This book first traces the rise of the Gordons from minor magnates in Berwickshire to major players in the north and nationally. They reached their zenith in the person of George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly, during the sixteenth century. The rest of the book focuses on his family, with the parallel biographies of four of his sons and two of his daughters. Their very different stories illuminate the period because they participated in, and were deeply affected by, the lives of Mary Queen of Scots and her son James, who were vital pawns in the European power play between England, France and Spain during a crucial time of religious and political change. This book is an important addition to the historiography of the Gordons of Huntly, rulers of the north of Scotland and involved in most significant events of sixteenth-century Scotland.

Anne L. Forbes gained a degree in Early Modern Scottish History from the University of Aberdeen. She has taught in schools in London, Norfolk, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Northern Ireland and North-East Scotland. After some years working in Africa, she and her husband returned to Scotland in 2001 settling near Huntly, the centre of power for the Gordons, her ancestors.