is the author of over 100 books. He is best known his Scottish
historical novels and his five-volume work The Fortified House in Scotland
, but he also produced many other novels, particularly early on in his career.
This article discusses his contemporary stories, 'period pieces' and adventure novels.
For information on his historical novels see:
Historical novels by Nigel Tranter set before 1286
; Historical novels by Nigel Tranter set between 1286 and 1603 or Historical novels by Nigel Tranter set after 1603
.
For his other books see Children's books or Non-fiction books.
Nothing is more dangerous to reason than the flights of the imagination and nothing has been the occasion of more mistakes among philosophers. Men of bright fancies may in this respect be compared to those angels whom the scripture represents as covering their eyes with their wings.
Philosophy makes progress not by becoming more rigorous but by becoming more imaginative.
The conception of the necessary unit of all that is resolves itself into the poverty of the imagination, and a freer logic emancipates us from the straitwaistcoated benevolent institution, which idealism palms off as the totality of being.
The true function of logic,... as applied to matters of experience,... is analytic rather than constructive; taken a priori, it shows the possibility of hitherto unsuspected alternatives more often than the impossibility of alternatives which seemed prima facie possible. Thus, while it liberates imagination as to what the world may be, it refuses to legislate as to what the world is.
Science does not know its debt to imagination.
Cowardice, as distinguished from panic, is almost always simply a lack of ability to suspend the functioning of the imagination.
There is no life I knowthat compares to pure imaginationLiving there you'll be freeif you truly wish to be
Impossibility is only the figment of an insufficient imagination.