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William Scott - About the Author

Who is William Scott BA, BSc, MEd, FIMA, FSA Scot?

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Holds degrees in philosophy, psychology and mathematical science. Head of mathematics in five schools and colleges in three countries, served on the Scottish Mathematical Council whose Chairman, Prof Patterson, Aberdeen, together with Prof Sir Hermann Bondi, Master of Churchill College Cambridge, sponsored William's fellowship of the Institute of Mathematics and Its Applications, 1985. Hermann offered to coauthor a book, declined, moved intellectual territory. Over 100 articles and papers on mathematical education published. Invited to serve on the British Mathematical equivalent, declined: agreed to work abroad. Asked in Sante Fe to write the biography of Philip Brooke who should have been 4th Rajah of Sarwak, declined. Attended university courses in Classics and several summer schools; cartography, self taught. The work on psychology and philosophy was invaluable in the historical research. Mathematical science too was instrumental: disproving all the previous speculation was essential. Advocate, Sheriff and Historian David B. Smith sponsored William's fellowship of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. Interests? Polymathic: philosophy, politics, physics, psychology, poetry, writing and reciting, psychology novels, mathematics, history, writing articles and books. Takes exercise seriously. Swam a 25 yard length in 18 seconds in 1952, 17 seconds in 2005, a 25 m length, no dive, about 20 secs, 2018. 4 phds were offered and considered: Philosophy, Edinburgh 1971, the Foundations of Mathematics Glasgow, c1984, Mathematical Education, Dunedin,1988, History, Stirling, 1998. I regret not doing the first two. They would have been a suitable challenge.

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The Bannockburn Years

" ...a brilliant storyteller ... I shall expect to see your name writ large hereafter."
~ Nigel Tranter

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" Stirring and well researched account."
~ Scotland on Sunday

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Apply to Luath Press for a copy

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Honour Killing in Argyll & Bute

" A riveting read, showing how religious and culture differences can be overcome and how the idea of paradise can change... the shocking and gruesome events in the final chapter leave the reader totally overwhelmed. A gripping and inspiring tale."
~ Christine Boyd, Primary Teacher, Glasgow

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William is an idealist who believes his function in life is to make the world a better place. He has degrees in philosophy, mathematical science, education and psychology; and fellowships in mathematical science and history. William was elected Fellow of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications, 1985, sponsored by Professor Sir Hermann Bondi, world class scientist, Master of Churchill College, Cambridge and Head of the Natural Environment Research Council. He offered a foreword for a book on mathematical education William had written and when a publisher could not be found, to co-author a book, declined (he had moved to new intellectual territory.)

William was also sponsored by Prof Ed Patterson, Aberdeen, Chairman of the Scottish Mathematical Council, William then served on the Mathematical Challenge Committee. Setting, marking and awarding prizes to the ablest students of Scotland. An offer to serve on the British Mathematical Council was declined because he had agreed to work abroad. Elected Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries sponsored by Sheriff, Advocate and Historian, David B Smith, 1998, after the publication of 'The Bannockburn Years' which won the Constable Trophy in 1997 for a novel published by Luath Press, reprinted 2003.

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Full time writing dated from 1990 when education was given up while there was still time to develop as a novelist. By then, publishing papers was seen as ephemeral contributions to the world. The aim was to try to solve some of the difficult problems of the world and to do so in the novel form in the belief that answers would be more accessible, more useful and longer lasting. All the books have been driven by the ambition to find arguments to solve problems. The novels do this by the creation of characters who by their conflicts of ideas reveal the answers. The drama makes the activity more accessible and interesting. 'The Gun Genius' won second prize at the Scottish Association of Writers Conference in 1991, unpublished, about the IRA and revenge: was there ever justification (as the IRA claimed) for blowing up innocents? Or revenge? Then, the IRA were not allowed to speak in public which William regarded as a serious obstacle to peace) their views ought to be stated and attacked, he thought. A BBC producer, Andy Park, made a screenplay of this but the BBC closed down its drama department in Northern Ireland about this time and that stopped it. A screenplay by William won second prize for drama c1993. Another novel came second in the Constable before 'The Bannockburn Years' won in 1997. This was the result of research into the battle begun in 1991 on return to the UK which had produced a story and a play, 'The Brithers Bruce', unpublished. This was combined with the question of Scottish Independence to produce a novel which had several original features. Historians who read it thought their work had not been studied. It had, but rejected. Reviews in newspapers at the time were not wholly complementary (partly because 4 arguments against independence were found), though Nigel Tranter had declared William on the cover to be 'a brilliant storyteller whose name would be writ large hereafter'. That this was not so was due to the discovery that the traditional history was incompetent, for the moral decision was then taken that it was a duty to clear up the mess and that his training (unusual in a historian) in mathematical science, philosophy and psychology might be decisive. A couple of years away from writing novels seemed enough of a price to pay. In fact, it has taken every year since, only three novels being written in all that time [he wrote a novel in 3 or 4 weeks]. Full time research into the Bannockburn Problems began at the end of 1998 and was not completed until 2012, though a few important things have been discovered since, one of them an argument of singular beauty and elegance which resolves everything in minutes. Indeed, the effort on Bannockburn continues, refining the earlier work.

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BR settled all the important questions. The site of battle, the tactics that led to victory, the place where Bruce slew de Bohun (Milton Ford, the only possible crossing place since there was no bridge until 1516; and, decisively, the road from Stirling went along St Ninians Main Street beside which in 1242 the Kirk was built, to Milton Ford. Of course the English came along the road in 1314. There was no other road northwards until 1930. Milton Ford is Scotland's Thermopylae: a narrow place; only a few riders at a time can cross the burn which is impassable for a mile up and downstream; chronicles confirm this completely). Historians in control of the subject did not want their speculations exposed and buried BR, refused reviews, though one was given in Scottish Local History, Spring 2006 by Patrick Cadell, Keeper of the Records of Scotland, decisively in favour. BR did one thing that any scientist would regard as marvellous: the Charisma-Population Argument which shows that the numbers of Scots on the field must have been at least twice (and probably thrice) as many as believed for centuries. Historians, not equipped for such elementary, yet elegant logic, still cannot give up their long standing 'belief' (all it is) that the Scots were a third of the English. Eg Barrow, line 21 p273, 4th edition, (2005): 5,000-6000 Scots, +500 cavalry - Barrow, Classic edition 2013: the same numbers! But Barrow does say there and in the 2005 edition on p273 line 22: 'On the other hand, we can scarcely put the Scots total any lower, for we know that the English cavalry was in fact repulsed by mere foot soldiers.' In 2013, Barrow still has '500 light horse under the Marischal, Sir Robert Keith. p272 (Robert Bruce, Classic ed 2013, line 28). Thus, Barrow learnt nothing from Bannockburn Revealed about all the Scots being on foot. Yet there it is on BR p254. All the statements are highlighted just before it (Barbour) and in Ch 15 where Vita, Lanercost, Scalacronica, Le Baker, Trokelowe, Baston etc are highlighted and counted. And nothing about the Scots numbers, for which he still has 6,000 p273 line 21. The acquisition of status and gravitas, leads to a constructive inability to learn from one's mistakes.

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In Santa Fέ in 1987, William was invited, and offered every assistance with all the papers, to write the biography of Philip Brooke, who would have been 4th Rajah of Sarawak. By that time, all the history of that country and its surroundings had been studied by William down to the naval dispatches of the time in the Rajah's library in Kuching and a research paper on Sarwawak, Sabah and The Philippines published. This offer was declined. Though it would have taken only a month or two, a novel was being written: the greatest creative challenge always comes first. The Bute Witches was written to answer a few questions: Why were 6 women burnt for witchcraft in Bute in 1662 and 1673? Who was responsible? And why did one escape and, returning 12 years later, then was burnt? All these were answered. Every relevant history paper was printed in the book. A reconstruction in the form of a narrative by the principal characters was the outcome, every part of it closely connected to the papers, especially the pre-trial confessions of the witches, The Inverary Document, so named by William. This had not been made use of before. Many readers have understood this. The few historians who had something to lose by it were not among them. Insight is a quality best inculcated in subjects which depend on it such as mathematics, science, philosophy and psychology. Most of them never saw a proof of anything nor ever tried to make one. How could they prove anything, with that sort of training! Or understand the proofs of those who deal in nothing else? Yet most ordinary folk can understand them so historians' failure is due to indoctrination, arrogance and prejudice, mostly, and subservience to perceived authorities because they have titles. That is a fundamental defect of the history community: correcting their mistakes is not done. They bury anyone who does.

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