. In the December 1990 issue of Scottish Field, Nigel Tranter inaugurated a series of 'cameo' articles that he labled "The Ifs of Scottish History." He introduced this series with the following observations: " It must have occurred to almost everyone who has read or listened to even the briefest excerpts of Scottish history that if some incident, accident or influence had not taken place or intruded when and where it did, how different would have been the subsequent chain of events, how changed our history itself.
. So many of the characters who created our nation's story came to sudden and often unexpected ends; how many unanticipated interludes took over. If these had not, what would have been the outcome? And since, whether we like it or not, we are all part of history -- living history -- who knows how we all would have been affected? That is, if we had been here at all! "
He started the series with the Ifs series with the piece on Columba which you can access now. As indicated below an additional article will be made available until all ten have been republished. Nigel intended these articles to be controversial and he would have relished your comments had the resources of the Internet been available that then. Here's your opportunity to honor his memory by commenting on the ideas expressed in the articles via nigel-tranter-books@yahoogroups.com