The Bruce

About the book

"The Bruce" by John Barbour is a narrative poem written around 1375 in Early Scots. Spanning nearly 14,000 lines, it chronicles Robert the Bruce and Sir James Douglas during the Scottish Wars of Independence, from England's 1296 invasion through Scotland's restoration after the 1328 treaty. The poem celebrates freedom as a "noble thing" and features a masterful account of the Battle of Bannockburn. While containing some historical liberties, it stands as a cornerstone of Scotland's national story and influenced later writers including Robert Burns and Walter Scott.