Scotland: A Concise History - Softcover

'An admirable introduction to a fascinating subject' - The Scotsman 'Elegantly written' - Hugh Trevor-Roper, The Sunday Times

‘The Scots’, said a censorious English member of Parliament in 1607, ‘have not suffered above two kings to die in their beds these two hundred years.’ He may have exaggerated, but undeniably Scotland has had a rough and bloodstained history. It is a complex one, too, but the late Fitzroy Maclean and Magnus Linklater disentangle the threads, and enliven their brisk account with both wit and scholarship. Pictures from authentic contemporary sources illuminate the story – its romantic figures and bloody battles, its politics and religion – and provide a record of Scotland’s art, craftsmanship and intellectual life.

In this revised edition of this classic work, Magnus Linklater brings the story of Scotland right up to date, examining how the Scots identity is faring since the momentous Scottish referendum of 2014, and discussing the fate of the United Kingdom.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Magnus Linklater · 1. ‘Polished from the rust of Scottish barbarity’ · 2. ‘Not for glory, nor riches, nor honour, but only for that liberty’ · 3. ‘They spend all their time in wars and when there is no war, they fight one another’ · 4. ‘The great marriage day of this nation with god’ · 5. ‘Ane end of ane auld sang’ · 6. ‘The king over the water’ · 7.‘For a’ that’ · 8. ‘The settled will of the Scottish people’ · 9. ‘We shall carry it carefully and make the nation proud’