At Slow Publishing, we understand that the creative process can take time. And also that book-writing may not be everyone’s full time job. We have many projects in the pipe line – some part-written; some still safely housed inside a brain.
The Gibbon Families of Stonehaven and Aberdeen, by David & Sally Wyllie
Our first completed book is this history of two families from the North East of Scotland, tracing their paths around the world over three centuries.
You can have a look at the book in the flipbook reader below. If you’d like to buy a copy, please get in touch. The hard copy costs £50 plus shipping.
A roller coaster ride through numerous events of the past three centuries, following the fortunes of two interwoven families from the North East of Scotland. In the 17th Century their horizons were limited: one branch became millers; the other shipbuilders and merchant sailors. Their descendants, however, vastly increased their field of activity, a key factor being the growth of the British Empire. No matter the battle being fought or the country being invaded, you can be sure a Gibbon descendant was in the thick of it. Other Gibbons led equally dramatic lives in different parts of the world: some cultivating tea, coffee, indigo and opium; others in banking or administration. Within Britain we find Gibbons in a wide range of employment and the book explores how the different descendant branches show such diversity. A key aim of the authors is to encourage younger readers to explore the historical background of the events described here and to consider how social values change over time.
The book approaches history from the reverse perspective to the usual one, which starts with the big event and work downwards to see how individuals were affected. The genealogical approach makes things look very different: through individuals and their families, it connects things that would normally be treated quite separately.
