I departed the theater will a very clear mission in mind. It was now time to discover how much of the truth, if any, of Sir William’s exploits had been presented in, "Braveheart." To a certain degree, I wasn’t overly concerned whether all details were factual or not. I realized that Hollywood would have taken certain artistic liberties, but no writers on the face of this planet could have possibly dreamt up everything that had been presented.

As the reader will note, my passion for, "Braveheart," was and is quite overpowering, but more than this, my interest in Scotland and its people had been peaked to a level not previously experienced. If, it turned out, "Braveheart," had presented even a somewhat accurate picture of those times of long ago, I would be blessed with a new found sense of respect and awe for not only the history of this magnificent land, but for its dignity and destiny as well. However, if, "Braveheart" was exposed as a piece of total fluff, albeit a wonderfully presented one, my spirits would be saddened. Still I’d come away from the experience with a sense of admiration for the geography of the Highlands and a respect for the people of Scotland.

On my way home from the theater, I visited my local library. Once there, I performed an exhaustive search for a William Wallace biography. Sadly, none were available or even in print. This was a setback, but I continued looking for any material relating to Sir William Wallace of Elerslie.

In a moment of inspiration, I entered the search string, "Robert The Bruce," in the library’s computer. Instantly, I was presented with a listing of at least 4 books dealing with the times and exploits of this Scottish hero. I raced over to the section where these books were stacked and gingerly picked up, "Robert The Bruce, King of Scots," written by R. McNair Scott. I held this huge work in my trembling hands and thumbed ahead to the index with tremendous hope that William Wallace’s name would be listed. To my amazement and extraordinary joy, several references to the Guardian of Scotland were listed! I cradled the book in my quaking arms and checked it out of the library.

As was true following my first viewing of, "Braveheart," I don’t recall driving home that day. I do, however, remember quite well that absolutely nothing could have distracted me, that afternoon, from voraciously reading, "Robert The Bruce, King of Scots." Naturally, I immediately turned to each page containing information on William Wallace and then basically memorized all that was found. Within an hour, I began to carefully and respectfully study the entire work.

Finally, the facts about Sir William and his times were confirmed to me in a most poignant style. Yes, he had lived, fought like a raging banshee for his country, defeated the English at Stirling (Stirling Bridge to be exact), lost a spectacular fight at Falkirk and been betrayed by a number of his countrymen. His wife had been viciously murdered by despicable English authorities and Sir William did indeed seek and commit revenge against these repugnant criminals.

The book proved that William Wallace had been elected Guardian of Scotland, yet was despised by a number of nobles (the very ones who had elevated him to his lofty rank). While Robert The Bruce did in fact serve the English at Falkirk, he went on to support Sir William and to revere this most courageous of patriots. And of course, King Edward was confirmed to be the satanic ogre so perfectly portrayed by Patrick McGoohan in, "Braveheart." (Actually, Edward 1 was much more ruthless than I’d come to realize. He was a dastardly resident of the lowest possible nether-world regions.)

The torture and subsequent beheading of William Wallace was described, using the most graphic of literary language, in R. McNair Scott’s book. To say that my stomach was torn out of body during a reading of this event would be a grossly inadequate statement. Yes, the scene in, "Braveheart," showing Wallace’s murder is extremely telling, but to compound this vision with a reading of the full details is not to be attempted by the squeamish.

The story of Robert The Bruce, as read in the book, is an exceptional one, heightened by the truth about William Wallace. The Bruce turned out to be a monarch of superb quality and his adoration for his country and people is the stuff of legends. I highly recommend, "Robert The Bruce, King of Scots," by R. McNair Scott. It will be an eye opening experience for many.

Having discovered that Mel Gibson had in fact done an admirable job of detailing the life and times of Sir William Wallace, it was time to perform additional research.

For years, I had collected a few travel books which provided several images of Scotland as well as basic text regarding certain aspects of the country’s history. While the information was quite incomplete, I was still able to locate a few references to William Wallace, but just enough to whet my appetite, thus another source would have to be located.

With a great deal of anticipation, I dialed onto the Internet in search of additional information regarding the life and times of Sir William Wallace. I entered the name into Yahoo and sat back to watch the results of the search come into view. A few listings were offered, but none so intriguing as The Highlander Web Magazine item. I clicked on the URL in record time.

Those who have read my recent column, "Thistle Never Do," are aware of my association with this exceptional publication and how I came to locate the elusive Spear Thistle. What wasn’t explained in that article, however, is that I had been a visitor to the site prior to searching for information on the plant in question. In fact, my first exposure to the magazine came on the day that I happened upon the exquisite article, "Sir William Wallace of Elerslie," found at the Highlander Web Magazine site. I was too overcome, however, by the plethora of information regarding, "The Truth About William Wallace," to notice the publisher’s name of the piece, at that time.

As noted, I located an article entitled, "Sir William Wallace of Elerslie," within a millisecond of my arrival at Highlander Web Magazine’s site. I was stunned at the plethora of information contained in the feature and promptly downloaded a copy of it. As my printer eased the pages out, I cradled each of them as though they were treasures of priceless value.

As I discovered, Highlander Web Magazine’s, "Sir William Wallace of Elerslie," is a magnificent work of literary art and should be required reading for anyone who is remotely interested in the topic. This article is exceptional and while it confirms many of the details presented in, "Braveheart," it also points out the few inaccuracies offered in the film. It is an outstanding piece and I was blessed to read it.

In addition to the above mentioned article, I was overjoyed to learn of the publication of a book entitled, "William Wallace, Brave Heart," by the renowned author, James Mackay (available for purchase through The Highlander Web Magazine). Don’t hesitate for another moment! Order this book right now! It is a remarkable effort and will serve to enrich your understanding of the truths presented in, "Braveheart."

My faith in, "Braveheart," as a realistic telling of Scotland’s hero for the ages had now been confirmed. Over the ensuing weeks and months, I’d view, "Braveheart" in excess of 15 additional times.

I’m often asked if a level of boredom sets in on me when watching this triumph over and over? I always respond, "how could I ever be bored by such a magnificently moving work of art? If it is impossible to experience one too many encounters with Renoir’s extraordinary outpourings, it is just as improbable to become bored while watching, "Braveheart," countless times. I cannot envision the time when being privileged to view, "Braveheart," would be less than an honor and a thoroughly enriching experience.

As a result of my time spent with Gibson’s masterpiece and facts learned through my studies, I had come to understand the true message of, "Braveheart." It is found in the eloquent words of William Wallace as delivered to his superb comrade, Hamish: "It’s all for nothing if you don’t have freedom."

It is a profound pity that a number of people missed the true meaning of, "Braveheart."

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