The Lords of the Isles

An amazing and informative tale. My Grandmother was a McDonald and she used to tell me stories of our clan and I never understood why the McDonald clan was so amazing. Growing up in the US, I thought it was a place for happy meals and milk shakes. Not so. Mr. Williams does a complete job of explaining the past history and heritage of Somerled and his sons. Then each chapter after that is dedicated to the life of each Lord of the Isles until there fall due to greed and strife with the Stewart Kings. A must have for all Clansmen of the Clan Donald and a lesson in why the MacDonalds will continue to due great things. Get this book.

Ronald William's magnum opus is a refreshing example of attention given to a long denied and ignored subject.The grip of total Anglocentric versions of history is weaking, and this was an early stride into understanding this particular story in a more objective way. I congradulate Ronald Williams on such an outstanding and informative book.

The full title of this book is THE LORDS OF THE ISLES: THE CLAN DONALD AND THE EARLY KINGDOM OF THE SCOTS. At first glance, it is far more than its title indicates. It covers a thousand years of history in the Hebrides and the adjoining parts of Western Scotland, first under the Celtic Kingdom of Dalriada beginning around 500 AD; secondly under Viking and mixed-blood Viking/Celtic kingships from around 800-1250 AD; finally under the Lordship of the Isles centered at Loch Finlaggan in Islay until the forfeiture of the Lordship around 1500 AD. For one who, like me, is enthralled by Scottish history, this is a page-turner of the first order. I first became interested in the Lords of the Isles from reading Nigel Tranter's historical novels; then, I visited the Isles myself in 1999. Now, after having read this book, I feel energized enough to return to Scotland and become even more informed thanks to this excellent history on a subject about which little is known. One particularly excellent aspect of Williams's book is its detailed coverage of parallel events in Ireland, Norway, and England which affected the Isles. We see such heroic figures as St Columba of Iona, Aedan the Fair-Haired of Dalriada, Brian Boru, Somerled MacGillibride, Angus Og (friend and chief support of Robert the Bruce), and warlord Donald Balloch. This reprint edition is published by House of Lochar located on the Isle of Colonsay in the Hebrides. It's worth taking some pains to lay hands on this book.