Stories of the Scottish Border: Free Audiobook and Listening Guide

Stories of the Scottish Border, credited to William Platt and Mrs William Platt, is available as a LibriVox volunteer audiobook. This guide identifies the recording, its source summary and its audio tracks.

About the work

The LibriVox catalogue summary, preserved with the recording, reads:

LibriVox recording of Stories of the Scottish Border by Mr and Mrs William Platt. Read in English by Jhiu Nothing seems to be known about Mr and Mrs William Platt, the writers of Stories of the Scottish Border. What they produced is an eccentric guidebook and history, seen partly through the ballads of the region. The book recounts the military stratagems, treachery and courage of those who struggled for control of the Border lands and of the whole country, and tells of the triumphs or tragic fate of those who took part on both sides. It also tells us stories of the Border Reivers, raiders who lived by riding out and stealing their neighbours’ livestock. Their lives were governed for several hundred years by a form of rough justice, and they showed an even rougher wit. While their adventures, though cloaked by the writers in romance and chivalry, were often petty and bloodthirsty, the ballads which distill their experience are, at their best, haunting and intensely moving. The Borders and Northumberland have changed little in aspect over the centuries, and I suggest following the book with a map and images of the places described, to give some idea of the wild remoteness and imaginative power of this Border land. - Summary by Jhiu

Recording facts

• Recording title: Stories of the Scottish Border
• Author credits: William Platt and Mrs William Platt
• Language: English
• Original MP3 tracks: 52
• Listed recording duration: 7:32:47

Opening tracks: first 24 of 52

1. 01 - Introduction - The Character of the Borders — 7:08
2. 02 - Introduction - A Brief History of the Border — 12:25
3. 03 - Introduction - What the Border Names tell us — 5:58
4. 04 - Chapter 1 Bamburgh and its Coast — 7:42
5. 05 - Chapter 2 Athelstan at Vinheath — 19:32
6. 06 - Chapter 3 Monks and Minstrels — 8:49
7. 07 - Chapter 4 Sir Patrick Spens — 6:55
8. 08 - Chapter 5 Auld Maitland — 11:47
9. 09 - Chapter 6 Mystery of the Eildons — 12:45
10. 10 - Chapter 7 Black Agnes — 9:35
11. 11 - Chapter 8 The Young Tamlane — 9:35
12. 12 - Chapter 9 The Gay Goss-Hawk — 8:16
13. 13 - Chapter 10 The Corbies — 3:54
14. 14 - Chapter 11 Otterburn and Chevy Chase — 17:27
15. 15 - Chapter 12 The Douglas Clan — 13:21
16. 16 - Chapter 13 Alnwick Castle and the Percies — 8:20
17. 17 - Chapter 14 Hexham and Queen Margaret — 9:51
18. 18 - Chapter 15 Fair Helen of Kirkconnell — 3:36
19. 19 - Chapter 16 Johnie of Breadislee — 5:53
20. 20 - Chapter 17 Katharine Janfarie — 7:43
21. 21 - Chapter 18 By Lauder Bridge — 5:04
22. 22 - Chapter 19 The Battle of Flodden Field — 13:30
23. 23 - Chapter 20 After Flodden — 16:27
24. 24 - Chapter 21 Graeme and Bewick — 7:59

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Source and rights

This is a record from LibriVox's official Internet Archive collection, with a public-domain licence recorded in its metadata. LibriVox's policy includes its catalogue summaries as well as its recordings. Its public-domain assessment follows United States law; copyright status can differ elsewhere. The summary and track facts are reproduced and reformatted from that record. Dates attached to the archive upload are not treated as original book publication dates.