This is a well-written and researched account of the events that occurred during the three hundred years of the maneuvering for power on the borders between England and Scotland and its reverberations in their Courts.
It is not surprising when one realises that the writer is a well-respected author of the history of the area having already written several successful books on the subject.
It is essential reading for all those interested in the history of the area whether from a purely academic interest or those who are actively promoting Scottish Independence today.
The structure of the book is not arranged in the usual manner of books on history, ie in a chronological order, but rather examines the history of the area from a human viewpoint addressing the interplay between various individuals and families that influenced the opportunistic power plays that were available due to the constant battles for control by the monarchies of England and Scotland.
The author’s claim is that this has resulted in the people who inhabit the area having a certain distinctive character that has been honed by three centuries of rejection of authority and aggressive assertion of their parochial interests.
Of course, in those days physical violence was the means by which one’s interests were pursued whereas today those interests are pursued through economic measures. Thus, should Scotland obtain its independence and a real border is once again established, what would the reaction of the residents on the border be?