The Lewis Chessmen

A story for children based on the famous chessmen from the Isle of Lewis. From their discovery on a desolate beach in 1831, to their current homes in great Museums south and north of the border, the ivory chessmen from the Isle of Lewis have exercised a particular fascination. Carved in wonderful detail, unexpectedly expressive and individual, these small characters give every indication of having marvellous secrets to tell, if they only would. This children's book is the first to describe the turbulent life and times of the chess pieces from their own point of view. In these pages we meet the brave Kings and Queens, weighty Bishops and faithful Knights and Warders, along with a memorable group of minor (that is, human) characters who have a hand in their many adventures. The chessmen are thought to come from Scandinavia and to date to the early twelfth century, though their exact origins are a mystery. Sixty-seven pieces now reside in the British Museum and eleven in the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.