Iona « Senchus

A new edition of my study of Saint Columba has been published by Birlinn Books of Edinburgh.

Since the first edition appeared more than 10 years ago, a substantial amount of new scholarship has appeared, especially from the archaeological side. An update of the book therefore seemed timely, and I spent the second half of 2023 on the task.

The book’s original structure has been retained, with chapter headings remaining the same as in the first edition. New information has been added wherever a particular topic required updating, while a number of new themes appear as standalone ‘text boxes’ (grey highlighted sections) within the main narrative. Some of the new text boxes are brief summaries of recent scholarship on archaeological evidence from Iona, particularly the analysis and interpretation of previously unpublished data from excavations undertaken by Professor Charles Thomas in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Space limitations mean that I have given no more than a glimpse of this ground-breaking work, but readers interested in delving deeper will find useful references in the bibliography. The latter has been expanded and updated to reflect current academic opinion on Columba, his monasteries and his successors, as well as on the broader subject of early medieval Christianity in Ireland and Northern Britain.

The book’s plate section of black-and-white photographs remains unchanged from the first edition but the front cover, designed by James Hutcheson at Birlinn, is new.

Additional information can be found on the Birlinn website.

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Columba - Pilgrim, Priest & Patron Saint

My biography of St Columba, first published in 2012, now has a re-designed cover. I received half a dozen free copies of the new version last week and am very pleased with how it looks.

The publishers – Birlinn of Edinburgh – have moved the book from their academic imprint ‘John Donald’ to their main stable. Two of my other books – The Picts: A History and The Makers Of Scotland – made the same migration some years ago. It means a slightly reduced size (the John Donald format tends to be larger) but otherwise the book is unchanged.

Five of my six free copies, posing for a photo after their journey south from Scotland.

The new cover incorporates an image of Columba that I think is one of the most evocative. For me, it captures the saint in a moment of serious reflection, perhaps when his mind was lingering on a matter of sorrow or regret. The image was created in stained glass by Karl Parsons (1884-1934) for a window in St Michael’s Church at Sulhamstead, Berkshire.

Credit for the re-designed cover goes to James Hutcheson of Birlinn whose creative skills are responsible for the covers of all my books.