This is a nonfiction piece covering the history of Queen Margaret (St. Margaret) of Scotland. Linked to the history of MacBeth and the Norman conquest, this is a sometimes dry but always informative and engrossing read.

As one with Scottish roots myself I find the idea of St. Margaret as an unknown and new discovery to be amusing. Margaret and Malcolm Camore’s reign was considered a golden age for Scotland even now, nearly one thousand years later. This is a very brief history of the well-educated and exiled Saxon princess and her marriage to the older Scottish King.

This is a short piece and so cannot go into much detail, but as introduction or bluffer’s guide it is excellent, touching on many of the histories and some of the folk myth about the Queen. Those with an interest in Scotland, or ruling Queens and powerful women in history, will find this book a useful reference and introduction.

However only 60% or so of the book is this text. The rest is a long list of children’s books with purchase links, which all go to .com and so are not much use in the UK.