Historical Nonfiction

This painting, supposedly from life, is of Robert the Bruce and his second wife Elizabeth de Burgh. Bruce was born in 1274, and was a few years younger than William Wallace. He emerged as a real Scottish hero after Wallace was executed, fighting the English in his place. He adopted Wallace’s guerilla strategy, winning back territory, village by village, town by town, until his final victory at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. Contrary to what is shown in the plot of Braveheart, Bruce prepared well for this battle and deliberately drew the English Army to him. He is also the origin of the phrase “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again!” which was inspired by a spider climbing on a cave wall. No, I did not make that up.

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