William Wallace (28)

1. Which English king wanted to conquer Scotland?

It was Edward I 1239-1307, king from 1272, who wanted to conquer Scotland. (He actually conquered Wales).

2. From which town did Wallace drive the English?

Wallace was able to drive the English out of Strirling in 1297, following the Battle of Stirling Bridge.

3. How did the English capture William Wallace?

Wallae appears to have been betrayed by a fellow Scot (John de Menteith) who revealed that Wallace was hiding in a wood.

Sir William Wallace c 1270-1305) was a Scottish knight of the minor nobility who became one of the main leaders during the First War of Scottish Independence. Along with Andrew Moray, he defeated an English army at the Battle of Stirling Bridge September 1297. He was appointed Guardian of Scotland and served until his defeat at the Battle of Falkirk July 1298. In August 1305, he was captured in Robroyston, near Glasgow, and handed over to King Edward I, who had him hanged, drawn and quartered for high treason and crimes against English civilians.

Since his death, Wallace has obtained a legendary status beyond his homeland. He is the protagonist of Blind Harry's 15th-century epic poem The Wallace and the subject of literary works by Jane Porter and Sir Walter Scott and, most famously, the Academy Award-winning but historically unreliable film Braveheart, starring Mel Gibson.

A modern equivalent for adults

Gimson's Heroes is a book of fifty biographies of British heroes. Days of Glory is more expansive and includes incidents as well as biographies. However, in four instances the subject is exactly the same, namely

King Alfred the Great

Robert Bruce

Sir Walter Raleigh

Lord Shaftesbury

Also, Harold, Drake and Nelson are featured in both books, DoG having chapters on Hastings, the Armada and Trafalgar.

It is a surprise, now I reflect, that DofG doesn't have something on Florence Nightingale or David Livingstone but see Days of Adventure.

One book is for children in the sixties and the other for adults today but they breathe the same spirit, even where the material does not overlap. Both books are specifically designed for readers who want to quickly grasp the essential, narrative facts of British history either for the first time or because they don't quite remember from their school days. I get the impression that Gimson and Purton were cut from the same cloth.