The Bruce Trilogy 1: The Steps to the Empty Throne

This trilogy tells the story of Robert the Bruce and how, tutored and encouraged by the heroic William Wallace,he determined to continue the fight for an independent Scotland, sustained by a passionate love for his land. Nigel Tranter succeeds admirably in bringing the story of Robert I - Scotland's greatest King - to life. Not only is his historical research near flawless, but the book is graced by that indisputable mark of a great story teller the reader is wholly absorbed into the world of the Bruce and his friends. Tranter also manages to draw a whole mixture of feelings from his readers - love, hatred, admiration and even that strange mixture of respect and disgust for Edward I that Bruce himself is said to have harbored. Nigel Tranter he is one of Scotland's most prolific and respected writers. He has an amazingly broad grip of Scottish history' ? He is an accomplished writer of compelling and unforgettable historical novels' With his imaginative dialogue, he provides a voice for Scotland's heroes Scotland 'Tranter's popularity lies in his knack of making historical events immediate and exciting. These audio books are very amazing story tale with nice pace of thoughts and free flow of story line. This audio book is nice story telling style. I was most certainly not disappointed.

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7 people found this helpful

Fantastic trilogy!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Definitely - this is an excellent account of the life of Robert the Bruce. While it is classed as fiction, it is a very accurate account of what happened during the Scottish Wars of Independence. This version is abridged, but is still contains all the key elements from the written books, and it is excellently read by Michael Elder.

Who was your favorite character and why?

My two favourite character is Robert the Bruce, who led the most amazing life. He had everything but the crown of Scotland, which he took by murdering his rival because he feared for his life. He then lost everything - most of his brothers were executed, his wife, child and sisters were imprisoned. He went on the run, hunted and in desperate need of help, while he developed a system of guerilla warfare that eventually led to him winning back his kingdom. There is no more inspiring story than that of Robert the Bruce, of a man who went from being hunted through the Scottish hills to being the king who led his people to victory at the battle of Bannockburn. This is a fantastic story.

And the book is full of other inspirational characters such as the Black Douglas, William Wallace, Robert the Bruce's grandfather (Robert the Noble).

Which character – as performed by Michael Elder – was your favourite?

Robert the Bruce was definitely my favourite character as read by Michael Elder. In history books, Robert can seem a little one-dimensional, but Nigel Tranter wrote his books to show Robert as a man, as a noble warrior and as a king. The combination of Nigel Tranter's descriptions of Robert and Michael Elder's reading of the book really bring Robert the Bruce and a host of other characters to life. This is not history from a history book, but a rousing tale of wars, battles, legends, and heroic men and women.

Any additional comments?

Robert the Bruce had a most amazing life, and these books are a very accessible way of reading about that life.

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1 person found this helpful

great story but why the music and sound effects?

great book but irritating music between chapters and sound effect. not needed at all and spoils it

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1 person found this helpful

The Bruce!!!

Struggled to read the books ,so glad to have it narrated. It's an expensive way of doing it but can't wait for next book

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