Songs and Ballads of Dundee

This is a classic collection of over seventy folk songs and ballads, accompanied by extensive notes and carefully chosen pictures, that illustrates key periods in the history of Dundee. From the days of the great clipper fleets and the hard life o the whaling ships, the rise and fall of the jute mills and the women who supplied their workforce, the mass unemployment of the 1930s and the slum clearances of the 1960s and 70s, it provides a unique picture of the life and times of one of Scotland's most colourful and distinctive communities.

At the same time it is also the story of the great characters of Dundee, from Graham of Claverhouse ("Bonnie Dundee") to William McGonagall and the elusive Piper o' Dundee, as well as the rich tapestry of worthies and rogues of the streets.

Full of humour and life, the songs, anecdotes and stories capture the energy and character of Dundee in a way that no narrative can, and the result is a fascinating picture of Dundee and its people over the centuries. This should become the definitive collection. For a more detailed list of the songs featured in Songs and Ballads of Dundee, click here.

Unfortunately the book is out of print at the moment. I am exploring the possibilities of republishing it either in physical form or as an eBook, but in the meantime, copies come up periodically on eBay and the like, so it might be worth checking.