The Last Highlander: Scotlands Most Notorious Clan Chief, Rebel & Double Agent

(Paperback)

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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 Charlies 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 Scotlands 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.

Reviews

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Saltire 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 Lovats 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

Author Bio

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 4s '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.