This history of a power-grab on the Isle of Lewis in the mid-19th century has all the ingredients of a stirring work of fiction, but it’s chillingly true. The island was bought from the last of the Seaforth family, its traditional lairds, by James Matheson, who made his fortune selling opium in China. Matheson himself may have been a comparatively benign owner, but the solicitor he installed as his factor turned out to be a despot. Donald Munro seized every position of power on the island and subjected it to a reign of terror that lasted for two decades. The islanders called him “the Beast”. Eventually, however, Munro overreached himself and was brought down by the people of Lewis in a decisive courtroom battle. Supplemented with detailed background about the social structures of the island Munro attempted to dominate, None Dare Oppose is a gripping tale of the Victorian era delivered in a slightly archaic style that suits the period.
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