The Last Highlander

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER PERFECT FOR FANS OF OUTLANDERThe true story of one of Scotland’s most notorious and romantic heroes.

He was a spy, a clan-chief, a traitor. A polyglot, a deserter and a man of philosophy.

Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat, was the last of the great Scottish chiefs – and the last nobleman executed for treason. In life, his wit, ambition and dubious sense of morality kept him in the thick of political intrigue. With a taste for risk and determined to make his fortune, Lovat made pacts with Catholics and Protestants, Scots and Englishmen.

Lovat found his famous end a turncoat and a martyr: he threw himself in with the ‘45 rebellion and fought for Prince Charles against the crown. His execution in Tower Hill, at the age of 80, was the last of its kind.

Lovat was one of Scotland’s most notorious and romantic figures: a man whose loyalty had no home, whose sword had a price. This is the swashbuckling account of his life, and a brilliant portrayal of nation in revolt.

“"Sarah Fraser, who married into the modern Lovat tribe, tells the story of the Old Fox with notable panache…There was nothing in his character or history to admire, but there was still a grandeur to his villainy, one that makes delightful bedside reading for a posterity spared from having to live with him" - Max Hastings, SUNDAY TIMES "This superb biography shows [Lord Lovat's life] to have been akin to a John Buchan adventure story" - MAIL ON SUNDAY "In this colourful, entertaining biography, Sarah Fraser…does not attempt to excuse Lord Lovat's personal faults or political chicanery but, rather, [presents] him amply in a complex historical context" - THE TIMES "Fraser treats Lovat with sympathy and understanding. Whatever his faults, he was a remarkable man and a considerable figure, worthy of some respect and even inviting affection. Her picture of Highland society is excellent and the story she has to tell is gripping. Much of it reads like a good historical novel" - Allan Massie, LITERARY REVIEW "Sarah Fraser deserves to be acclaimed as a notable biographer…This brave and meaty book tells this remarkable tale with admirable patience, industry and understanding" - SPECTATOR”

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Saltire First Scottish Book of the Year 2012

‘Sarah Fraser tells the story of the “Old Fox” with notable panache … Makes delightful bedside reading for a posterity spared from having to live with him’ Max Hastings, Sunday Times

‘Superb … akin to a John Buchan adventure story’ Mail on Sunday

‘In this colourful, entertaining biography, Sarah Fraser does not attempt to excuse Lord Lovat’s personal faults or political chicanery but, rather, [presents] him amply in a complex historical context’ The Times

‘Sarah Fraser deserves to be acclaimed as a notable biographer … This is a brave and meaty book tells this remarkable tale with admirable patience, industry and understanding’ Spectator

‘A vivid and fascinating biography of a quirky aristocrat’ Evening Standard

‘Irresistibly romantic biography’ Sunday Telegraph

In 2002 Sarah Fraser and her family moved to a ramshackle Italian farmhouse in Tuscany with dreams of self-sufficiency and a more ‘down-to-earth’ lifestyle. Seven years and three TV series later (UK Channel 4’s 'No Going Back', 'A Year in Tuscany' and 'The Great Italian Escape'), Sarah has amassed a wealth of knowledge about cultivating Italian produce and what you can do with it.

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER PERFECT FOR FANS OF OUTLANDER The true story of one of Scotland's most notorious and romantic heroes. He was a spy, a clan-chief, a traitor. A polyglot, a deserter and a man of philosophy. Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat, was the last of the great Scottish chiefs - and the last nobleman executed for treason. In life, his wit, ambition and dubious sense of morality kept him in the thick of political intrigue. With a taste for risk and determined to make his fortune, Lovat made pacts with Catholics and Protestants, Scots and Englishmen. Lovat found his famous end a turncoat and a martyr: he threw himself in with the '45 rebellion and fought for Prince Charles against the crown. His execution in Tower Hill, at the age of 80, was the last of its kind. Lovat was one of Scotland's most notorious and romantic figures: a man whose loyalty had no home, whose sword had a price. This is the swashbuckling account of his life, and a brilliant portrayal of nation in revolt.

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