I posted the below 3-star review to Hillbilly Highways, Amazon, and Goodreads on 2/13/19:

There is no Scotland without Robert the Bruce.

Braveheart features the Bruce in a bit role that is only a little bit historical. Outlaw/King is centered on the Bruce but, like most accounts, it only tells the tale of how he won the realm, not how he kept it. Penman’s account’s primary selling point is that he devotes as much attention to the Bruce’s post-Bannockburn career as to what happens before.

Sadly, Penman falls into the academic history trap of sucking all of the tremendous inherent drama out of his narrative.

It can’t be easy to tell a story this good so dully. Penman can be less than clear is distinguishing between the Bruce and his father (admittedly no mean task). He gets bogged down throughout in listing seemingly every single royal grant. I understand the study of Scottish history suffers from a dearth of original sources even more severe than is generally the case for medieval Europe. But that doesn’t mean you have to tell us everything. Penman doesn’t spend enough time providing context or placing discrete events within a broader narrative.

Speaking of his father, Penman views Robert not as a serial side-switcher (as depicted in Braveheart), but someone committed to resisting the English and willing to defy his father to do so (as neither Braveheart nor Outlaw/King depicted him). Penman doubts that Comyn conspired with Edward; he is willing to believe, on the other hand, that the murder was premeditated.

There is plenty of inherent tension in Robert’s reign, even after Bannockburn. Independence from England remained a closely run thing. Not the least because Robert was frequently in poor health, was separated from his wife for an extended period of time, and did not sire a son until 28 years after his daughter Marjory was born. A war-torn, divided land produced an income half that of his predecessor two generations prior.

Penman’s account might be necessary, if only for the post-Bannockburn coverage, but I would start elsewhere.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of Robert the Bruce from the publisher.

Sorry I was not able to read you book but it went to archive before I could get to it. Sorry once again.

As a life long student of Scottish history, I appreciated the scope of Penman's Robert the Bruce. The book is exceedingly well-researched and offers a brilliantly detailed account of the reign of Robert the Bruce. Having said that, I feel the book best suited to academics as the style and tone is exceedingly dry.

This turbulent period in Scottish history produced a vast array of interesting characters, none more so that Robert the Bruce (seventh of that name). A man who straddled both sides of the political fence, who gave all, lost all, and ultimately won all for Scotland. A man surrounding by just as much mythology as William Wallace or the Black Douglas, and yet fact proves much more interesting than fiction.

This scholarly work would surely have a place on the bookshelf of both the student and academic alike.