The Admiral

by Nigel Tranter

A humble laird from Largoshire, Andrew Wood's determination to avenge his father's murder by English pirates, led to his national renown as a pirate-slayer. This brought him to the attention of King James III, who asked Wood to build up a number of captured vessels to form the nucleus of a national fleet. Such was his success, that the King eventually promoted him to become Baron of Largo and Lord High Admiral of Scotland. Admiral Wood's bold defence of Scottish waters against the marauding English privateers was to incur the wrath of King Henry VII of England. Wood was now in great danger - but he survived to become Scotland's most famous sailor, and a skilled negotiator who greatly aided his nation's cause at a time of international unrest.

'One of Scotland's most prolific and respected writers' The Times
'He has an amazingly broad grip of Scottish history' Daily Telegraph
'An accomplished writer of compelling and unforgettable historical novels' She magazine
'Through his imaginative dialogue, he provides a voice for Scotland's heroes' Scotland on Sunday
'Tranter's popularity lies in his knack of making historical events immediate and exciting' Historical Novels Review

Nigel Tranter, who wrote over ninety novels on Scottish history, was one of Scotland's best-loved writers. He died on 9th January 2000 at the age of ninety.