William Wallace

A fine collection of pretty much everything known about the historical Sir William Wallace, organized like a biography. I would recommend this book for someone who, like me, loves to read about and research the history of their Scottish ancestors, or who is seeking to read about the real man behind 'Braveheart'.

The one book (through Fisher) that sifts through the myths and facts about this Scottish hero. As a student of Scottish history, I would reccomend this well written book to any serious follower of Scottish history.

The book I am reviewing is the "Second Edition" verison of this biography. I believed certain parts have been rewritten to insert the reference to Mel Gibson's Braveheart movie which put the character, William Wallace into the forefront of Scottish history for many people. The biography on the whole, I thought to be very balance, very detail and superbly written within the context of time period. The author obviously understand his character within the boundary of that time period and this keep the biography honest and unbiased. I have read several Wallace biographies since that movie and I have to say this one is probably the best one. Good thing is that this book came out way before the movie so it doesn't have that taint of cashing in on the movie feel.

There are many books published on Wallace and the Scottish Wars for Independence. Historians' interpretations of Wallace are almost fictional because there are few materials to study or they become wrapped up in the legend.Andrew Fisher has done a great job in telling the story of Wallace and conducts thought provoking analysis of the man, e.g. Wallace's execution by King Edward I. Most books seem to interpret his execution as something extraordinary to the times, when in fact; his execution was common for traitors to the King. Also, Fisher's analysis of Wallace's military leadership and his battles are downright original. People that understand Wallace only from the myth and legend will learn a lot by reading Fisher's book. It is an honest portrayal of Wallace and his place in Scottish history.I was lucky to follow in most of Wallace's footsteps while visiting Scotland in 1996. I visited the execution site in London (see www.findagrave.com for pictures), the battle of Sterling Bridge and the Gothic looking Wallace monument built in the 1860's. It was in the monument that I climbed a narrow stone spiral staircase to a room, just below the top of the monument, where stands what is supposed to be Wallace's sword. It is a simple looking sword, nothing fancy, and nothing astonishing. But, when I gazed upon it, I thought of Wallace the man, not the myth. Fisher does just that; he strips the myths of Wallace and paints a picture of the real man.Enjoy

Andrew Fisher's book was first published in 1986, and is a well-researched account of the life of Wallace. Given that it was written 9 years before Braveheart was released, it cannot be put in the category of books (e.g. MacKay's book) that can be accused of trying to cash in on the movie. This book benefits from having been written objectively, and it is clear where Andrew Fisher is drawing conclusions from the limited information available. Highly recommended to anyone who is interested in this period of Scottish History and in the life of William Wallace. [MacBraveHeart - May, 1999]