George Heriot's Hospital and School has a unique place in the history of Edinburgh and in Scottish education. Its foundation in the third decade of the Seventeenth Century expanded the intellectual and charitable boundaries of the City and became a forerunner for many similar schools throughout the country. A new History of the Founder and his School is very overdue as we have to go back well over a hundred years to read Frederick Bedford's formative work. Brian Lockhart puts a fresh and modern slant on the well-known facts and digs deep to unearth many other interesting aspects of the School's history. The life of George Heriot; the transition of his legacy into the “Wark”; the early years and development of the Hospital; the link with the New Town; the expansion of education within Edinburgh; the Day School; educational and sporting achievements – all of these are threads which run through Brian Lockhart's new book, which is well illustrated and full of interest to Herioters and non-Herioters alike.