"The Afterlife of King James IV" gave some interesting information on the stories spreading about King James IV of Scotland after his death in battle.

Unfortunately, the book wasn't really structured properly: there were some repetitions and asides that weren't really connected to what the author was focusing on at the moment.

The point of this book remained rather unclear to me and I would have liked a more focused and structured approach to the subject.

I was really interested in this book, and it's really well researched. Unfortunately, it doesn't flow very well and it's a little dry. If you're more interested in a history book than a non-fiction story, then you're going to love this book. I was just looking for something that read less like a history text. I will say I learned a lot!

I love the Tudor era, but my knowledge of 16th century Scotland is shockingly poor so I had no idea about any of these myths surrounding James IV before I read this book. Unfortunately I wasn't able to finish it, though--something about this book meant it just couldn't keep my attention and I often felt quite confused. This could be because I'm far more familiar with 16th century England than Scotland, but I do wonder how many readers will be familiar with 16th century Scotland if they've never been educated in Scotland so I do wonder if perhaps the book needs a bit more explanation for the numpties like me who aren't as familiar with the Scottish court. It's definitely made me want to learn more, though!

Interesting twist on his life. Love how the author compared between the two James, James lV and James I. The comparison and differences are fascinating in the history content. Finding out things I’ve never heard of is very impressive. I recommend this book who ever love history..

Keith John Coleman’s book explores all the myths and legends that emerged in the afterlife of King James IV, a great ruler that managed to reestablish order in the Scottish soil after a period of uncertainty and turmoil. During his reign Scotland gained a higher profile in Europe as a result of his personal prestige, at home and abroad, and his diplomacy. What prefigured disaster was James’s decision to marry Margaret, Henry VIII’s daughter, a marriage that meant the union of crowns and the creation of the British state but it also ran counter to an ancient alliance with France.
The event that marked a turning point in his golden era and the beginning of a long decline was his decision to declare war to England, blaming them for the murder of Andrew Kerr, one of the Warden of the Marches, in the Scottish-English border. This ill-fated decision altered forever James IV’s destiny. In the weeks before the war with England even sensational public events tried to prevent this planned military action, but failed. The Battle of Flodden in 1513 represented the end of James IV’s flowering reign and gave birth to several intriguing legends such as the ‘Fable of the Lost King’ or ‘The Undying King’. The Scottish army was sonorously defeated, but the Scottish king’s body could not be found alive or dead. Some said that James had not perished on the field; others said he was taken prisoner and others claimed he perished on the battle, but his body was not found. The aura of mystery that surrounds the figure of James IV is quite fascinating and confirms how supernatural fiction, legend, folklore and Scottish history coalesce into the Scottish everyday consciousness. Moreover, it is really interesting to see how the story of ‘the undying king’ was shaped and reshaped in the following centuries by many writers that contributed to increase the greatness of this legendary king.

This sounded like a really promising book, but it just failed to hold my attention. It was quite repetitive, convoluted and just not that greatly organised. I was grateful that I had prior knowledge of Scottish royalty and history because this book assumes that you do.

I had the privilege of receiving an ARC from NetGalley for this book. Not much is known about King James but with all these theories i may delve deeper. It took a few chapters for me to really get involved with these characters but once i did it was joyful.

And that is what this books gives us: legends, folklore, death, rumours, conspiracies and great stories.
This is an unusual book in that in one sense it is non-fiction. But the very nature of the stories and supernatural tales of the sixteenth-century Scottish king suggest a lot of fiction. Whatever it is, the book is a great read without being bogged down by historical facts and terminology but not forgetting the sources of information. So technically this is a history book that reads like a novel.

James is certainly an interesting character who is generally regarded as the most successful of the Stuart monarchs and holds the unfortunate record of being the last British king to be killed in battle. James declared war on England and the English king Henry VIII in 1513 to honour an agreement with Loius XII of France, with whom the English were at war. A bad decision because Henry's army was the stronger and James lost his life during that battle, which became known as the Battle of Flodden.

And this is where the story becomes very interesting.

​Like all popular folk, people cannot accept a normal death of someone elite, and tales of James surviving the battle sprung up. Some were simply practical options while others were more heroic and magical, Arthurian almost. Clever politicians used some of these stories and theories to further their own ambitions while others used the tales as romantic ghost stories to keep the myth of James alive.

​Added to this, King James was a shrewd man. Politically he was an effective king and worked on several peace treaties with England plus a wise marriage to Margaret Tudor, which brought about the joining of the two countries to make the United Kingdom. He was interested in science and medicine and carried out a few experiments himself and dabbled in alchemy. During his lifetime he encouraged stories of his own powers and heroics as if laying the foundations of his own folklore.

This is a fascinating book even for people who generally are not into history or historical fiction. This is the story of a legend. Highly recommended.

The Afterlife of King James IV was a fascinating account of the conspiracy theories and stories that sprang up around his death at Flodden Field. I appreciated the research that the author put into this book - it kept it from being a re-telling of myths and legends and turned it into a book of substance. Prior to reading this book, I only knew of James IV as a footnote in the history of other monarchs. I am glad I had the opportunity to read this book and learn more about a truly fascinating king.

After reading Melanie Clegg’s new biography of Margaret Tudor a few weeks ago, I thought the perfect book to follow it with would be another new release, The Afterlife of King James IV: Otherworld Legends of the Scottish King, which looks at the myths and legends surrounding the death of Margaret’s husband, the king of Scotland. As I only knew the basic facts about James IV, I had no idea there was so much controversy about his death at Flodden Field in 1513, but it seems that there were many rumours and conspiracy theories that began to circulate following the battle and Keith J. Coleman discusses some of these in this book.

As penance for his involvement in the death of his father James III, James IV famously wore an iron chain around his waist and it was the fact that the body removed from Flodden did not have the chain that gave rise to the conspiracy theories. Had James switched places with another man on the battlefield? Did he escape and go into hiding? If so, why did he never return? And where is his body’s true resting place? These are just some of the questions the book explores and attempts to answer.

To understand some of the stories surrounding the king’s death, we need to consider where they originated and who might benefit from them. It’s easy to see why the Scottish people, who must have been shocked and disheartened by the scale of their defeat at Flodden, may have found comfort in the idea that somewhere, somehow, their king had survived and might one day come back to lead them again. But Coleman also looks at the situation from an English perspective and from the point of view of ambassadors from elsewhere in Europe, who may or may not have been happy to think that James was still alive.

The selection of legends are certainly interesting and varied. Some are more plausible (though still unlikely), such as the possibility that James went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land or that he avoided being killed in battle only to be murdered shortly afterwards by one of his enemies, while others take us into the realms of the supernatural and stories of other worlds. The book also covers some accounts of the ghostly apparitions and prophecies that supposedly foretold the outcome of the battle and there is an examination of how the myths and legends about James compare with those about some of his predecessors such as Alexander III and Macbeth. I was also intrigued by a discussion of the short story Wandering Willie’s Tale, which appeared in Sir Walter Scott’s Redgauntlet, as that is one of the few Scott novels I have read!

Despite the fascinating subject, however, I didn’t find this book quite as enjoyable as I’d expected. The way it is structured made it difficult for me to become fully absorbed in the writing – I thought it jumped around too much from one idea or thought to another rather than being set out chronologically or in any other order that would have made sense to me. It felt repetitive and there was also less time devoted to the actual legends and folklore than I’d anticipated. It’s probably not a book I would recommend to people who are completely new to Scottish history either; it’s written in quite a scholarly style and if you have at least a little bit of familiarity with names and events I’m sure you’ll find things easier to follow. My reading of Rosemary Goring’s two novels After Flodden and Dacre’s War helped me here, I think!

Although this book was not as entertaining as it sounded, I’m pleased I’ve read it and added to my knowledge of the life – and particularly the death – of James IV.

*Many thanks to Keith John Coleman, John Hunt Publishing and Netgalley for providing me with arc in exchange for my honest review.*
Quite an interesting read on James IV, the king who is relatively often mentioned in books on the Tudors but he is not that widely known for his own sake. This non-ficiton is a little too scholarly, and may be difficult to follow for a reader with little knowledge of the history of England and Scotland in the 16th century. The death of James IV generated some conspracy theories which form the basis for this book, and the Author deals with them elegantly. Moreover,Keith John Coleman makes an successful attempt to look at the nature of Scottish soul and mentality. Overall, a solid non-ficiton read.

I received this eARC from Netgalley and John Hunt publishing. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I will start this review by being completely honestly, as I always am in all my reviews. I know very little information about King James IV. The only thing I know about him is that he married King Henry VIII’s sister and I only know that information because of a book I read (by the same publisher of this book about Margaret Tudor. So I was a bit worried, when I accepted this arc, that I wouldn’t understand what was happening or that I would just spend the entire time confused.

Thankfully, that was not the case with this book. The author, Keith J Coleman, made sure to give plenty of history and background information leading up the death of King James. He explained before (a little biography of King James), during (how he died) and after his death in a clear and concise manner, which helped my understanding of what happened to this unfortunate monarch.

There was so much work and research that went into this book and I appreciate that. The author clearly wanted to make sure that things were right and even when there was mention of specalition, he made sure to point that out so we weren’t falsely misled.

One major thing I look for in a non fiction book such as this, is readability. If I can’t understand the material in the book, then what is the point of reading it? The readability in this book was good but did need some improvement. There were parts where the author quoted poems or stories in the old English language which were difficult to read. Don’t get me wrong, I love it when I see this because it brings authenticity to the book but it was just very difficult to read and needed some sort of translation because I had no idea what was actually being said. I felt like I missed out on some key details.

Overall, I am pleased with this book. I enjoyed learning about King James and because of this book, I will be looking at some more books about him. I am very curious about this monarch, whose death was such a mystery. If you are a fan of history (like me) or just want to dip your toes in some mystery and intrigue, then I highly recommend this book.

Scotland is endlessly fascinating, especially when we get down to how Scotland became Scotland, right on up to about the time ol' James VI said "See ya!" and left for London, never to return. (Kind of foolish if you ask me. I like London, but I LOVE Edinburgh. I don't think I would have liked either, however, in the 1600s.)

This book centers on a James who did stick around - until he was killed in battle at Flodden in 1513, at least (and may have hung around even longer than that, depending on what whispers you believe). It is not about his life, however, but about his afterlife, his legacy. It deals with a variety of aspects, dealing with both historical facts and legends/folklore about the dead king.

I should make clear from the start that this book assumes the reader has some knowledge already of Scottish history, which luckily I have, but the book might be off-putting for those who have none. I don't mean to imply that you must have read #ALLTHEBOOKS about Scotland, but some knowledge is helpful - at least about this period. It makes so much more sense when you understand the dynamic between Scotland and England at the time. New readers of the period might find it odd when they learn that James IV's wife Margaret is the sister of Henry VIII. You know, the same guy who sent the army to fight at Flodden after both kings had agreed not to attack one another (as part of the marriage agreement) - but then James goes and does it anyway because Henry was at war with France, causing not Henry, but his true queen and wife Catherine of Aragon to command the military to engage the enemy (Henry was actually in France at the time and left Catherine in charge - obviously because she was a badass who got shit done.) The era was complex and dangerous and confusing. Some previous knowledge is necessary.

Coleman explores the myths, legends, and conspiracy theories that abounded after James IV supposedly met his end in battle against the English at Flodden, as did many of his nobles. While the nobility was pretty well decimated in the rout, there was always a lingering question about whether or not James actually survived. The reaction to the news of the king's death makes sense to me - especially a king who was well-liked among his people. Not only did this traumatic event occur, once again having to battle with the English armies, but to lose your king - it would certainly have provided comfort and hope to believe that maybe, just maybe, he lived and will return. Of course, that didn't actually happen - or at least, he never returned.

There were some problems for me within the text, and part of it has to do with the writing itself. It felt like it started off very well, with the historical bits, but as it went on it took me a bit longer than I anticipated to actually get into the story once the lore started to appear. There were some parts I ended up skimming, as it felt like kind of overloaded, and certain parts felt bogged down and repetitive.

I appreciated that this was not simply ghost stories and far-fetched lore. There is plenty of historical fact to ground the reader, before the legends and stories make their appearance. I think that aspect is always crucial for books like this, as it makes the historical figure a much more real person, not simply someone who died so long ago that we can't even imagine them being a living person anymore. It is obvious that the author has done his research and knows his subject well, both the facts and the folklore.

The reason for all the hubbub about the possible afterlife of James IV comes down to a chain of iron. You see, James IV essentially became the figurehead of the rebellion against his father, who was murdered in 1488. It is said that though he did not murder his father or have a direct hand in it - even that he had forbidden any harm come to his father - James IV felt a deep guilt for the death of James III, and that every year during Lent for the rest of his life, he wore a heavy iron chain around his waist, and added weight each year. Yet, when James IV's body was supposedly recovered at Flodden, the corpse wore no iron chain. This gave rise to many rumors - that he escaped and was killed a short time later, that he went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, that he became a hermit, and so on and so on. There are plenty of stories on the other side of the spectrum though too, those who believe he was killed on the field, or a short time later, and involving the final resting place of the battered corpse. (Hint: he was buried multiple times in multiple places, often at the same time. Because, of course.)

In the end, I still recommend this read, though it took me longer to get through than I first anticipated.

I have a very broad overview of Scottish history and knew a little about the battle of Flodden. With that starting point in mind, I found The Afterlife of King James IV a fascinating read. I had no idea about theories around his survival or numerous other legends associated with him., The content appears authoritative and well researched. I had an early review copy, thanks to publisher and a Netgalley, and was unable to check any bibliography or other references.

The opening sections assume a degree of knowledge about the context. Without that understanding, it may be a little difficult to fully appreciate what’s speculative and what may well be factual. I certainly enjoyed the revelations, most of which were new to me.

I was drawn to The Afterlife of King James IV as I very much enjoy reading about interesting history and historical figures and this sounded a little different from the norm. It explores myth and legend or what some people call folktales in relation to King James IV. He led his army into battle at what became known as the battle of Flodden in 1513 and was apparently killed, but for years after this, there was intense speculation as to whether he really did die. This is effectively the age-old depiction of indulging in conspiracy theories, something a lot of people subscribe to these days.

Known as the Everlasting King due to these rapidly circulating stories Coleman explores a number of alternate theories to the official narrative and explains where some of them could've arisen from. It makes for a fascinating book full of intrigue and cements the assertion that some people who buy into conspiracy theories are looking for a way to change the narrative to comfort themselves or use them to help themselves to make sense of a tragic event.

It's absolutely clear the author loves historical figures as the extensive research is evident throughout. The fact that it is part history book, part folklore makes this an original and highly entertaining read which is coherent and well-structured. Many thanks to Chronic Books for an ARC.

This is the first book I have read on this Scottish King and the history around him. This King died at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. That sentence in itself is a draw card. Anything historical I am drawn to, especially if it is based on real life. I was not entirely familiar with the Scottish history before reading this book so I was heading in with open eyes.
Coleman explores the relationship between James IV and his father James III, and what James IV’s reign was like. Political to some extent and speculation of many illegitimate children, James IV did not have the best relationship with many. He did marry Margaret Tudor, the sister of Henry VIII, and had legitimate children with her. Then the fight against the Tudor's was brought to a head with his marriage arrangements.
This book didn't begin with simple ghost stories of how the Scottish King, James IV, was seen after his death.
We the reader were given a lot of Scotland's history at the time and after all the main characters were out as the important people in the life and the death of this King, then did we embark on the supernatural side of this book. Certainly a different way of taking the life and times of this King who died on a battlefield, and those around him in the Scottish royalty.
Definitely worth reading if you have an interest in history.

King James IV was the first Scottish monarch to lead his forces into battle since the 11th century, and the last king of any British nation to die in battle. But did he? Not according to legend and myth, and not when the notion of his staying alive proved politically expedient. The author provides a fascinating journey through the traditional Scottish psyche and literature through the focus on one seemingly "everlasting" king.

Any time a famous/infamous person dies there are those who cause as stir with “he’s still alive!” conspiracy theories. This is nothing new. King James IV of Scotland, brother-in-law of King Henry VIII, died at the battle of Flodden in 1513 and was eventually buried in England…probably.

This book collects and discusses a number of alternate stories that circulated after the battle and were exploited for political gain by various factions. The book’s subtitle gives the impression that these were mostly of an Arthurian “taken to faerie” variety, but that is not really the case. There were a couple “prophecy” stories and a one with a “once and future king” vibe, but most of the widespread stories discussed here were of a more mundane survival, exile, betrayal, and/or misidentified corpse variety. It felt a bit bait-and-switch, to be honest. Nevertheless, it was a relatively interesting look at the fog of war, human tendency to react with conspiracy stories in the face of unexpected tragedy, and political exploitation of misinformation.

Afterlife of King James IV is an incredibly well researched look at the rumours of the popular king's survival, as well as the fate of his body after Flodden. I did feel the book got off to a rather choppy start as it drops the reader right into the beginning of the battle without any real context of how relations between the nation states got to that particular point and only a snapshot of the king himself.

The book did find its feet near the middle and became a fascinating read once Coleman began to explore rumours around James' survival in earnest. There was a lot of information presented that I'd never heard before.

Overall, an interesting read, but I do think a working knowledge of the events around the period of time are required before picking this title up.

With thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

Will cross post review onto Goodreads and Amazon.

As a lover of all things historical (ok, most things) - I found this read to be quite entertaining. The work was very well researched and quite fascinating, to say the least. After reading this, I am very curious about Scottish history, and their love for James. The combination of the supernatural, and legend makes this the perfect read for anyone looking to escape the daily hum drum. The story of this Scottish king’s survival of the battle of Flodden proves as a stark reminder that people never change, it is well written in that it keeps the reader's attention.