RICHARD DARGIE

Richard says,

“How does one becoe a writer of History books? In my own case it's a journey that began with a childhood holiday to Rome. Standing in the middle of the Coliseum aged nine probably helps to explain my long-standing interest in ancient history and archaeology. Having a succession of enthusiastic, inspiring History teachers at school and university was also very good luck. I can also remember the fun of reading, or rather decoding, History books as a child. History is written in its own kind of  language that uses old and unusual words and also gives different meanings to everyday words such as 'rise' or 'fall'. For me, working out the meaning of the History code was a big part of the challenge of learning about the past.

 

That sense of the fun in History has continued into adult life. Writing history books of all kinds is both a 'profession' and a personal hobby. You couldn't do it if you weren't genuinely interested in the people from the past who came before us. You also need to get on with people in the present. Writing can sometimes be a solitary occupation, but you also spend a lot of time working with others, especially when writing non-fiction books for children. The writer's name may be on the cover but every book depends on teams of people who lend their different skills with words or illustration or layout to create the final product."

 

Formerly a History teacher in Aberdeen and Head of Humanities at Moray House Institute of Education, Richard now lectures in History Education at the University of Edinburgh. A prolific writer on all aspects of Scottish history, Richard has over thirty books to his credit, many of them written for children. He has acted as a historical consultant to BBC Scotland for more than twenty years and been scriptwriter for over fifty BBC television and radio history programs as well as a growing number of BBC websites.

Through his work for Euroclio in The Hague and the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, he has helped to influence the international development of History Education particularly in post-Soviet Eastern Europe.

 

BOOKS BY RICHARD DARGIE

 

Richard’s most recent publications include Scottish Castles & Fortifications GW Publishing 2005 and, for children, Life in Ancient Iraq Franklin Watts 2005.

His publications in 2007 will include Crime & Punishment in Ancient Greece Franklin Watts and A History of Britain, Arcturis Publications.

 

Previously published books for children include:-

Ancient Scotland

Medieval Scotland

Stuart Scotland

Scotland 1700—1900

Scotland Since 1900

 

BOTH TALKS ARE FOR P4 to P7

AND HIGH SCHOOL PUPILS

 

SATURDAY 16th JUNE at 2.00

CASTLES AND GHOSTS

The landscape of Scotland is littered with

fortresses, castles and great mansions.  Many of these are said to be haunted by ghostly figures who stalk the battlements and towers.

Not for the fainthearted!

 

SUNDAY 17th JUNE at 3.30

DIGGING UP HISTORY

Are you interested in the ancient peoples that used to live in Scotland - Celts, Romans and Vikings ? If so, this is your chance to find out more about some unusual objects that our ancestors left behind. Author and historian Richard Dargie tells the stories behind some mysterious artefacts

unearthed from beneath Scotland's soil.  .