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The death of the Scottish king Alexander III on 18 March 1286 plunged his kingdom into uncertainty, as the Scots faced first the prospect of a small child as queen and then, on her death, competing claims to the throne by distant heirs, descendants of the twelfth-century king David I. Faced with these difficulties, the earls, barons and ecclesiastical leaders of Scotland chose a group of representatives, the 'Guardians', to govern the country and act on behalf of the community of the realm. The succession dispute was exploited by Edward I of England, keen to exercise overlordship over the Scots. Resistance by the community of the realm and the Guardians led to war, in which William Wallace played a notable role 1297-1305. This book, which is based on a critical re-evaluation of the surviving evidence, tells the story of how the Scots responded to Edward's attempts at conquest and how, beginning with his daring coronation in 1306, Robert Bruce claimed the throne, fended off attempts by Edward I to capture him, defeated his enemies in Scotland, won over supporters and established his position, defeating Edward II at Bannockburn in 1314. The political role of the Scottish aristocracy in Scotland's wars of independence, relations between 'Celtic' and 'Anglo-Norman', highland and lowland Scotland are key themes in this book; so too is the significant part played by Scottish church leaders in government and also in drafting the documents setting out Scotland's case to an international audience.
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