The story of Great Highland Warpipes in battle - a compelling history of the bagpipe as a weapon of war

‘The pipes kept playing, for you and me
They kept on saying, we’ll soon be free
And your soul will never fade away
You’ll live forever, when the pipers play’

The Great Highland Bagpipes have taken soldiers to the heights of bravery and driven their enemies to the depths of despair. The history of this martial instrument is full of stirring tales of pipers inspiring troops in battle, even continuing to play after being wounded. Based on author Patrick King’s award-winning films, When the Pipers Play combines historical research with exclusive interviews which trace the crucial role of the military piper.

Through remarkable and vivid first-hand accounts from veterans, including the last surviving piper to play in battle, this book tells how the war pipes have been heard in anger across the world. Even now, the bagpipes remain the one primal element in the sophistication of modern warfare.

This is a history of an instrument of war and its place in the traditions of the Scottish regiments, as well as Irish and Commonwealth forces. Military pipers have now become the sole custodians of centuries of tradition, where the deeds of their ancestors are commemorated in the tunes of glory.

This is their story.