Allan Massie's many and diverse writings have made him one of Scotland's leading men of letters. Massie's most notable characteristic is the diversity of his fiction. Although mainly known for historical novels about the Roman Empire, he has also written espionage novels, novels set in the Middle Ages, and contemporary novels of manners, in addition to many works of nonfiction. In all his fiction Massie is concerned with the instability of society, and this sense of flux and mutability provides the basis for most of his work. Massie's novels are chiefly plot driven; he has a vigorous narrative technique and is primarily interested in action. His historical fiction does not have the wealth of quotidian details that some period novelists employ to add density and verisimilitude to their work. All of his novels benefit from his vigorous storytelling and vivid characterization. His nonfiction includes biographies of Muriel Spark...