The Great Survivor: The Amazing Escapes of James VI of Scotland and I of England was written largely because of the little known story of the Laird of Drumquhassle found in a family history published privately in 1875. Mary McGrigor reveals the story of how a lonely little boy, deprived of all natural affection, became the sagacious genius who steered the countries of his kingdom safely through European conflicts to years of prosperity hitherto unknown. James I and VI, even before his birth, became a prime target for assassins and somehow, miraculously, defied them all to become the 'wisest fool in Christendom', successfully playing off his enemies to achieve his aims. Despite his eccentricity and some of his uncouth ways, he emerges as a man of clear perspective, succeeding against all odds. McGrigor chronicles the life and times of this remarkable, strange yet at times lovable king through a tumultuous era.