From the early fourteenth century to the end of the sixteenth, the
Anglo-Scottish borderlands witnessed one of the most intense periods of
warfare and disorder ever seen in modern Europe. As a consequence of
near-constant conflict between England and Scotland, Borderers suffered
at the hands of marauding armies, who ravaged the land, destroying
crops, slaughtering cattle, burning settlements and killing
indiscriminately.
Forced by extreme circumstances, many Borderers took to reiving to
ensure the survival of their families and communities, and for the best
part of 300 years, countless raiding parties made their way over the
border. The story of the Reivers is one of survival, stealth, treachery,
ingenuity and deceit, expertly brought to life in Alistair Moffat's
acclaimed book.