James Alexander Mackay

Chronicles the life of Sir William Wallace and attempts to separate the myths and legends that surround him from the reality of his life.

Brave Heart

William Wallace

James Mackay has stripped away much of the myth and the distortions that have characterised many accounts of the life of Mary Queen of Scots, to produce a timely biography in keeping with the current move towards Scottish devolution.

A Life of Mary Queen of Scots

In My End is My Beginning

A Biography of Robert Burns

Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922) was the son of Melville Bell, inventor of the Visible Speech which revolutionised phonetics and linguistics. He was inspired by his deaf mother to try to communicate with deaf-mutes and teach them to speak. While exploring the mechanism of speech, sound and hearing, he discovered the principles of the telephone, arguably the most important invention of all time, without which the gramophone, radio, television and videophone could not have been possible. The telephone made him wealthy, but Bell went on to invent the iron lung, pioneer aircraft, improve the breeding of sheep and co-found the National Geographic Society. This superb biography follows Bell from his birthplace in Edinburgh to his studies and teaching in London and Europe and thence to riches and fame in the United States of Canada. Set against the colourful backdrop of Victorian Britain and the exhilaration of the New World, Sounds Out of Silence is the definitive story of one of the world's greatest inventors.

A Life of Alexander Graham Bell

Sounds Out of Silence

Originally published in 1992 by Mainstream Publishing Company (Edinburgh) Ltd.

Burns

Thomas Lipton was born in the Gorbals, and by the age of 15 had emigrated to America. He returned to Scotland with his head full of retail ideas. This book explores his life, sportsmanship, philanthropy, and success as a businessman as he opened shop after shop in Scotland and England.

A Life of Sir Thomas Lipton

The Man who Invented Himself

This is the biography of Glaswegian Allan Pinkerton, who went to America and founded a nationwide police system more than half a century before the FBI was thought of, and a global network of agents which anticipated Interpol by many years. Pinkerton's powers of observation enabled him to solve many cases, initally as a deputy sheriff, then as a detective in the Chicago Police and latterly as principal of the North West detective agency, now known simply as Pinkerton's. This book contains accounts of many of his greatest cases.

James Alexander Mackay

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