

"Sarah Fraser, who married into the modern Lovat tribe, tells the story of the Old Fox with notable panache…There was nothing in his character or history to admire, but there was still a grandeur to his villainy, one that makes delightful bedside reading for a posterity spared from having to live with him" - Max Hastings, SUNDAY TIMES "This superb biography shows [Lord Lovat's life] to have been akin to a John Buchan adventure story" - MAIL ON SUNDAY "In this colourful, entertaining biography, Sarah Fraser…does not attempt to excuse Lord Lovat's personal faults or political chicanery but, rather, [presents] him amply in a complex historical context" - THE TIMES "Fraser treats Lovat with sympathy and understanding. Whatever his faults, he was a remarkable man and a considerable figure, worthy of some respect and even inviting affection. Her picture of Highland society is excellent and the story she has to tell is gripping. Much of it reads like a good historical novel" - Allan Massie, LITERARY REVIEW "Sarah Fraser deserves to be acclaimed as a notable biographer…This brave and meaty book tells this remarkable tale with admirable patience, industry and understanding" - SPECTATOR

Feature

* Brilliant debut. Will appeal to readers of Ben MacIntyre or CJ Sansom - highly readable and accessible history. * Book draws on family papers not before seen by historians. * Selected as Waterstones' Scottish Book of the Month on publication. * Of particular interest to the hundreds of thousand clan Frasers - around the world. Author targetting this specialist market through website and social networking. Competition: Outlander; Voyager; The Fiery Cross; A Breath of Snow and Ashes; Drums of Autumn; Dragonfly in Amber; Echo of Bone; Go Tell the Bees that I am Gone; Written in heart's blood; lord john. Diana Gabaldon; C.J. Sansom, Rosemary Goring; Anne Somerset, John Buchan

Description for Sales People

Saltire First Scottish Book of the Year 2012 The notorious and romantic story of Lord Lovat: double-agent, spy, the most famous supporter of Bonnie Prince Charlie and the last nobleman to be executed for treason. For all fans of Ben MacIntyre and C.J. Sansom, a great non-fiction historical adventure. Lord Lovat was a spy, clan-chief, traitor, polyglot, deserter and philosopher. His wit, ambition and dubious morality thrust him repeatedly into the thick of political intrigue. A treacherous turncoat, and yet a martyr for Bonnie Prince Charlie's dreams to retake the British throne, Lovat conjured a legend: a man whose loyalty had no home, whose sword had a price, and whose taste for risks led him into pacts with Catholics and Protestants, Scots and Englishmen. The last nobleman to be executed for treason, Lovat was one of Scotland's most notorious and romantic figures, and this swashbuckling account of his life creates an extraordinary portrayal of a nation in revolt. As Sarah Fraser argues, the defeat at Culloden led directly to the end of traditional Gaelic civilization; to the brutal clearances and 'pacification' of the Highlands which followed and the lost civilisations of Scotland that were destroyed after 1745 by English repression. * Brilliant debut. Will appeal to readers of Ben MacIntyre or CJ Sansom - highly readable and accessible history. * Book draws on family papers not before seen by historians. * Selected as Waterstones' Scottish Book of the Month on publication. * Of particular interest to the hundreds of thousand clan Frasers - around the world. Author targetting this specialist market through website and social networking. Competition: Outlander; Voyager; The Fiery Cross; A Breath of Snow and Ashes; Drums of Autumn; Dragonfly in Amber; Echo of Bone; Go Tell the Bees that I am Gone; Written in heart's blood; lord john. Diana Gabaldon; C.J. Sansom, Rosemary Goring; Anne Somerset, John Buchan

Details