Nigel Tranter 
Wisest Fool 

Son of the doomed Mary Queen of Scots, raised to rule two countries, James was one of the oddest kings ever to ascent any throne. Neither noble nor heroic, he confounded those who despised him by being shrewd enough to reign for fifty-eight years, survive countless plots and never go to war. ‘A vastly entertaining addition to the historical novels of Scots author Nigel Tranter.’ Glasgow Sunday Mail