{"id":5766,"date":"2021-12-15T06:40:11","date_gmt":"2021-12-15T11:40:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/techwriteredc.com\/?p=5766"},"modified":"2022-11-12T14:44:40","modified_gmt":"2022-11-12T19:44:40","slug":"clanlands-whisky-warfare-book-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/techwriteredc.com\/clanlands-whisky-warfare-book-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Clanlands: Whisky, Warfare, And A Scottish Adventure Like No Other"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>#kt-layout-id_95dcce-85 > .kt-row-column-wrap{align-content:start;}:where(#kt-layout-id_95dcce-85 > .kt-row-column-wrap) > .wp-block-kadence-column{justify-content:start;}#kt-layout-id_95dcce-85 > .kt-row-column-wrap{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-md, 2rem);row-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-md, 2rem);padding-top:var( --global-kb-row-default-top, 25px );padding-bottom:var( --global-kb-row-default-bottom, 25px );padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr);}#kt-layout-id_95dcce-85 > .kt-row-layout-overlay{opacity:0.30;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){#kt-layout-id_95dcce-85 > .kt-row-column-wrap{grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr);}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){#kt-layout-id_95dcce-85 > .kt-row-column-wrap{grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr);}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-rowlayout alignnone\"><div id=\"kt-layout-id_95dcce-85\" class=\"kt-row-layout-inner kt-layout-id_95dcce-85\"><div class=\"kt-row-column-wrap kt-has-1-columns kt-gutter-default kt-v-gutter-default kt-row-valign-top kt-row-layout-equal kt-tab-layout-inherit kt-m-colapse-left-to-right kt-mobile-layout-row\"><style>.kadence-column_ed0586-ca > .kt-inside-inner-col{border-top-width:0px;border-right-width:0px;border-bottom-width:0px;border-left-width:0px;}.kadence-column_ed0586-ca > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column_ed0586-ca > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column_ed0586-ca > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column_ed0586-ca > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column_ed0586-ca > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column_ed0586-ca > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column_ed0586-ca{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column_ed0586-ca > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kadence-column_ed0586-ca > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column inner-column-1 kadence-column_ed0586-ca\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\">\n<p>In 2019, Outlander stars Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish set off for the Scottish Highlands in a questionable campervan keen to examine more of the country they grew up in. From Glencoe to Culloden and innumerable lochs and castles in between, Clanlands is a chronicle of their adventure filming what eventually became the Television series Men in Kilts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Heughan (young, daring, terrible driver) and McTavish (older, crankier, bon vivant) make for an engaging twosome. Clanlands is divided between Heughan\u2019s account of occurrences and McTavish\u2019s adding to their story with a substantial heap of Scottish history. The comradeship (though often masked behind zingers and ripostes) and their mutual love of and captivation for their home country is, for me, the highlight of the book.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-image_b3d0bc-88.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .kb-image_b3d0bc-88 .kb-image-is-ratio-size{max-width:800px;width:100%;}.wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image_b3d0bc-88.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image_b3d0bc-88 .kb-image-is-ratio-size{align-self:unset;}.kb-image_b3d0bc-88 figure{max-width:800px;}.kb-image_b3d0bc-88 .image-is-svg, .kb-image_b3d0bc-88 .image-is-svg img{width:100%;}.kb-image_b3d0bc-88 .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image_b3d0bc-88\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full kb-image-is-ratio-size\"><div class=\"kb-is-ratio-image kb-image-ratio-land43\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/techwriteredc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/outlander-tv-show-book-review.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"kb-img wp-image-8105\" srcset=\"https:\/\/techwriteredc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/outlander-tv-show-book-review.jpg 800w, https:\/\/techwriteredc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/outlander-tv-show-book-review-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/techwriteredc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/outlander-tv-show-book-review-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/techwriteredc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/outlander-tv-show-book-review-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/techwriteredc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/outlander-tv-show-book-review-500x375.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/div><figcaption><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/wallpaperaccess.com\/outlander\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Image From Wallpaper Access<\/strong><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Sam and Graham eat, sleep, and breathe the Highlands on this epic trip. Clanlands grabs your interest right from the start. Who doesn\u2019t want to imagine themselves being alongside a raucous road trip? It\u2019s a wild ride around Scotland by campervan, boat, kayak, tandem, bicycle, and motorbike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is a quintessential adventure story. We gain insight into the authors\u2019 experiences on the Outlander set, become introduced to fellow countrymen who share the love of history, and the unguarded repartee that only accentuates the serendipitous friendship between Heughan and McTavish. Mix in a bit of whisky (OK a lot, but they had a spare driver) and some (at times) risky adventure and you are left with hours of enjoyment. I felt the take home import from reading this book is plain: be spontaneous and open-minded and embrace the exhilaration of the unknown.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-image_1aff08-18.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .kb-image_1aff08-18 .kb-image-is-ratio-size{max-width:800px;width:100%;}.wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image_1aff08-18.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image_1aff08-18 .kb-image-is-ratio-size{align-self:unset;}.kb-image_1aff08-18 figure{max-width:800px;}.kb-image_1aff08-18 .image-is-svg, .kb-image_1aff08-18 .image-is-svg img{width:100%;}.kb-image_1aff08-18 .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image_1aff08-18\"><figure class=\"aligncenter kb-image-is-ratio-size\"><div class=\"kb-is-ratio-image kb-image-ratio-land43\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/techwriteredc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/hero-clanlands-whisky-warfare-and-a-scottish-adventure.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"kb-img\"\/><\/div><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The stories of Jacobite insurgencies and clan feuds are competently dealt with rendered in an entrancing and accessible way. Tilting naturally towards a layman\u2019s perspective of history, it hardly is a deep-plunge study. But that\u2019s not the gist of the book, so it is no worse for it. There\u2019s plenty of eccentric characters scattered around the imposing landscapes, historical and otherwise, and both Heughan and McTavish have an aptitude for realizing a personality and making them come alive on the page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We are told&nbsp;<em>Clanlands<\/em>&nbsp;first came about with Sam rekindling Graham\u2019s long held passion to make a TV show delving into Scottish history. At first they considered a podcast, which grew and grew into a book, and then into a TV show. I think the book gives a revealing, behind-the-scenes look into the&nbsp;<em>Men in Kilts<\/em>&nbsp;show. There\u2019s a lot of sharing how they made the show which is entertaining and in that sense adds depth to the TV experience.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-image_39064f-b7.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .kb-image_39064f-b7 .kb-image-is-ratio-size{max-width:800px;width:100%;}.wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image_39064f-b7.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image_39064f-b7 .kb-image-is-ratio-size{align-self:unset;}.kb-image_39064f-b7 figure{max-width:800px;}.kb-image_39064f-b7 .image-is-svg, .kb-image_39064f-b7 .image-is-svg img{width:100%;}.kb-image_39064f-b7 .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image_39064f-b7\"><figure class=\"aligncenter kb-image-is-ratio-size\"><div class=\"kb-is-ratio-image kb-image-ratio-land43\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/techwriteredc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/book-about-outlander-sam.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"kb-img\"\/><\/div><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The name-calling doesn\u2019t stop with each other. Graham states, \u201cFor reasons best known to Sam our modern form of transport (of which there are many) seemed to have been chosen for their impracticality and general clapped-outness.\u201d He goes on to provide us with a litany of names for their Fiat campervan\u2026.The Blunderbuss, Fiat Turd, the Fiat Fiasco, Fiat Farce, and the Oversized Fridge. The antics in the campervan, the give and take between driver and navigator, a standoff with an Audi (or was that a BMW? ) driver on single track road, holding up runners in a marathon, Sam\u2019s gear crunching and wild driving\u2026.are all very funny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What do we learn about the men themselves? Both go into quite a bit of detail about their early lives and their acting careers (maybe a little too much thespian gossip.) They share a love of Shakespeare (especially Macbeth.) They have much in common with their Scottish childhood which adds a nice human interest aspect to the book.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-image_94bc00-30.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .kb-image_94bc00-30 .kb-image-is-ratio-size{max-width:800px;width:100%;}.wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image_94bc00-30.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image_94bc00-30 .kb-image-is-ratio-size{align-self:unset;}.kb-image_94bc00-30 figure{max-width:800px;}.kb-image_94bc00-30 .image-is-svg, .kb-image_94bc00-30 .image-is-svg img{width:100%;}.kb-image_94bc00-30 .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image_94bc00-30\"><figure class=\"aligncenter kb-image-is-ratio-size\"><div class=\"kb-is-ratio-image kb-image-ratio-land43\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/techwriteredc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/clanlands-whisky-warfare-and-a-scottish-adventure-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"kb-img\"\/><\/div><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Towards the end of the road trip Sam and Graham share an emotional day on the Culloden battlefield where in 1746 the British vanquished the Scots and squashed the Jacobite uprising to reinstate the House of Stuart on the Scottish throne. Graham notes, \u201cCulloden was the battle to end all battles and the clans themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-image_94db53-49.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .kb-image_94db53-49 .kb-image-is-ratio-size{max-width:800px;width:100%;}.wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image_94db53-49.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image_94db53-49 .kb-image-is-ratio-size{align-self:unset;}.kb-image_94db53-49 figure{max-width:800px;}.kb-image_94db53-49 .image-is-svg, .kb-image_94db53-49 .image-is-svg img{width:100%;}.kb-image_94db53-49 .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image_94db53-49\"><figure class=\"aligncenter kb-image-is-ratio-size\"><div class=\"kb-is-ratio-image kb-image-ratio-land43\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/techwriteredc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/clanlands-whisky-warfare-and-a-scottish-adventure-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"kb-img\"\/><\/div><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>I originally purchased a hard copy of the book, then realized the audio book was narrated by Sam and Graham. I highly recommend following along in the book while listening to the authors. The two of them put so much of their personalities into their narration that by listening you\u2019re treated to their squabbling and comedic moments in a way that the book alone does not capture as well. But don\u2019t go it alone with just the audio if you have a hard time following their Scottish accents. For the fullest experience follow along as they narrate.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-image_89e5aa-74.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .kb-image_89e5aa-74 .kb-image-is-ratio-size{max-width:800px;width:100%;}.wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image_89e5aa-74.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image_89e5aa-74 .kb-image-is-ratio-size{align-self:unset;}.kb-image_89e5aa-74 figure{max-width:800px;}.kb-image_89e5aa-74 .image-is-svg, .kb-image_89e5aa-74 .image-is-svg img{width:100%;}.kb-image_89e5aa-74 .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image_89e5aa-74\"><figure class=\"aligncenter kb-image-is-ratio-size\"><div class=\"kb-is-ratio-image kb-image-ratio-land43\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/techwriteredc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/outlander-book-review-sam-heughan.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"kb-img\"\/><\/div><figcaption><strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.goldderby.com\/article\/2020\/outlander-sam-heughan-graham-mctavish-nycc-comic-con\/\" target=\"_blank\">Image from Gold Derby<\/a><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>So did I have an all out love affair with Clanlands? Yes and no.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The writing style leaves something to be desired. It almost feels like (a chaotic) transcript of a podcast with each man intruding on each other\u2019s segments to poke fun and make jokes. Of course this could work even if a joke is dead on arrival if it wasn\u2019t for the way the book is configured. Sometimes italicized sometimes not, sometimes speech marks sometimes not, it\u2019s a disconcerting series of decisions that lacks cohesion, and added to the ever shifting tenses it came as a puzzler to me that Sam and Graham actually had a co-writer.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-image_922f77-8b.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .kb-image_922f77-8b .kb-image-is-ratio-size{max-width:800px;width:100%;}.wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image_922f77-8b.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image_922f77-8b .kb-image-is-ratio-size{align-self:unset;}.kb-image_922f77-8b figure{max-width:800px;}.kb-image_922f77-8b .image-is-svg, .kb-image_922f77-8b .image-is-svg img{width:100%;}.kb-image_922f77-8b .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image_922f77-8b\"><figure class=\"aligncenter kb-image-is-ratio-size\"><div class=\"kb-is-ratio-image kb-image-ratio-land43\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/techwriteredc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/FREE-Scottish-highlands.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"kb-img\"\/><\/div><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The other misfiring? The ceaseless gags about Sam\u2019s driving and Graham\u2019s age as well as some stupefying tidbits of personal history. It\u2019s an odd approach that\u2019s better suited to TV and maybe the book was always meant to be the bus to the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That said, Clanlands is an incredibly enjoyable read. It accomplishes what it says on the cover. Two gents that never take themselves too seriously. Some appealing descriptive writing, some reflecting on friendship and beautiful scenery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yet I feel, at best, the book is a mixed bag hitting some high notes and some low notes. Sometimes the history and adventure is overwhelmed by mundane anecdotes and a humor that, at its core, is mean spirited and not cutting edge wit.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-image_b28178-62.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .kb-image_b28178-62 .kb-image-is-ratio-size{max-width:800px;width:100%;}.wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image_b28178-62.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image_b28178-62 .kb-image-is-ratio-size{align-self:unset;}.kb-image_b28178-62 figure{max-width:800px;}.kb-image_b28178-62 .image-is-svg, .kb-image_b28178-62 .image-is-svg img{width:100%;}.kb-image_b28178-62 .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image_b28178-62\"><figure class=\"aligncenter kb-image-is-ratio-size\"><div class=\"kb-is-ratio-image kb-image-ratio-land43\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/techwriteredc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/clanlands-whisky-warfare-and-a-scottish-adventure-5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"kb-img\"\/><\/div><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>So unless you are a devotee of the Outlanders show you might be better served by going directly to the Men in Kilts television show. This saga works a bit better on television than the printed page.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Outlander has long been one of our favorite TV shows, more for the fighting than the romance, but today we take a look at the book Jamie wrote!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10173,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"Clanlands: Whisky, Warfare, And A Scottish Adventure Like No Other","_seopress_titles_desc":"Outlander has long been one of our favorite TV shows, more for the fighting than the romance, but today we take a look at the book Jamie wrote!","_seopress_robots_index":"","pmpro_default_level":"","_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"iawp_total_views":34,"_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[121],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5766","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-book-reviews","pmpro-has-access"],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":121,"label":"Book Reviews"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/techwriteredc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/sam-heughan-clan-llands-book-review-tech-writer-1.jpg",975,650,false],"author_info":{"display_name":"Blair Witkowski","author_link":"https:\/\/techwriteredc.com\/author\/witty\/"},"comment_info":"","category_info":[{"term_id":121,"name":"Book Reviews","slug":"book-reviews","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":121,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":13,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":121,"category_count":13,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Book Reviews","category_nicename":"book-reviews","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/techwriteredc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5766","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/techwriteredc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/techwriteredc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techwriteredc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techwriteredc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5766"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/techwriteredc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5766\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techwriteredc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10173"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/techwriteredc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5766"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techwriteredc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5766"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techwriteredc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5766"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}