The Search for Jacob's Pillow

About the Book

This Scottish Historical Novel is based on well known historical events and the author's personal experiences. The novel's main characters include three unrelated native born Scots. Tracy, a lady Royal Navy fighter pilot operating from her ship, H.M.S. Ark Royal, above the South China seas off Hong Kong; Alan, a Royal Bank of Scotland manager employed in the bank's Hong Kong office also acting as a volunteer Auxiliary Marine Police Inspector operating in Hong Kong waters: and Grant, an almost destitute professional golfer playing his last sponsored professional golf tournament in China. These three characters, albeit during unusual circumstances, each receive separate "signs"in the form of mysteriously engraved coins or tokens. These "tokens", when compared with similar "tokens" found after worldwide searches by Archeology Professor Angus Ogilvy, bring all five characters together in a common cause. This cause, namely finding the much sought after ancient Scottish artifact; the "Stone of Destiny" also known as "Jacob's Pillow", creates the intriguing theme of this novel. Since the year 847 AD, thirty one Scottish kings were crowned sitting upon the ancient "Stone of Destiny" it having originated in the Holy Land and brought to Scotland during the fourth century. In the year 1296 AD, King Edward 1st of England, more commonly known as"Longshanks" of the film Braveheart fame , plundered Scotland, took the "Stone of Destiny" to London and had it placed under the English monarchy coronation throne in Westminster Abbey. There it remained almost continuously for over seven hundred years. In 1951, four Scottish University students successfully heisted that Stone and returned with it to Scotland. However, after being hidden for four months it was found in Arbroath Abbey, and shortly after returned to Westminster Abbey and replaced under the Englis coronation chair.

About the Author

David was born and raised in the Central Highlands of Scotland. After completing twenty two years Royal Navy service, initially as an Engineer, then as a Fixed Wing Fleet Air Arm Pilot, he worked in Hong Kong for eight years in Education. After leaving Hong Kong he re-continued his Aviation career with British Aerospace in Saudi Arabia and North Wales, before working for and becoming a Captain with a major United States airline. Throughout life David has been competitive in sports achieving international level in track running in younger years, and remains active in golf and trout fly fishing. David, now retired, lives in Orlando , Florida and travels mostly back to Scotland where his extended family remain, and to Hong Kong on a regular basis. This is David's first Scottish historical novel and is based on historical and modern day fact and David's personal experiences. This novel should be of special interest to those persons with Scottish heritage and interest in history, and anyone having the curiosity to learn more about one of Scotland's most famous mysteries.