The Soap Man: Lewis, Harris and Lord Leverhulme Paperback – 4 July 2024

A well researched and well told story that situates the almost hapless and arrogant Lord Leverhulme within a set of historical circumstances and people that were not prepared to bow down to his great plan after buying Lewis and then Harris. A set of circumstances that now resonate with current Land Reform debates in Scotland.

I go through phases of reading non-fiction and it's usually about a subject or place that interests me - in this case, I visited the location for The Soap Man a few years ago and had heard a little of the story but wanted to know more...The book starts with a brief introduction to the life-story of William Lever, who would later become Lord Leverhulme, a self-made industrialist who made his money mostly from soap. His company would later go on to be part of the multi-national conglomerate Unilever. After setting up a model factory and village in the middle of a marsh in Lancashire, which he called Port Sunlight, Lever found himself with the opportunity of buying the entire Hebridean island of Lewis (and later its neighbour, Harris), the economy of which he believed he could revolutionise.As long, of course, as the people of Lewis did what he wanted and, for a number of reasons, they were not inclined to do so. Lever had bought the island but he'd inherited a bunch of historic issues around land ownership, as previous lairds had spent money on deer and grouse while the island's inhabitants wanted land for crofting. All of this was happening around the time of World War I and the returning servicemen were even less likely to go along with what Lever was proposing.All in all, I found 'The Soap Man' an interesting example of that old adage about the irresistible force and the immovable object, with Lever as a man who was unable to see that he was half the author of his own problems with the people whose lives he wanted to up-end.

I enjoyed this account of an important period in the history of Lewis and Harris. I learned a lot about the events and how they affected the population of these islands in the crucial years after World War One.

Fascinating account of Leverhulme's ill-fated attempt to buy the people of Lewis. And great value at 1p & P&P!

I am struggling to get this going. So far it seems very much a list of events in history with a loose thread in. I'm only about a fifth in so time will tell.I read The King of Sunlight, and wanted a bit more about the man.I will possibly put it one side for a while, finish the other two I have going then read it by itself perhaps there is too much in it to be dipping back and to.

In common with another reviewer, I am shortly due to visit Lewis again and - due to only having had a half- formed knowledge of Leverhulme and his association with the island- I felt it was an opportune time to read this book.This tale would be comical if it wasn't so tragic. The culture clash between Leverhulme and the native land - (or, as the author likes to style it, the "Gaidhealtachd") is just about as extreme as you could possibly get. Leverhulme does come across as being an astonishingly insensitive and patronising kind of a man. The story is presented in a very well researched and methodical kind of a way although it is, admittedly, a little dry in parts. There is quite a lot of background detail about Leverhulme and his various business ventures. This is of course necessary so you have a better understanding of "what made him tick".I do find some delicious irony in the fact that the author chose to have the book published in English, (which of course earns him more money) as opposed to Gaelic. Be that as it may, it is a good , well researched ( although ultimately quite depressing) read. I found it to be an excellent accompaniment to Andy Wightman's important work "The Poor Had No Lawyers" - to which it bears many similarities.

Excellent insight to Leverhulme's efforts good, bad or otherwise. Well written and detailed. you'd expect from Roger Hutchison.

Was bought as a gift.... was much appreciated by recipient

I am doing research on Lord Leverhulme and this book was extremely useful in revealing a part of his life and character that doesn't appear anywhere else in his history.