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Alistair Moffat
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The Faded Map: Lost Kingdoms of Scotland Kindle Edition

by Alistair Moffat (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 192 ratings
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Dive into Northern Britain’s Dark Ages in “a book which gives a satisfying and convincing account of this little-known part of Scotland’s history” (Undiscovered Scotland).
 
Modern communications have driven motorways and pylons through the countryside, dwarfed us with TV and telephone masts, and drastically altered the way in which we move around, see, and understand Scotland. Recent politics and logistics have established borders and jurisdictions which now seem permanent and impervious. The Faded Map looks beyond these to remember a land that was once quiet and green. Alistair Moffat’s “tireless research . . . and commanding knowledge” bring to vivid life the half-forgotten kings and kingdoms of two thousand years ago, from the time of the Romans into the early medieval period (Scottish Field).
 
In this “fascinating” account, Moffat describes the landscape these men and women moved through and writes of a Celtic society which spoke to itself in Old Welsh, where the Sons of Prophesy ruled, and the time when the English kings of Bernicia held sway over vast swathes of what is now Scotland (Alexander McCall Smith, author of Dream Angus). Heroes rode out of the mists to challenge them and then join with them, and the faint echo of the din of ancient battles can be heard as he takes the reader on a remarkable journey around a lost Scotland.
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  1. Print length
    376 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Birlinn
  5. Publication date
    May 17, 2011
  6. File size
    3005 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

Review

'a fascinating story' - Alexander McCall Smith
'Moffat's tireless research... and commanding knowledge bring these forgotten peoples to life' --Scottish Field

About the Author

Alistair Moffat was born in Kelso, Scotland. He is an award-winning writer, historian, and director of programs at Scottish Television. He was director of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and former rector of the University of St Andrews. He is the founder of Borders Book Festival and cochairman of The Great Tapestry of Scotland. His many books include The Highland Clans, To the Island of Tides: A Journey to Lindisfarne, and The Hidden Ways: Scotland's Forgotten Roads, shortlisted for the Edward Stanford Travel Writing Awards.

Neil McFarlane is an actor, writer, and comedian from Glasgow in Scotland. He lives in West London. He was educated at Bearsden Academy; at the University of Glasgow, where he studied English literature and film and television studies, and at the University of Alabama, where he additionally studied theater. Neil performs regularly at comedy clubs across the United Kingdom and occasionally further afield. His acting experience has covered Shakespeare, fringe theater, comic monologues and sketches, a satirical revue and a comedy play with music at consecutive Edinburgh festivals, and a range of acting across all media. He loves the sound of his own voice and hopes you will too.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B082XQP316
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Birlinn (May 17, 2011)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 17, 2011
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3005 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 376 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 192 ratings

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Alistair Moffat

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
192 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Objective Fan
5.0 out of 5 stars The 'lost kingdoms' are now found.
Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2018
Verified Purchase
This is an excellent book on a somewhat esoteric topic. It is readable, and well documented. The nature of the topic and the time period involved, which is the period of the Roman occupation of Britain and the early "dark ages" following the end of Roman occupation requires any author to make assumptions to fill in some gaps which do not have verifiable records to rely on. The author does not abuse this situation with assumptions that do not have supporting circumstantial evidence, and he clearly indicates when he is writing about matters that do not have solid records to prove their facts conclusively. The book should appeal to most Scot's history buffs because it fills in many gaps which are not covered in general histories.This is a valuable resource, definitely worth reading.
36 people found this helpful
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poorboy
4.0 out of 5 stars Good overview
Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2020
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This is a good survey of the post-Roman and early medieval kingdoms of northern Britain. It presumes a lot of prior knowledge of the Scots and Picts, and so skips over these two major cultures. This isn't a huge detriment, but it does deprive some of these kingdoms of their larger context.
12 people found this helpful
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charlie weir
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing and Informative
Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2016
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As an amateur historian and lecturer on European history from the Celtic viewpoint, I am amazed at the depth of detail Mr. Moffat has accomplished from scanty and arcane sources. His grasp of Old Welsh, Gaelic, early English and Latin have clarified many issues for me. His geographic references have been most useful in pinpointing ancient historic sites and locales. Bear in mind this is a forgotten and sparsely documented period in European history - reading Moffat is like finding the Rosetta Stone. If you have any interest in understanding this seminal point in history, this is invaluable research. And he is a good writer and interesting to read. A must.
52 people found this helpful
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Tanis Coralee Leonhardi
5.0 out of 5 stars A good historical overview
Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2020
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I like the writing style, topics covered, and visuals presented. A good starting point for getting a feel for some of the cultural and historic elements of Scotland.
2 people found this helpful
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Mark-David McCool
4.0 out of 5 stars Forgotten to Time
Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2016
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A good read for any history buff of the British isles. Talks extensively about kingdoms of a by gone age that no longer exists. Helps explain the fluid situations in the border regions between Scotland and England long before the current boundaries were established.
3 people found this helpful
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Les Stewart
3.0 out of 5 stars A true history book
Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2016
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This book has a lot of history in it but it is hard for me to stay focused on reading it.
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Alex Findlay
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating journey through history
Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2020
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This book shed some light on the happenings of Northern Britain during the dark ages and filled in many gaps for me on the subject. Truly well worth the read
2 people found this helpful
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Colf
5.0 out of 5 stars ExcellentMay 27 at 12:48 AM Faded Map My review was intended to give 5 stars Columbcille
Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2014
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Mr Moffat, after considerable research, writes a gripping account of the almost forgotten kingdoms in Scotland.Of the Britons / Cymri ,Scots of Dalriada , the Picts (Caledonians), Saxons from Bernicia, and the the Vikings , and the earlier mighty Roman Empire efforts and Roman Britons, leading to the legend of Dux Commander " Arthur' and his 12 battles with the last one at Badon Hill.The Saxons wrote him out of history.
Great effortMay 27 at 12:48 AM
Faded Map My review was intended to give 5 stars
Columbcille
Columbcille
21 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Milouthedog
5.0 out of 5 stars First class
Reviewed in Germany on September 17, 2021
Verified Purchase
It has so much fascinating background information on the British post-Roman period, and it's so well written, that I was sorry I hadn't read it earlier in my life. It relates landscapes to place names and historical events from chroniclers, poems, and passed down oral accounts. He takes issue with the strict academic approach of having to prove something before you write it. He is so well versed in his subject(s) that he is also able to exercise his intuition about situations and he extrapolate within self-imposed limits -- so what he writes is never dry. It always tugs at the reader's own imagination. If you want to know why Irish Gaelic is so different from Welsh and from Scottish Gaelic, I recommend this book. Every few pages a WOW!
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Paul cannell
5.0 out of 5 stars the forgotten welsh
Reviewed in Australia on October 8, 2018
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Mr Moffat does his best to help us visualise the Forgotten Welsh, the Native Britons of the North. His vivid descriptions of Britain from Roman times through to the early Middle Ages use archeological and literary sources and give great insight. Very entertaining read.
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Teri Schram
5.0 out of 5 stars ... researched book written in a style that everyone would enjoy. An excellent read
Reviewed in Canada on February 23, 2016
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A well written and researched book written in a style that everyone would enjoy. An excellent read!
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M. Steedman
5.0 out of 5 stars Another gem
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 11, 2012
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Alistair Moffat has a great interest about the peoples who came together and formed Scotland. This is just the latest in a whole series of books on that theme, and it is as good as the previous ones.

To an extent most of Alistair's books read like TV scripts, probably because there is a TV series tie in such as THE SEA KINGDOMS and BEFORE SCOTLAND. I have not seen a TV series for this book but the imagies he conjures up are as vivid as if on the TV.

The book concentrates on the "Border areas", that is those areas ajacent to a major power be it The Roman Empire or later the Angle kingdom of Nothumbria. How they are "bullied" and how they reacted.

Overall another excellant book.
8 people found this helpful
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Geraint Rees
4.0 out of 5 stars A great read, mixing history with speculative gap filling
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 17, 2013
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This is a hugely enjoyable read. It focuses on a long stretch of history and looks at the peoples who inhabited the north of England and middle and lower Scotland. The lack of knowledge by the English that they are relatively recent arrivals on the island and that the stretch from Scotland to Cornwall was inhabited by the early Britons/Brythonic Welsh is inexcuslable. This book should be read by all intelligent Britons to understand the context of much of what we are resolving throught he devolution debate.

Having been brought up on the tales of Urien Rheged, Elmet and Taliesin, it's good to see them re-told in English so that a wider audience can appreciate the misty past of the Welsh oral tradition. Diolch Mr Moffat.
12 people found this helpful
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