The Curse of Donald Bane

This is the first play I wrote, in the early 1980s. I have been able to use the lock-down to get it typed up neatly and published on Kindle. Here is the link to it.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08BQ5RLQT/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=The+Curse+of+Donald+Bane&qid=1592986527&sr=8-1

The play was written as part of teaching, for a Primary 7 class, so do not expect an adult treatment. But I do not believe in writing down for children, so it is not “childish”, however you may define that. Because we were making use of a lot of classroom time, and I was not yet Head of Department to do whatever I would, the play covers a lot of medieval history. The feudal system, outlawry, monastic reform, Scottish power politics of the twelfth century, Norman influence, royal government and the founding of the Royal Burgh of Edinburgh are all part of the story.

So anxious was I that the play could be used to teach a little medieval history, there are footnotes – sometimes extracts from primary sources – showing how the various events are closely based on historical record. It also makes clear which characters are invented by me and which ones definitely existed.

In those days our school was all boys (except for the Sixth Form) and in any case books about the twelfth century in those days did not deal enough with women. So the characters are all male. This does not, of course, prevent girls enjoying it, or taking part in it if you want to arrange a read-though. Half the point of acting is that you play someone different from the person you really are.

I realised, while typing it up, that the story of one boy coping with rapid changes in his society is a treatment that owes something to my childhood reading of Rosemary Sutcliff. I see nothing to be ashamed of in that; rather the reverse. The target audience originally was parents. I suppose the target readership is ages 9-12. But unless you are reasonably well up on the reign of David I it is likely to contain some Scottish history that is new to you.

Everyone who knows Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” will remember Donalbain, the younger brother of Malcolm who says “To Ireland I” and disappears from the play.  He is the Donald Bane of the title. I have seen his name spelled Donald Bain and Donald Ban. I am sure that Gaelic speakers may dispute all these spellings. All I can do is refer you to the introduction to “The Seven Pillars of Wisdom” by T.E. Lawrence where he challenges those who criticise his transliterations of Arabic names.  

Suggested reading for young (11-14) historians

There was a tweet the other day asking for recommendations of reading for a Year 8 pupil who has an interest in history that might be developed, encouraging future study. As it happens this is a subject very close to my heart, so rather than suggest a few titles I thought I would write a blog-post about it. If it helps anyone – great. If it doesn’t there is no harm done.

When I was head of a history department one of the things I set up for our three youngest years (P7, S1 and S2; I think that is Years 7,8 and 9 in England) was a History Reading Book Scheme. All the pupils were encouraged (and a fair amount of official time was provided) to have a History Reading Book. I used to say to classes: “The most important rule is that you must enjoy it. You are forbidden to read a book you don’t like”. This was reinforced by the occasional prep, cover lessons when I was away, ten minutes at the start of a lesson, something for the fast workers while the steadier ones caught up. I have no doubt it worked – not, maybe for improving league table performance (who cares?) but for education. Once a year there was some sort of written work based on what they had read.

To provide these pupils with books I had three routes.

          The school library. I made a list of books I thought they might enjoy.        

      Our own shelves. I lived in a city rich in charity shops, so it was easy to nip out and come back with a sack of children’s books for very little money.     

          “Choose your own. Ask me if it will be OK.”

Three big problems with recommending history reading were usually avoided by this “Free choice, but you must enjoy it” approach.

(    1.     The wide disparity in reading ages and reading abilities. Some 13 year-olds are enjoying Dickens. Some are slowly working though the Famous Five.

      2. The wide range of taste, both in children and adults. Some prefer colourful, imaginative history. Some prefer unadorned fact. Both can be good; both can be off-putting for those who don’t like them.

(     3.  Political correctness. It is almost impossible to read a book that was written more than 100 years ago without encountering snobbery, sexism, racism, imperialism etc that would rightly be unacceptable today. If the book is old, I think that is OK. Part of growing up as a historian is becoming aware that people in the past might well be intelligent and public spirited by any measure, but nevertheless had views we find wrong. With recent books it is more tricky. I hope I would steer children way from recent books that avowed the opinions listed above – but what about nationalism, creationism, sexual freedom? I don’t know your views on these; you don’t know mine. At some point you have to let go and let children read and think for themselves; with younger children you do want to shape their thinking and protect them from the opinions you find bad.

So far so good. That was my method at school and, I think, with my own children. What about specific titles?

Here I cannot help but be autobiographical. You will find my suggestions limited and lacking for two reasons. One is that I am very old (officially “vulnerable”) so many of my suggestions come from previous generations. Secondly, when I retired ten years ago I left all my “reading books” and lists at school, so I may not remember titles and authors.  However: here goes.

No historian reads historical novels to learn history. But for the child they can be a stimulating way in to the past. The correct thing is to say: “I liked that book. I wonder what really happened” – and then go on to study the history. This studying of the history may take a life-time, but that, remember, was the point of the original question. I am currently enjoying reading “The Midnight Folk” (John Masefield) and “Merlin’s Magic” (Helen Clare) with my grandchildren. They are for younger readers than we have in mind here, but they are both very good books, stuffed with history as well as fantasy. A book like Rosemary Sutcliff’s “The Shield Ring” is a very fine book – but the mixture of accurate history and invention in the plot is inextricable for a child reader; but what an inspiration to delve deeper into the Norman Conquest and into the Viking world. “The Silver Sword” (Ian Serrallier) is very good indeed – but how many real stories like that in the War did not end happily?

 I still enjoy C S Forester’s “Hornblower” books that I enjoyed when I was about 12/13. For history other than ship-board life, “Hornblower and the Atropos” and “The Commodore” are good. Incidentally, on the question of “attitudes”, “Lord Hornblower”, written in 1945, pulls no punches on the horror of war. He has to shoot an innocent man for military necessity, his best friend is killed as a result of Hornblower’s plan, his marriage is on the rocks and his lover is shot as part of the resistance. 

“Kidnapped” (R L Stevenson) is universally admired, and rightly so. “Catriona” (the sequel) is less often read but has more about eighteenth century Scottish politics. Walter Scott (who perhaps invented the historical novel) is very good indeed. But I do think it is a mistake to read his works too young. One misses the wit, the subtlety, the deep thought. Even “Ivanhoe”, which is famous for swashbuckling adventure, has much more to it than that. Parts are very funny, and the chief character is a young woman Jewish doctor. School children who are told they will enjoy it because of the jousting and sieges probably miss all this. But some people become “adult readers” at 15 or 16. One can’t make hard and fast rules about book choices.

And for goodness sake choose your own. Libraries. Charity shops. Books on your parents’ shelves. Whether you like swashbuckling, or bodice-ripping, or heart searching, short stories or massive tomes – there’s plenty out there. Just always remember: even the best of them are novels, not history. If you spend the rest of your life studying the history, that’s good.

A slightly different sort of novel that is good for young historians is a one which happens to have been written in the past and so illuminates a past age. These are the ones that are more than probably “politically incorrect”, but note the date of first publication and absorb the social history. A school story such as “The Otterbury Incident” (1948) is set in a vanished world. So are the Sherlock Holmes stories. Try “The Sign of Four” or “The Valley of Fear” if you want historical general knowledge. Kipling’s “Stalky and Co” was much criticised when it came out because it describes his school days (exaggerated no doubt for the novel) too accurately; the brutality of the boys leaves us gasping.  At the ages we are talking about (11-14) some children will definitely be moving on to adult books. All good books are worth reading: but whether it is Jane Austen, Evelyn Waugh, Daniel Defoe or Ernest Hemingway, notice the date it was written and so build up historical knowledge and interest.

What about actual history books? The same points apply, of course. Let the reader choose – and don’t discourage the selection of chapters. Historians rarely begin at page one, read steadily to the end and then stop. I used to do that when reviewing books - I felt I owed it to the writer – but rarely when studying a subject for teaching. As for actual titles: well, in my “Reading book Scheme” the many volumes of “Horrible History” were rightly popular with the weaker readers. A few school text books can be read for pleasure. I recall a German pupil on exchange whose father borrowed the text book we used on Germany 1918-1945 and read it with great interest and pleasure. But I have retired too long to remember title or author.  Biographies should be readable – if they aren’t, give up by page 25. So should social history – preferably well illustrated these days. “The Long Weekend” by Robert Graves and Alan Hodge is one example of many. Autobiographies and memoirs, too. I recall an S2 pupil reading Grave’s’ “Goodbye to all that” over one weekend. The same rules apply: get into the habit of using a good library (easier for those of us who live in big cities, I admit) and do not hesitate to give up a book you find dull. There are plenty more to choose from.

This has gone on too long. What books did I like at that age that stimulated a life in history? I have heard notable historians who remembered reading Gibbon or Herodotus at that age. Good for them. This was not me – but if it is you, go for it.

“The Defeat of the Spanish Armada” by Garrett Mattingley.

“The Compleat Angler” by Isaac Walton

“The Valley of Fear” by A Conan Doyle

“A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens

“Mr Standfast” by John Buchan

“Captain’s Courageous” by Rudyard Kipling

“Put Out More Flags” by Evelyn Waugh

“My Family and Other Animals” by Gerald DurrelI

There was also local history. The London I grew up in was marked with bomb sites. The Lake District I loved dearly. Books about the local history of both these places provided many books.

I can’t properly remember. I do remember the explosion of adult history books as soon as I got into the Lower Sixth and one had time to immerse oneself, and was reading a bit faster.

For the modern child, for goodness sake, do not neglect TV documentaries. No doubt they vary in quality, and should be watched critically just as books should be read critically. But many of them are excellent; certainly as a way in to a subject. At this moment “A House through time” (David Olusoga) is as good as could be. What about a subscription to Historic Scotland (or the English equivalent)? Museums, of course….

Enough. I am stopping. Goodness I am old fashioned. But I do think the general principles are sound even for 2020.