A History Maker

by Alasdair Gray

Paperback, 2005

Library's rating

½

Publication

Canongate Books (2005), Editie: Main, 240 pagina's

Physical description

223 p.; 5.08 inches

ISBN

1841955760 / 9781841955766

Language

Description

A tale of border warfare, military and erotic, set in the twenty-third century, where the women rule the kingdom and the men play war games. This is the fictional memoir of Wat Dryhope - edited, annotated and commented upon. History has come to an end, war is regulated as if it's all a game. But Wat, the History Maker himself, does not play entirely by the rules, and when a woman, Delilah Puddock, joins the fray, this 'utopian' history is further enlivened. Alasdair Gray cleverly plays with the notion and writing of history, as well as perennial modern debates on war, sexism and society - entertaining and thought-provoking, this is a delightful satire illustrated throughout by the author.

User reviews

LibraryThing member Steve38
A lighlty imagined Scotland three centuries into the future when highly regulated pitched battles between armies lead by contemporary war lords are watched on TV as the equivalent of today's Premier League football. But the detail of the imaginary future is less important than what Gray has to say
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about history and where it has lead us to in the world of today. His notes and asides show a properly cynical overview of centuries of human development dominated by greed, selfishness and aggression. Gray tries to give us a more optimistic future but his hero has feet of clay and in the end confirms the author's bleak view of the world.
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Awards

Otherwise Award (Shortlist — 1996)

Original publication date

1994
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