The Bloody History of Clan Gordon - Digital Edition

Fifteen conflicts. Three centuries of warfare. One of Scotland's most powerful families caught between kings, rebellion, religion and survival.

The Bloody History of Clan Gordon: Fifteen Conflicts from Brechin to Culloden follows the Gordons through some of the most turbulent moments in Scottish history, from the Battle of Brechin in 1452 to the shattered Jacobite army at Culloden in 1746.

This is not simply a collection of battlefield stories. It is the story of how the Gordon family rose through royal service, challenged the authority of the Crown, fought bitter regional rivals, became divided during Scotland's civil wars and eventually found Gordon-associated forces marching for the Jacobite cause.

Meet Alexander Gordon, Earl of Huntly, as he confronts the powerful Earl of Crawford at Brechin. Follow George Gordon into battle against the English at Haddon Rig and Pinkie. Witness the dramatic collapse of Huntly's power at Corrichie, Adam Gordon of Auchindoun's brutal campaigns against the Forbes interest, and the remarkable Gordon victory at Glenlivet.

The story continues into the seventeenth century, when the Gordons became deeply entangled in the Covenanting crisis and the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Discover the family divisions surrounding Montrose, the fighting at Aberdeen, the crucial Gordon cavalry at Auldearn and Alford, and the final desperate resistance of the second Marquess of Huntly.

Then enter the age of Jacobitism. Follow Gordon forces at Sheriffmuir in 1715, Lord Lewis Gordon's northern campaign during the Rising of 1745, the victory at Inverurie and, finally, the disaster on Drummossie Moor at Culloden.

Inside the book you'll discover:

• The Battle of Brechin and the rise of Gordon power
• The Gordons against England at Haddon Rig and Pinkie
• The downfall of the fourth Earl of Huntly at Corrichie
• The violent Gordon–Forbes struggles of 1571
• The dramatic Battle of Glenlivet
• Huntly's confrontation with the Covenanters
• Gordon involvement in Montrose's campaigns
• The battles of Aberdeen, Auldearn and Alford
• Huntly's final Royalist rising and execution
• Gordon participation in the Jacobite Rising of 1715
• Lord Lewis Gordon's northern campaign of 1745
• The Battle of Inverurie
• Gordon-associated regiments at Culloden
• The political, religious and family divisions behind the fighting
• The difference between documented history and later clan legend

Rather than presenting Clan Gordon as a single united military force, this book follows the individual leaders, branches, officers and associated troops who actually took part. At different moments Gordons fought for the Crown, against royal authority and even on opposing sides of the same civil war.

The result is a more complex and compelling picture of clan warfare—one shaped by ambition, loyalty, religion, rivalry, political survival and the harsh realities faced by the ordinary people drawn into the conflicts of Scotland's powerful noble families.

Illustrated with fifteen pencil-style interpretive reconstructions and supported by extensive historical notes and further reading, The Bloody History of Clan Gordon is ideal for readers interested in Scottish clans, military history, Jacobite history, the Scottish Highlands and the violent struggles that shaped Scotland.

A powerful addition to any Scottish history or Clan Gordon collection.

Digital Edition: Available in EPUB, KPF and PDF formats.