David Adam has been captivated by the beauty, wonder and holiness of Lindisfarne
since first glimpsing its fairytale castle from the train as a young boy. In this
absorbing volume, he shows the island’s human face, revealing how Lindisfarne and
its people have responded to trial, tribulation and triumph in the course of a long and
vibrant history.
This tiny place witnessed one of the last stands of the ‘British’ Celtic peoples against
the invading Anglo-Saxons in the 6th century. It has been the home of saints and
scholars, most notably St Aidan and St Cuthbert, and famously produced the medieval
masterpiece known as the Lindisfarne Gospels. Less familiar to readers, perhaps, will
be that the island experienced the first recorded Viking invasion in 793, and was
involved in the 17th century Civil War and the 18th century Jacobite Rebellion. Today
its ruined 11th century Priory and 16th century Castle – later redesigned by the great
English architect Edwin Lutyens – draw pilgrims and visitors from all over the world.
Wherever you walk on Lindisfarne, the past impinges on the present . . . In relating
afresh many of the island’s legends and stories, David Adam’s lovely volume affords
the reader a wonderful sense of all there is to discover, just beneath the surface.