In the wake of the Battle of Flodden

Scotland was ruled in name only. The boy king, James V was at the mercy of ambitious rival factions, and beyond them, the ever-watchful, looming presence of Henry VIII of England.

Escaping from the clutches of the power-hungry Earl of Angus, his most effective guides were to be two old friends, David Lindsay and David Beaton. But, impetuous and hot-blooded, James was more interested in wine and women than affairs of state, and his royal advisers faced a mighty task as they helped the king attain his regal status in a land full of treachery and danger.

“Through his imaginative dialogue, he provides a voice for Scotland’s heroes” Scotland on Sunday