John Gray Popular Books

John Gray Biography & Facts

Greyfriars Bobby (4 May 1855 – 14 January 1872) was a Skye Terrier or Dandie Dinmont Terrier who became known in 19th-century Edinburgh for spending 14 years guarding the grave of his owner until he died on 14 January 1872. The story continues to be well known in Scotland, through several books and films. A prominent commemorative statue and nearby graves are a tourist attraction. Traditional view The best-known version of the story is that Bobby belonged to John Gray, who worked for the Edinburgh City Police as a nightwatchman. When John Gray died he was buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard, the kirkyard surrounding Greyfriars Kirk in the Old Town of Edinburgh. Bobby then became known locally, spending the rest of his life sitting on his master's grave.In 1867 the lord provost of Edinburgh, Sir William Chambers, who was also a director of the Scottish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, paid for Bobby's licence and gave the dog a collar, now in the Museum of Edinburgh.Bobby is said to have sat by the grave for 14 years. He died in 1872 and a necropsy by Prof Thomas Walley of the Edinburgh Veterinary College concluded he had died from cancer of the jaw.He was buried just inside the gate of Greyfriars Kirkyard, not far from John Gray's grave.A year later, the English philanthropist Lady Burdett-Coutts was charmed by the story and had a drinking fountain topped with Bobby's statue (commissioned from the sculptor William Brodie) erected at the junction of George IV Bridge and Candlemaker Row (opposite the entrance to the churchyard) to commemorate him. John Gray John Gray (died 15 February 1858) commonly known in popular culture as Old John (Scots: Auld Jock) was a gardener who came to Edinburgh in 1850 with his wife Jess and son John. He avoided working in a workhouse by joining the Edinburgh City Police as a nightwatchman. Around this time he looked after Greyfriars Bobby. Bobby would follow John Gray whilst he was at work. According to records, policemen were obliged to have watchdogs with them. John Traill claimed that John Gray was a farmer who regularly visited his coffee house at the one o'clock gun, though this might have been embellished as Traill didn't own the coffee house until four years after John Gray died. Gray reportedly died of tuberculosis on 15 February 1858 and was buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard. For 14 years, the dog stayed at his master's graveside.In January 2018, his grave was toppled by vandals. George Robinson of the One O'Clock Gun Association said "There are guys wandering around there totally out of their mind. You can't control that." Alternative views The accuracy of stories of Greyfriars Bobby has been challenged many times: for instance, in Forbes Macgregor's Greyfriars Bobby: The Real Story at Last, Jan Bondeson's Greyfriars Bobby: The Most Faithful Dog in the World, and Richard Brassey's "Greyfriars Bobby The Most Famous Dog in Scotland".Questions about the story's accuracy are not new. In a newspaper article in The Scotsman, "Greyfriars Bobby A Dog's Devotion" (11 August 1934), Councillor Wilson McLaren responds to contemporary questions about the accuracy of the stories by describing his own conversation, in 1871, with "Mr Traill" of "Traill's Coffee House" in relation to the dog he himself was then feeding, reassuring readers about the story Mr Traill had given him, and describing responses in 1889 to questions about the story's accuracy. A sense of the difficulty of determining accuracy is gained from two opposing letters to The Scotsman newspaper on 8 February 1889 (part of the debate referred to by McLaren), both from people claiming close links to Greyfriars Kirk, both claiming to have known of the dog personally but with opposing views over the accuracy of stories.A common discussion is over which of two people named John Gray was the real owner of Bobby (one being a night watchman and the other a farmer). In Councillor McLaren's account, Mr Traill in 1871 had spoken about John Gray the farmer.Jan Bondeson's book advances the view that fundamental facts about the dog and its loyalty are wrong. Bondeson states as background that in 19th-century Europe, there are over 60 documented accounts of graveyard or cemetery dogs. They were stray dogs, fed by visitors and curators to the point that the dogs made the graveyards their home. People began to believe that they were waiting by a grave and so the dog was looked after. Bondeson claims that after an article about Bobby appeared in The Scotsman, visitor numbers to the graveyard increased, which supposedly created a commercial benefit for the local community. Bondeson also speculates that in 1867, the original Bobby died and was replaced with a younger dog, which explains Bobby's supposed longevity.According to a book published in 2022, Bobby was more likely to have been a dandie dinmont terrier than a Skye terrier as is generally supposed. The claim was made by Mike Macbeth, president of the Dandie Dinmont Terrier Club of Canada. Macbeth pointed out that the dandie dinmont terrier was extremely popular in Scotland at the time, with some 60 breeders in the Edinburgh area, whereas skye terriers tended to be confined to the Isle of Skye. Memorials Greyfriars Bobby Fountain, the fountain includes a life-size statue of Greyfriars Bobby created by William Brodie in 1872, financed by Baroness Burdett-Coutts of the Coutts banking family. The monument is Edinburgh's smallest listed structure. Greyfriars Bobby's Bar, a pub located on the ground floor of the Candlemaker Row's houses. Greyfriars Bobby's headstone, the headstone was erected by The Dog Aid Society of Scotland and unveiled by the Duke of Gloucester on 13 May 1981. The monument reads, "Greyfriars Bobby – Died 14 January 1872 – Aged 16 years – Let his loyalty and devotion be a lesson to us all". In 2021 a new monument to mark the 150th anniversary of the dog’s death was placed close to the east wall of Greyfriars Kirk. This was ordered by Robbie Beattie, a senior manager with Edinburgh City Council's Bereavement Service. No consultation or conventional commissioning process was undertaken, despite the Kirkyard lying within a UNESCO World Heritage site.Books and films directly about Bobby The 1902 historical account, "The True Story of Greyfriars Bobby" by Henry T. Hutton, Publisher: Edinburgh The 1912 novel Greyfriars Bobby by Eleanor Atkinson embellished the story and made John Gray a shepherd, known as "Auld Jock". The 1961 Walt Disney film Greyfriars Bobby: The True Story of a Dog was based on the book. The Adventures of Greyfriars Bobby, another film, was released in the UK in February 2006 starring James Cosmo and Christopher Lee (released elsewhere in 2005 under the alternative title Greyfriars Bobby). The Edinburgh Castle scenes in this film were actually shot at Stirling Castle. Many expressed reservations that a West Highland Terrier was cast as Bobby, and that new characters were added while one of the major char.... Discover the John Gray popular books. 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Best Seller John Gray Books of 2024

  • Shooting Iron synopsis, comments

    Shooting Iron

    William W. Johnstone & J.A. Johnstone

    JOHNSTONE COUNTRY. WHERE VIOLENCE IS NEVER THE ANSWER.UNTIL IT IS. The latest novel in a thundering new western adventure series centering on one man's battle to carve out justice ...

  • To Hell and Gone synopsis, comments

    To Hell and Gone

    Charles G. West

    A new actionpacked historical Western from an awardwinning author of more than forty Western bestsellers.  THEY CALLED HIM CRAZY WOLF   As a widower with three young boys...

  • Northanger Abbey synopsis, comments

    Northanger Abbey

    Jane Austen

    'Jane Austen is a genius, and Northanger Abbey is hugely underrated' Martin AmisWith its irrepressible heroine and playful literary games, Northanger Abbey is the most youthful and...

  • Tom Clancy True Faith and Allegiance synopsis, comments

    Tom Clancy True Faith and Allegiance

    Mark Greaney

    President Jack Ryan deals with the worst breach U.S. intelligence has ever suffered in this “compelling and frighteningly realistic” thriller in Tom Clancy’s #1 New York Times...

  • I Am Number 8 synopsis, comments

    I Am Number 8

    John Gray & Joel Osteen

    If God can take David the invisible eighth son of a forgotten family and turn him into a king, just imagine what magnificent plans He has for redeeming your life.David was born a...

  • Bad Hombres synopsis, comments

    Bad Hombres

    William W. Johnstone & J.A. Johnstone

    JOHNSTONE COUNTRY. THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE EVIL. Legendary national bestselling Western authors William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone return with their latest installment in t...

  • Gray Mountain synopsis, comments

    Gray Mountain

    John Grisham

    #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER  John Grisham has a new hero ... and she’s full of surprises.   The year is 2008 and Samantha Kofer’s career at a huge Wall Street ...

  • Killers Never Sleep synopsis, comments

    Killers Never Sleep

    William W. Johnstone & J.A. Johnstone

    Johnstone Country. Where Real Cowboys Never Run. They Fight Back.The latest actionpacked historical western from national bestselling authors William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnston...

  • The People Code synopsis, comments

    The People Code

    Taylor Hartman

    Motive matters! "Give me five minutes and I can predict your life success. I can help you understand why you do what you do by identifying your Core Motive." Dr. Taylor HartmanIn h...

  • The Power of the Heart synopsis, comments

    The Power of the Heart

    Baptist de Pape

    With its unprecedented convocation of eighteen of the world’s greatest spiritual thinkers, writers, and scientists, including Maya Angelou, Deepak Chopra, Paulo Coelho, and Eckhart...

  • Mistakes Can Kill You synopsis, comments

    Mistakes Can Kill You

    Louis L'Amour

    “L’Amour is popular for all the right reasons. His books embody heroic virtues that seem to matter now more than ever.”The Wall Street JournalEdgeofyourseat thrillers from the grea...

  • How to Get What You Want and Want What You Have synopsis, comments

    How to Get What You Want and Want What You Have

    John Gray

    From the author of the phenomenal Mars & Venus bestsellers, a course in achieving personal, successthe realization of all one's dreams.As millions of readers of the Men Are Fro...

  • Summary of Gray Mountain synopsis, comments

    Summary of Gray Mountain

    Instaread

    PLEASE NOTE: This is a summary and analysis of the book and NOT the original book.    Inside this Instaread: Summary of entire book Introduction to the import...

  • Pale Gray for Guilt synopsis, comments

    Pale Gray for Guilt

    John D. MacDonald & Lee Child

    From a beloved master of crime fiction, Pale Gray for Guilt is one of many classic novels featuring Travis McGee, the hardboiled detective who lives on a houseboat.   Travis M...

  • Richard II synopsis, comments

    Richard II

    William Shakespeare

    The authoritative edition of Richard II from The Folger Shakespeare Library, the trusted and widely used Shakespeare series for students and general readers.Shakespeare’s Richard I...

  • Fort Misery synopsis, comments

    Fort Misery

    William W. Johnstone & J.A. Johnstone

    Legendary national bestselling Western authors William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone begin a new series with the worst men in the west serving in the US Army with Fort Misery.The...

  • How The Secret Changed My Life synopsis, comments

    How The Secret Changed My Life

    Rhonda Byrne

    An aweinspiring compilation of the most uplifting and powerful reallife stories from readers of the worldwide bestseller The Secret. Discover how everyday people completely transfo...

  • The Lonesome Gun synopsis, comments

    The Lonesome Gun

    William W. Johnstone & J.A. Johnstone

    JOHNSTONE COUNTRY.  WITH A DETOUR THROUGH HELL.Good Samaritan gunslinger Perley Gates returns for a new actionpacked adventure from legendary national bestselling Western auth...

  • Hostile Territory synopsis, comments

    Hostile Territory

    William W. Johnstone & J.A. Johnstone

    Gunfighters Preacher and Jamie MacCallister keep the peace on the Oregon Trail in the latest novel in the Preacher & Jamie MacCallister Western series from national bestselling...

  • The Jensen Dynasty synopsis, comments

    The Jensen Dynasty

    William W. Johnstone & J.A. Johnstone

    Return to the epic sagas of the Jensen mountain menSmoke and Lukeand their unique brand of bold, blazing justice together in one volume and in paperback for the first timefrom the ...

  • While the Town Slept synopsis, comments

    While the Town Slept

    William W. Johnstone & J.A. Johnstone

    The latest blazing, breakneck adventure in the Tim Colter Western series by the bestselling legends of historical Westerns in which the assassination of President Grant is on the l...

  • The Secret to Love, Health, and Money synopsis, comments

    The Secret to Love, Health, and Money

    Rhonda Byrne

    This indepth masterclass from the author of the groundbreaking bestseller The Secret illustrates how to apply the law of attraction to three of life’s most important areas: relatio...

  • A Joosr Guide to... Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus by John Gray synopsis, comments

    A Joosr Guide to... Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus by John Gray

    Joosr

    In today's fastpaced world, it's tough to find the time to read. But with Joosr guides, you can get the key insights from bestselling nonfiction titles in less than 20 minutes. Whe...

  • It Ended Badly synopsis, comments

    It Ended Badly

    Jennifer Wright

    A history of heartbreakreplete with beheadings, uprisings, creepy sex dolls, and celebrity gossipand its disastrously bad consequences throughout timeSpanning eras and cultures f...

  • Lord John and the Private Matter synopsis, comments

    Lord John and the Private Matter

    Diana Gabaldon

    NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER  Diana Gabaldon weaves a dazzling tale of history, intrigue, and suspense in this first novel featuring one of her most popular characters from the O...

  • How to Invest synopsis, comments

    How to Invest

    David M. Rubenstein

    NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERA master class on investing featuring conversations with the biggest names in finance, from the legendary cofounder of The Carlyle Group, David M. Rubenste...

  • El secreto de Gray Mountain synopsis, comments

    El secreto de Gray Mountain

    John Grisham

    Tras perder su trabajo en un prestigioso bufete de abogados, una joven se implica en la defensa de un paisaje en riesgo, en un territorio sin ley.La nueva heroína de Grisham es una...

  • Some Die Young synopsis, comments

    Some Die Young

    William W. Johnstone & J.A. Johnstone

    Johnstone Country. Where Freedom Stings.They call him The Man from Waco. Jailed for a crime he didn’t commit. Freed by the judge who locked him up but needs his protection. Hunted ...

  • Richard III synopsis, comments

    Richard III

    William Shakespeare

    The authoritative edition of Richard III from The Folger Shakespeare Library, the trusted and widely used Shakespeare series for students and general readers.In Richard III, Shakes...

  • The First Day of Eternity synopsis, comments

    The First Day of Eternity

    Charles G. West

    Raised by Crow Indians. Enlisted by the US Army. Legendary scout Cody Hunter returns to the mountains where he lost his familyand makes a shocking discovery that will change his li...

  • Almost the Perfect Murder synopsis, comments

    Almost the Perfect Murder

    Paul H. Williams

    From Ireland's leading crime journalist, Paul Williams, comes the definitive account of the case that gripped the nation.'A book that had to be written' Ray D'Arcy, RTÉ Radio 1 For...

  • The Scottish Prisoner synopsis, comments

    The Scottish Prisoner

    Diana Gabaldon

    “This could be the worthy Lord John Grey’s breakout novel, as readers are treated to large dollops of Outlander hero Jamie Fraser.”Booklist   A captivating return to the world...

  • You Are The One synopsis, comments

    You Are The One

    Kute Blackson

    A charismatic visionary and transformational teacher offers a bold new look at spiritual awareness providing the tools needed to live a life truly inspired by love for a whole new ...

  • Desolation Creek synopsis, comments

    Desolation Creek

    William W. Johnstone & J.A. Johnstone

    Legendary national bestselling Western authors William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone return with the latest gunblazing installment in their newest Smoke Jensen series.JOHNSTONE C...

  • Hard Winter synopsis, comments

    Hard Winter

    William W. Johnstone & J.A. Johnstone

    From bestselling authors William W. and J.A. Johnstone comes the latest installment in a bold, new, generationsspanning saga of the American West set in historical Montana territor...

  • Walking with God synopsis, comments

    Walking with God

    John Eldredge

    Follow one man’s journey of learning to hear the voice of God. By putting words to the things God has shown him through some amazing experiences, John Eldredge helps read...

  • Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade synopsis, comments

    Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade

    Diana Gabaldon

    NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER   Diana Gabaldon, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Outlander saga, brings back one of her most compelling characters: Lord John Grey. ...

  • Silent Sons synopsis, comments

    Silent Sons

    Robert Ackerman

    It could be you or someone you love. Strong, silent types are everywhere, and it is their telltale silence that has kept their problems hidden until now. A silent son can come from...

  • The Lord John Series 4-Book Bundle synopsis, comments

    The Lord John Series 4-Book Bundle

    Diana Gabaldon

    Diana Gabaldon, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Outlander series, delivers captivating tales of history, intrigue, and suspense that feature one of her most popular cha...

  • Montana synopsis, comments

    Montana

    William W. Johnstone & J.A. Johnstone

    From bestselling authors William W. and J.A. Johnstone comes a bold, new, generationsspanning saga of the American West set in historical Montana territory. Two Families. Nine Gene...

  • Home in the Valley synopsis, comments

    Home in the Valley

    Louis L'Amour

    A collection of some of the best short fiction writing from the most famous Western author of all time.Louis L’Amour is indisputably the most famous and wellrespected writer to eve...

  • Fort Buzzard synopsis, comments

    Fort Buzzard

    William W. Johnstone & J.A. Johnstone

    Johnstone Country. Where Every Road Leads to Death. Preacher and Jamie McCallister head for the hills to uncover the truth behind a gruesome mountain massacreand find themselves tr...