I confess that I am a big Jack Whyte fan. He makes history fun as his writing is smooth and flowing. He makes you live the origin of the tensions between the Scots and Brit that exists today, witness the Scottish Independence Movement. Little did I know that William Wallace was the original Robin Hood. I can not wait for the next novel.

First, this is NOT a novelization of the movie "Braveheart". Where the movie focused largely on the mythology of William Wallace, this book offers a much more historically balanced presentation. At the same time, it is a fictionalized account and not a text book. Whyte has walked this line very carefully, however, with other myth-historical characters (King Arthur, the Knights Templar) and managed to pull off riviting stories that also manage to teach you a thing or two about the period, the politics and the religions that shaped the people. Whyte's characters are believable because of their very humanity...their fragility...and so the story clips along at an amazing pace and you never reach a moment where you sit back and think "As if.." or "Yeah, right". William Wallace is not a superhero in the comic book sense, but rather a man who is pushed to the brink by events and actions outside of his ken. He fails, at times. And ultimately, we know how the story ends (no spoiler alert here), so we know he remains human. A warning to the people who want a quick read, however. While Whyte works wonders with words, he also tries to write very complete stories. Thus, this book is only Volume One (700-ish pages) of what is likely to be a 3-part series. Luckily for those of us who like his writing, Whyte is still very active in his writing and so you won't find yourself waiting 5 years or more for the next volume (unlike one author I know to whom my family and friends are addicted). PS The US book cover is way too Harlequin Romance for my liking and should not be taken to indicate the type of story you'll find inside."

The untold story of "Braveheart" from the time when he was an 11year old boy. Excellent, fast paced and difficult to put down.