The Bruce

The Bruce by John Barbour, translated by Archibald AH Douglas, 476 pages

John Barbour is the Homer of Scottish poetry, and his masterpiece is this epic retelling of the adventures of Robert the Bruce during his fight for Scottish independence and succeeding reign as King.  Unlike Homer, Barbour was only a generation removed from the events he chronicled, and his work is apparently considered a valuable historical resource.  It is as poetry, however, that it stands or falls, and its excellence makes its relative obscurity difficult to understand.  In his introduction, translator Douglas suggests that the lack of a verse translation into modern English is largely to blame, and if this is the case hopefully another half century will see its rediscovery.