William Shakespeare did Macbeth no favors with his eponymous play, even though there's no denying the Bard's version is a masterful work of literature. But, currying favor with the Tudor court as he was, Shakespeare made Macbeth the villain of the play, and wrote the preceding and succeeding kings, Duncan and Malcom, into heroes.

Nothing could be further, from the truth, as Bob Stewart reveals in Macbeth: Scotland's Warrior King.

Part of Firebird Books' Heroes & Warriors series, Macbeth concisely but thoroughly delves into the culture of Scotland in the 11th century, the political situation that dominated the divided nation, and the circumstances that brought Macbeth to the throne and, 17 years later, ripped him from it. In just 48 pages, Stewart describes the Scottish laws and traditions that, varying greatly from the customs of England and other European nations, elevated Macbeth to the level of High King; at the time, it wasn't enough to be the son of the king that came before you. Stewart also reveals the changes in the church at the time -- Macbeth favored the ancient and more liberal Celtic church over its younger, more politicized Roman counterpart, and it was Macbeth's death that led to the Celtic church's decline.

It also examines some of the key characters in Macbeth's immediate orbit -- from the kings Duncan and Malcom to Macbeth's wife Gruach, his stepson and immediate successor to the throne Lulach, his close ally Thorfinn of Orkney, and others. (MacDuff and Banquo, both key characters in Shakespeare's tale, were fictional additions to the story.) Stewart also includes passages from Holinshed's Chronicles, a skewed version of history first published in the late 1500s and a primary source used by Shakespeare in his interpretation.

Macbeth, the play, deserves all of the accolades it has received; it's a brilliant piece of tragic drama, there's no denying it. But Macbeth: Scotland's Warrior King deserves attention as well; the historical figure has been greatly wronged through his legacy, and it's nice of Stewart to set the record straight.

(For an excellent novelization of Macbeth's story, which draws its inspiration from history rather than Shakespeare, read Nigel Tranter's MacBeth the King. Tranter, who to my knowledge is unmatched in the field of Scottish historical fiction, is in peak form in this one.)

The Heroes & Warriors series also includes books on the likes of Fionn Mac Cumhail: Champion of Ireland, Cuchulainn: Hound of Ulster, Boadicea: Warrior Queen of the Celts, Richard Lionheart: The Crusader King, Charlemagne: Founder of the Holy Roman Empire, El Cid, Champion of Spain, King David: Warlord of Israel, Judas Maccabeus: Rebel of Israel, Chief Joseph: Guardian of the Nez Perce and Crazy Horse: Sacred Warrior of the Sioux. I've read some of them over the years and always found them to be a brief but worthwhile account of some of history's most notable heroes and warriors. They are solid introductions for readers young and old, although they might be most useful to students looking for biographical resources.