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The Soap Man: Lewis, Harris and Lord Leverhulme Kindle Edition

by Roger Hutchinson (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 55 ratings
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The true story of a tycoon’s dashed dream: “A wonderful little book about what happens when righteous ambition meets stubborn culture.” —Scotland on Sunday

Shortlisted for the Saltire Scottish Book of the Year Award

In 1918, as the First World War was drawing to a close, the eminent industrialist Lord Leverhulme, whose name lives on today within the multinational company Unilever, bought—lock, stock and barrel—the Hebridean island of Lewis. His intention was to revolutionize the lives and environments of its thirty thousand people, and those of neighboring Harris, which he shortly added to his estate. For the next five years, a state of conflict reigned in the Hebrides. Island seamen and servicemen returned from the war to discover a new landlord whose declared aim was to uproot their identity as independent crofter/fishermen and turn them into tenured wage-owners. They fought back, and this is the story of that fight.

The confrontation resulted in riot and land seizure and imprisonment for the islanders and the ultimate defeat for one of the most powerful men of his day. The Soap Man paints a beguiling portrait of the driven figure of Lord Leverhulme, but also looks for the first time at the infantry of his opposition: the men and women of Lewis and Harris who for long hard years fought the law, their landowner, local business opinion, and the media, to preserve the settled crofting population of their islands.

“Magnificent.” —West Highland Free Press
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  1. Print length
    327 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Birlinn
  5. Publication date
    June 1, 2011
  6. File size
    1655 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
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  9. Enhanced typesetting
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Readable as a novel, rich in insights . . . has resonance far beyond the lives of its subjects'
Herald

Hutchinson sets his canvas alight . . . he combines into one coherent narrative all the mighty forces that clashed and washed over the population of Lewis in the early 20th century'
Sunday Herald

Magnificent . . . Roger Hutchinson is a master wordsmith'
West Highland Free Press

About the Author

Roger Hutchinson is an award-winning author and journalist. After working as an editor in London, in 1977 he joined the West Highland Free Press in Skye. Since then he has published thirteen books, including Polly: the True Story Behind Whisky Galore. He is still attached to the WHFP as editorialist and columnist, and has written for BBC Radio, The Scotsman, The Guardian, The Herald and The Literary Review. His book The Soap Man (Birlinn 2003) was shortlisted for the Saltire Scottish Book of the Year (2004). Calum's Road has been a huge bestseller, shortlisted for the Ondaatje Prize (2007) with film rights sold.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08WHVYJTF
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Birlinn (June 1, 2011)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 1, 2011
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1655 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 ‏ : ‎ 327 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 55 ratings

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Roger Hutchinson

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
55 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

dunkmack
4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent history on little-known events
Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2012
Verified Purchase
Having a family connection to the Isle of Lewis, I bought this book, expecting to uncover a few snippets of interest. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this was a well-rounded history which set out the details of a forgotten time (and area) in history. I think the last couple of chapters laboured a little, with too much recital of facts rather than linking the narrative, but overall I was fascinated by what had transpired and pleased that I'd taken the trouble to read the book.
One person found this helpful
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mike brownlee
4.0 out of 5 stars William Lever - Lord Leverhulme
Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2017
Verified Purchase
I am doing research on Lord Leverhulme and this book was extremely useful in revealing a part of his life and character that doesn't appear anywhere else in his history.
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Top reviews from other countries

Nicholas Middleton
5.0 out of 5 stars Really well researched and told
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 21, 2020
Verified Purchase
A well researched and well told story that situates the almost hapless and arrogant Lord Leverhulme within a set of historical circumstances and people that were not prepared to bow down to his great plan after buying Lewis and then Harris. A set of circumstances that now resonate with current Land Reform debates in Scotland.
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Greatgreenbird
4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating place, interesting book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 17, 2018
Verified Purchase
I go through phases of reading non-fiction and it's usually about a subject or place that interests me - in this case, I visited the location for The Soap Man a few years ago and had heard a little of the story but wanted to know more...

The book starts with a brief introduction to the life-story of William Lever, who would later become Lord Leverhulme, a self-made industrialist who made his money mostly from soap. His company would later go on to be part of the multi-national conglomerate Unilever. After setting up a model factory and village in the middle of a marsh in Lancashire, which he called Port Sunlight, Lever found himself with the opportunity of buying the entire Hebridean island of Lewis (and later its neighbour, Harris), the economy of which he believed he could revolutionise.

As long, of course, as the people of Lewis did what he wanted and, for a number of reasons, they were not inclined to do so. Lever had bought the island but he'd inherited a bunch of historic issues around land ownership, as previous lairds had spent money on deer and grouse while the island's inhabitants wanted land for crofting. All of this was happening around the time of World War I and the returning servicemen were even less likely to go along with what Lever was proposing.

All in all, I found 'The Soap Man' an interesting example of that old adage about the irresistible force and the immovable object, with Lever as a man who was unable to see that he was half the author of his own problems with the people whose lives he wanted to up-end.
One person found this helpful
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Alistair MacNeill
5.0 out of 5 stars Important aspect of island history.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 1, 2020
Verified Purchase
I enjoyed this account of an important period in the history of Lewis and Harris. I learned a lot about the events and how they affected the population of these islands in the crucial years after World War One.
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Debbie
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant bargain.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 6, 2016
Verified Purchase
Fascinating account of Leverhulme's ill-fated attempt to buy the people of Lewis. And great value at 1p & P&P!
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Bob
3.0 out of 5 stars Soap still on your face.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 30, 2013
Verified Purchase
I am struggling to get this going. So far it seems very much a list of events in history with a loose thread in. I'm only about a fifth in so time will tell.
I read The King of Sunlight, and wanted a bit more about the man.
I will possibly put it one side for a while, finish the other two I have going then read it by itself perhaps there is too much in it to be dipping back and to.
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