Macbeth: A True Story

3.5 stars

I can't quite bring myself to call this a biography, not when you find yourself halfway through the book and Mac Bethad mac Findlaich (Macbeth) hasn't even been born yet. However, that doesn't mean it's not a worthwhile read. Watson supplies a lot of political, religious and cultural background information leading up to Macbeth's reign from 1040 - 1057. Reality is nothing like the Scottish Play as it turns out and even though Macbeth is one of those people we simply don't know that much about (so there is a lot of "perhaps" and "maybe"), the author manages to pull together a picture of a fascinating period in Scottish history.

This could have been a good book. Fiona Watson sets out to show that the real Macbeth was nothing like the Macbeth of the literary legend flowing from Shakespeare's play. She provides the known facts of Macbeth's life, and puts them in the context of the period. She shows that Macbeth was a king of his era, no better and no worse than his fellow kings of the 11th century. The problem is that she has a limited capacity to present the information for a general reader. Too often the detail is provided with limited success in building the general reader's knowledge. The process is exacerbated by the lack of maps to better illustrate areas of action and areas of control. One map is provided, but it lacks most of the place names used in the show more text, and makes no attempt to show the changes over time of the areas under control of the various kings.
At then end, the author provides a summary of the later re-writings of Macbeth's life, and some of the reasons he was vilified to fit later sensibilities governing succession - which were not in place at the time.
So, almost a good book. Interesting to read, but slightly frustrating. Read October 2012. show less

Excellent book. The author brings to life the historical MacBeth, how he managed to have a peaceful and prosperous reign, went on a pilgramage to Rome with his queen, and how his people mourned his death. He is the only Scottish monarch to make such a pilgramage and his successors were too busy putting down revolts to contemplate it. Shakespeare's creature came to be long after MacBeth's Canmore successors' line itself was extinct.