Written by John Cairney, this collection is not another 'complete works' but a personal selection from 'The Man Who Played Robert Burns'. This is very much John's book. His favourites are reproduced here and he talks about them with an obvious love of the man and his work. His depth of knowledge and understanding has been garnered over forty years of study, writing and performance.
The collection includes sixty poems, songs and other works; and an essay that explores Burns' life and influences, his triumphs and tragedies. This informed introduction provides the reader with an insight into Burns's world.
Burns's work has drama, passion, pathos and humour. His careful workmanship is concealed by the spontaneity of his verse. He was always a forward thinking man and remains a writer for the future.

John Cairney, actor, writer and raconteur is internationally known  as 'the face of Burns'. From the first performance at the original Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh in January 1965 till the most recent at the newest Traverse Theatre in January 2002, the solo Burns format has been a success with audiences all round the world. Indeed, John Cairney has become so associated with the part that his first volume of autobiography in 1987 was called 'The Man Who Played Robert Burns'.