The latter part of October sees the publication of my latest attempt at world literary domination, The Bloody History of Scotland: Edinburgh. The book is a speedy and sanguinary sprint through the city’s dark past, taking in everything from massacres and murders to witchcraft, torture and executions.
Events commence in the Dark Ages with the annihilation of the Goddodin warrior tribe, and continue through medieval wars and sieges onto dastardly deeds surrounding Mary, Queen of Scots, and a veritable rogues’ gallery of assassins, rioters, pirates, hangmen and cannibals. Bodysnatchers, serial killers, poisoners and Zeppelins bring up the rear, and, for light relief, there is also a diversion into Edinburgh’s nineteenth-century brothels and houses of pleasure, with their associated crimes, court cases and general depravity.
- “And There Was Slaughter”
- A Barricade of Dead Horses!
- Tortured to Death over Three Days – For Killing the King!
- Murdered at the Sign of the Black Bull!
- Slaughter on the Streets!
- “Burn Edinburgh to the Ground!”
- A Tapestry of Naked Corpses!
- Stabbed To Death – In Front of the Queen!
- Death of a King: Blown Up and Strangled
- Siege!
- Death and the Maiden
- A Sea Battle – Inside the Harbour
- Drowned Alive in the Loch!
- Burn the Witch!
- Plague
- A Concentration Camp – in the middle of Edinburgh
- The Dismembered Marquis!
- The Wizard of West Bow
- The Hangman was a Murderer
- He Roasted the Servant on a Spit – and then ate him!
- He Fired into the Crowd – and was Lynched by the Mob!
- Jacobite Conflicts and the War of the Chamber Pots
- Riot!
- Piracy and Murder of the High Seas!
- Duel!
- Fire!
- Burke and Hare – Serial Killers!
- Poison!
- Hanged By The Neck Until Ye Be Dead
- The Night of the Zeppelins
- Sex and Death
You can find more about the book through Facebook and from the website of the publishers, The History Press. Upcoming media coverage includes features in The Edinburgh Evening News and The Scottish Daily Mail. There’s also a free illustrated talk on the book taking place at the splendid Blackwells Bookshop on South Bridge in Edinburgh on Tuesday 6 November. The humble author will be waving his arms about and bellowing on about grisly deeds and ghastly anecdotes from 6.30pm, and signing books after the talk as well.
There shall be blood!