Darien: A Journey in Search of Empire

(Paperback)

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Description

The Company of Scotland and its attempts to establish the colony of Caledonia on the inhospitable isthmus of Panama in the late seventeenth century is one of the most tragic moments of Scottish history. Devised by William Paterson, the stratagem was to create a major trading station between Europe and the East. It could have been a triumph, but inadequate preparation and organization ensured it was a catastrophe of the 3000 settlers who set sail in 1688 and 1699, only a handful returned, the rest having succumbed to disease, and the enormous financial loss was a key factor in ensuring union with England in 1707.

Reviews

'an absorbing tale of misplaced confidence ... one which continues to resonate to this day'

'[A] machete wielding history that sees its author leaping from dugout canoes and hacking through tropical vegetation in the footsteps of the lost colonists'

'a meticulously detailed account that spares no-ones blushes. He makes [his own travels] vividly relevant to the central theme'

Author Bio

John McKendrick was born and brought up in Glasgow. He studied at the LSE and Oxford and is currently a barrister in London and an advocate in Edinburgh. he also worked for two years in Panama And the Caribbean. He was Times Lawyer of the Week in September 2013.