This a very readable narrative of a momentous episode in British history. Former studies of this topic concentrate upon events in Scotland, but England's war with Robert Bruce profoundly affected the whole of the British Isles. Biographies have appeared of the various leading personalities involved, but no one has hitherto attempted to link up the various theatres of war in a comprehensive study. The effects of the Bruce wars outside Scotland have never before been systematically examined; and the attempt to establish a 'pan-celtic alliance' deserves its reassessment. The emphasis on the wider implications of the war is justified by the fact that the vast bulk of the archive material relating to the war emanates from the English royal government which was unable to operate in Scotland from 1311. - Back cover.