{"title":"Books by Alasdair Roberts","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9781780276380","title":"Midges","description":"Whether resident or tourist, no-one is spared from the bloodlust of Scotland’s most savage insect . . .The midge does not like sunlight and thrives in the wet, so the Scottish summertime brings perfect climatic conditions for this ruthless wee beastie.This fascinating and amusing anthology of anecdotes and information about the minuscule marauder ranges from the eighteenth century to the present, covering such topics as Bonnie Prince Charlie, Queen Victoria, kilts and camping. It also includes a section on remedies and repellents, so locals and visitors can tray and enjoy the pleasures of Scotland without the pain. And if the new midge-eating machines are as good as claimed, midges may soon be a thing of the past.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56303254634869,"sku":"9781780276380","price":5.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781780276380_4b03f8d9-ba80-4e30-9dbd-e9c927084a71.jpg?v=1786024495"},{"product_id":"9781911052098","title":"Library of Aethers","description":"\u003cp\u003eFrom his earliest recordings in the 1990s, it was clear that Alasdair Roberts was not only a powerful performer, but also a profoundly original songwriter. In the years since then, he has honed his craft across a series of albums that comprise a richly idiosyncratic body of work. Distinctive as they are musically, Alasdair’s songs are equally notable for their articulate, poetic and often moving lyrical qualities – now starkly symbolic, now allusively ornate. This book aims to showcase those qualities, with a selection of lyrics from across Alasdair’s songwriting catalogue. The lyrics are augmented by newly written notes by Alasdair, with original illustrations by Annabel Wright, plus a foreword by the acclaimed poet Robin Robertson, and several entertaining appendices.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56309198389621,"sku":"9781911052098","price":12.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781911052098_a0144336-4a22-41ce-9d3d-09e57d65a081.jpg?v=1786029671"},{"product_id":"tales-of-the-morar-highlands","title":"Tales of the Morar Highlands","description":"Beyond Fort William, on the road to the Isles, lies Morar, the 'Highlands of the Highlands' and centre of the 'Rough Bounds', that wild, desolate, but uniquely beautiful part of Scotland that was once the homeland of the Clan Macdonald of Clanranald, Lords of the Isles. Inspired by bards, writers and images of the past, Alasdair Roberts has collected and revitalised a huge number of traditional tales which transport the reader to the heart of this remote and beguiling landscape.   Tales of the Morar Highlands is a book packed with extraordinary incident and remarkable characters, from mysterious loch monsters and fugitive princes to lords, priests and smugglers, as well as the ordinary people who have made this fascinating part of Scotland their home for thousands of years.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57490295816565,"sku":"9781839831003","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781839831003.jpg?v=1786442182"},{"product_id":"why-great-states-fail","title":"Why Great States Fail","description":"\u003cp\u003eIf living next to the United States is like sleeping with an elephant, that bedmate has lately become insomniac and cranky. In a fascinating investigation Alasdair Roberts explores the forces behind this shift, warning that smaller states such as Canada should expect more unpredictability in the decades ahead, not only from the US but also from China, India, Russia, and the evolving European Union.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGreat states are not entirely new configurations; in some ways they are like empires of the past. And like empires, great states are more fragile than they appear. Roberts argues that the weakness of great states is their tendency to centralize power: upward to national capitals and inward to chief executives. This has increased the risk of catastrophic mistakes, political gridlock, and bureaucracies too large to manage or reform. Failures like these have fueled public frustration and the rise of strongmen, leaving great states even more vulnerable to shocks and strains, and volatile in their behaviour. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAn essential guide to deciphering the uncertain world we now inhabit, \u003ci\u003eWhy Great States Fail\u003c\/i\u003e presents a crisp argument about the internal pressures that cause great states to behave erratically and, eventually, to collapse.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57499263009141,"sku":"9780228030881","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780228030881.jpg?v=1786694579"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-alasdair-roberts.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}