A Folly of Princes
A Folly of Princes, Nigel Tranter’s novel (the second book in his Stewart trilogy), offers a look into the early 14th century Scotland. It tells us about the founding of the Stewart dynasty, and the events of the subject book start exactly with the coronation of Robert III, second Stewart King.
Robert III is a learned and kind man, but no more apt to rule a kingdom than a kitten. The one who really has a say in state matters is his brother, the Earl of Fife and Menteith. But that one is a stern, ruthless man, and not everyone likes him - least of all Prince David, the lawful heir to the throne. The two start a struggle for power, in which only one of them can survive. The story is told from the point of view of Jamie Douglas (an illegitimate son of James, Earl of Dalkeith), who takes the side of the young and spirited David. Unfortunately, the light-hearted Prince makes enemies too easily, and the serious-minded Jamie will not always be there to save the situation.
Although the political situation described in the novel might seem somewhat tangled, A Folly of Princes is one of the most exciting books by Nigel Tranter. The historical events are organised so as to accentuate those of importance and skip, or retell briefly, that which is of secondary value to the story.
Without any doubt, the most unforgettable scene is that of the battle of Homildon Hill- as Tranter says, the worst defeat Scotland suffered in centuries. (I think what follows may be considered a spoiler… though that’s part of history. Well.) It takes place close to the end of the book. To tell the truth, I forgot it that it was only the second part of the trilogy, that the hero must necessarily survive - all that went completely out of my head, as I was expecting the terrible fulfillment of the Doom that seemed inevitable! You don’t have to be a war strategist to see how the battle went wrong before it even began; and Nigel Tranter makes it really heart-rending when he describes Jamie’s desperate efforts to put a stop to his commanders’ follies, to make them see sense - all to realise that he is unable to stop the tide and is forced to witness disaster. You can hardly believe it when he manages to save some of his people, and then there comes another shock when Jamie is proclaimed traitor for it! In that respect, A Folly of Princes is greatly moving. The moments of emotional tension are only comparable to those in the Robert Bruce trilogy (great books, those). It’s such a pity that the next book isn’t available at the local library!