The Debatable Land: The Lost World Between Scotland And England

Product Description

'A book worth reading' Andrew Marr Sunday Times The Debatable Land was an independent territory which used to exist between Scotland & England At the height of its notoriety it was the bloodiest region in Great Britain fought over by Henry VIII Elizabeth I & James V After the Union of the Crowns most of its population was slaughtered or deported & it became the last part of the country to be brought under the control of the state Today its history has been forgotten or ignored When Graham Robb moved to a lonely house on the very edge of England he discovered that the river which almost surrounded his new home had once marked the Debatable Land's southern boundary Under the powerful spell of curiosity Robb began a journey
- on foot by bicycle & into the past
- that would uncover lost towns & roads reveal the truth about this maligned patch of land & result in more than one discovery of major historical significance Rich in detail & epic in scope The Debatable Land takes us from a time when neither England nor Scotland could be imagined to the present day when contemporary nationalism & political turmoil threaten to unsettle the cross-border community once more Writing with his customary charm wit & literary grace Graham Robb proves the Debatable Land to be a crucial missing piece in the puzzle of British history
Includes: a 16-page colour plate section