Cogadh Ruaridh

Iain Maclean’s “Cogadh Ruairidh” (“Ruairidh’s War”) is an account of the first day of the Battle of the Somme through the eyes and the experience of a Highland soldier, Ruairidh, and his two friends. MacLean first describes the waiting period, when the soldiers’ emotions swing between tedium and high tension, fear and naive overconfidence. The novel follows Ruairidh through his convalescence in France and his journey home, where he struggles to come to terms with what has happened. With chapter-by-chapter glossaries and summaries to assist Gaelic learners, this is a most impressive debut novel from yet another talented young Gaelic author.