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974 reviews for:
Clanlands: Whisky, Warfare, and a Scottish Adventure like No Other
Graham McTavish, Sam Heughan
3.99 AVERAGE
974 reviews for:
Clanlands: Whisky, Warfare, and a Scottish Adventure like No Other
Graham McTavish, Sam Heughan
3.99 AVERAGE
10.5 hours of Sam Heughn and Graham McTavish bantering in their smooth Scottish voices? Yes please! I couldn’t decide which would be better: reading the book with photos of all the places they traveled or listening to their voices the whole time. I chose audio and it was everything I wanted it to be!
The book gives amazing background and history on the Scottish highlands and clan life pre-Culloden. Intermixed is Sam and Graham’s bantering friendship, which made this sound more like a long podcast than an audiobook.
For fans of Outlander or even just fans of Scotland, this is a fabulous choice—highly recommend!
The book gives amazing background and history on the Scottish highlands and clan life pre-Culloden. Intermixed is Sam and Graham’s bantering friendship, which made this sound more like a long podcast than an audiobook.
For fans of Outlander or even just fans of Scotland, this is a fabulous choice—highly recommend!
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
I’ll start off by saying I am a fan of the Outlander TV series, so I was excited to hear that the Sam and Graham were creating their own show and book to document their journey through Scotland. I HIGHLY recommend downloading the audiobook as an accompaniment, because their banter and side comments make more sense when you hear their voices. While the audiobook was a lot of fun to listen to, the book was a bit confusing to follow, mostly because the authors jumped around between their personal anecdotes and then back to Scottish history. I’m expecting the “Men in Kilts” series to clear up a lot of the stories/history.
TW (rape/sexual assault): I was taken aback by some of the various jokes that were made regarding Jamie’s rape by Black Jack Randall in season 1 of Outlander. I’m not one to shy away from dark humor, but as one reviewer on here mentioned, it was uncomfortable to read and listen to. I personally don’t find jokes or remarks about sexual assault funny.
TW (rape/sexual assault): I was taken aback by some of the various jokes that were made regarding Jamie’s rape by Black Jack Randall in season 1 of Outlander. I’m not one to shy away from dark humor, but as one reviewer on here mentioned, it was uncomfortable to read and listen to. I personally don’t find jokes or remarks about sexual assault funny.
I love my boys :) I did the audiobook for this and it was perfect
I loved the banter between Sam and Graham. Audiobook 10/10 is the way to enjoy this book. I loved that it was their story, Scottish history and bits of Outlander sprinkled in the mix.
For starters, get the audiobook. It’s very very enjoyable listening to Graham and Sam tell their stories. Feels like listening in on a conversation between the two and made the stories come to life.
If you’re a fan of the TV series Outlander and are new to Scottish history, heritage and culture, this book will be great for you. Not only do Graham and Sam cover the actual story of the Jacobite Risings, they also tell the stories of other famous characters, such as Mary Queen of Scots, William Wallace and Rob Roy. Interspersed throughout stories of Scotland, they share their own personal journeys as well as stories from the set of Outlander.
Personally, having gotten a Masters in Celtic and Scottish Studies, none of the stories of Scotland were new to me. However, they were entertainingly told, and great for anyone unfamiliar with the vast and varied history of Scotland. Aside from one noticeable Gaidhlig error (dualchais does not mean belonging per se, but more cultural heritage) its an entertaining and fairly accurate book.
All that being said, I do have to say that I was rubbed the wrong way by two recurring things. 1. Sam constantly referring to Graham as “Lady McTavish” because Graham loves lattes and fine wine and comfort really got on my nerves. The constant need to emasculate Graham for being cautious and liking specific things, and to “put him down” by calling him feminine really really irked me. The unnecessary gendering of likes and dislikes is just plain dumb and any time I heard Sam say “Lady McTavish” I wanted to scream. 2. I also was not a fan of the cavalier way in which both men referred to Jamie’s abuse and rape at the hands of Black Jack Randall in the TV show. I can understand dark humor being a way to cope with unpleasant topics but it felt a little bit tone deaf to me.
Other than those two things, I did enjoy listening to this book and it did make me want to go back and watch the show again. Also looking forward to watching the STARZ docu-series Men in Kilts.
3.5 ⭐️
I did this as a read along with both the book & audible and it made it so much better. Highly recommend the audiobook - easier to sort out/feel like you’re in on the jokes & it makes it feel like you’re listening to a conversation between two friends. I’m so ready for Men in Kilts...might just have to rewatch Outlander with my new Clandlands knowledge while I wait!
Moderately entertaining. Suspect it may be worth revisiting should the telly show ever hit UK screens but as it stands it's a book that does not know what it wants to be. Part memoir, part Outlander fan fodder, part travelogue, part history. And it ultimately equals less than the sum of its parts.
The two author approach, with named paragraphs for Sam and Graham does not work. It makes for a disjointed, uneven read and ultimately one is left wanting more. But not in a good way. I'd like more memoir (Graham in particular has got a great biography to tell at some point), more in depth history and more on the actual travelling – not just many repeated passages telling us what a crapppy camper van they are using.
Could be so much better I am afraid.
The two author approach, with named paragraphs for Sam and Graham does not work. It makes for a disjointed, uneven read and ultimately one is left wanting more. But not in a good way. I'd like more memoir (Graham in particular has got a great biography to tell at some point), more in depth history and more on the actual travelling – not just many repeated passages telling us what a crapppy camper van they are using.
Could be so much better I am afraid.