Book Review: Women in the Scottish Wars of Independence 1296-1357 by Beth Reid.

I was delighted to be given an ARC of this book to review. First off the cover is absolutely gorgeous and, with a little previous knowledge which meant that I had a fairly good idea about the women who the author would be discussing, my expectations were sky high.

The book begins by setting the scene for the rest of the book by giving the reader a decent overview of, what are today known as, the Scottish Wars of Independence. There is also a very useful map included for anyone unfamiliar with the geography of Scotland.

The opening chapter on the Maid of Norway was interesting but it was when the author turned her attention to lesser known women, such as the Bruce women that this book got really fascinating. The story of Elizabeth de Burgh and Majory Bruce is intriguing. These two women were, the author states “the strongest keys to unlocking the Bruce royal dynasty” (pg 28) and she then explains in detail why and the role that they played in the story of the more famous Bruce men. Their lives underpin the whole of this book.

An examination of the life and role of Joan of the Tower, queen of David II follows and considering that Joan was the only one of the pair free for the majority of David’s reign her actions were fascinating to learn about.

Lesser known women are also included, I didn’t know much about Isabella MacDuff for example, or about the actions of Christina Bruace at Kildrummy castle - she sounds awesome!

The book concludes with the life of Agnes Randolph who held out against the Earl of Salisbury for months at Dunbar in 1338.

I loved the fact that the author really brings these lesser known women to the forefront of history and although the male narrative of the period necessarily forms the backdrop to these women's lives, it is left in the background as much as possible and the women are allowed to speak for themselves.

When most people think of medieval women they think of submissive wives and mothers, weaving, spinning or singing, Reid here helps to prove once again that this was simply not the case. Women had a vital role to play in politics, with fears, wishes and ambitions of their own. Passive passengers in history these women were not!

I also really enjoyed the beautiful pictures included, they are a great selection which help to illuminate the narrative perfectly. If I have one criticism it is that there are no endnotes/references included (in my version at least I’m not sure if the final edition will have them) and this meant that I could not dive deeper into the story and look up the references or source material.

This book however otherwise is excellent and I’d recommend it to anyone interested in Scottish history and/or the history of women.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️