Books published by Birlinn General

Let your children discover all of the most iconic Scottish animals with this remarkable magic painting book! Discover the majestic red deer, playful otter and the amazing Highland cow with the magic paint brush! Go on a journey through all the animals, big and small, in this exquisite and stimulating book that will entertain children of all ages.

The biography of golf's first true superstar who revolutionised the game, despite his tragic death at just 24 years of age.

Cassius X is the remarkable story of the transformation of Cassius Clay into global icon Muhammad Ali, pivoting on the year that he converted to Islam under the guidance of Malcolm X and prepared for his title fight against ex-convict Sonny Liston.

On 13 October 1939, HMS Royal Oak, one of the British navy's top battleships, was destroyed at the Royal Navy's main anchorage at Scapa Flow. This book is a revealing account of the tragedy, told through declassified photographs and naval records, as well as statements from survivors.

Pipers takes the reader inside the world of the performer community of Scottish piping, introducing the instrument itself and the various different repertories.

The Bruces of fourteenth-century Scotland were formidable and enthusiastic warriors. Packed with detail and written with a strong and involving narrative thread, this is the first book to link up the various theatres of war and discuss the effect of the wars of the Bruces outside Scotland.

The story of tea is extraordinary - it caused wars, boosted the trade in slaves and hard drugs, and it's no exaggeration to say it was one of the great engines that drove the globalisation of the world economy. In this book award-winning author Les Wilson tells the dramatic and colourful story of how Scots brought tea to Britain and made it our national drink.

Voted Culture NL's Book of the Year for 2020

A perfect summer read for crime fans, this thriller is set on Spain's Costa Blanca with a colourful cast of double-crossing characters. It's a criminally good cocktail of sun, crime, escapism and dark humour.

Bramble the cow lives on an old farm where she has lots of friends. But she has a problem - she hates loud noises! She doesn't like the buzzing of bees, or the sound of the wind during a storm, or the farmer's combine harvester. And she doesn't like the rain. One night, after a heavy storm, the river floods.

Nothing saves you from the savage bloodthirst of the Highland midge, scourge of Scotland and the tourist industry's guilty secret. Such a small creature can do little harm in isolation, but with an unusual life cycle that produces two generations every season, the millions of resulting midges bring devastation to the skin of man and beast.

An insightful celebration of the endangered pine martens of the Scottish Highlands. Features a foreword from acclaimed conservationist John Lister-Kaye.

The latest book in Birlinn's acclaimed series of historical guides; an up-to-date, authoritative and accessible introduction to the built heritage of the Outer Hebrides

Pocket-sized guides to aspects of Scotland's vibrant and distinctive culinary culture, featuring black-and-white drawings throughout.

Scotland has one of the best-maintained records and facilities of any country in the world for undertaking family research. This book details internet developments, including a chapter on family history on the web. It also points to traditional resources, explaining step by step how to research records of births, marriages and wills.

Arranged chronologically and spanning a period of around four centuries, Celtic Saints peers back through legend to present concise accounts of the lives of Celtic Christianity's key figures. This lovely collection comes beautifully presented, with gold foil and embossing on the cover and line illustrations throughout.

This compilation of over 50 blessings and prayers contains some of the most moving and beautiful religious verse ever produced. It is a beautiful, inspiring and consoling selection of blessings which are as relevant to life in the 21st century as they were in the Dark Ages.

This anthology of poems selected by Alexander McCall Smith and accompanied by epigraphs written by McCall Smith explores Scottish life through some of its most notable poetry. Selections are grouped into themes, such as Islands, Love and Marriage, and War and Conflict.