John MacLeod (1966–)

Fascinating account of the wreck of the Iolaire [pronounced YOO-luh-ruh], the second largest peacetime ship disaster in the British Isles, occurring only seven years after the sinking of the Titanic, on the 1st of January, 1919 in the wee hours of the morning. This yacht, HMY Iolaire commandeered by the British Navy, was bringing more than 200 sailors of the Royal Navy Reserve to their home in the Outer Hebrides. Due to naval ineptitude and that of the officers on board, plus a stormy night, poor visibility, and a helmsman who didn't know the area, the yacht crashed into a reef not far from where it was supposed to land at Stornoway on the island of Lewis. Also, it was overcrowded and lacking a full crew. Given no orders, the men attempted to save themselves; some men survived and most died. The author was extremely fortunate; his great grandfather who might have been on the Iolaire, was directed onto another ship which made a safe and uneventful landing. After the wreck, the author tells of inquiries into what might have caused it, the fates of the various families of Lewis and Harris, and economic conditions in the Hebrides up to time of writing the book. To this day, this disaster is still seared into the consciousness of Lewis after nearly one hundred years later.

The poignancy of this sliver of history moved me nearly to tears. I appreciated the author's deep research into all aspects and also his charts and list of men, where they were from down to street addresses, and what finally happened to them. Many Gaelic-language poems were written: the author included two or three of the better ones but nothing of the quality of Hopkins' "Wreck of the Deutschland". I feel the whole book was a labor of love.

Highly recommended. (less)… (mere)

MacLeod draws on his vast knowledge of island lore, presenting what is effectively an insider’s guide to the rich heritage of these islands. Sympathetic without being sentimental, he outlines the key events of these years — refusing to gloss over the errors and foibles of the various personalities, yet conveying a sense of the dignity and robustness of the breed of Christian which has typified the island for the past many generations.

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