A Short History of Scotland

The only short history of Scotland available that deals with the most recent developments in the country, like the establishment of Scotland's first parliament in over 300 years in 1999, this work places events in their historical and cultural context, and reflects the remarkable revival in Scottish culture and history writing since the 1960s. Topics covered include the shaping of the kingdom, medieval Scotland, reformation and dual monarchy, union and enlightenment, industrialization, and the troubled but ultimately triumphant twentieth century. Harvie also deals with long-standing clichés about Scotland and analyzes Scotland's disproportionate role in European nationalism.

In this gripping narrative, one of Scotland's leading historians and political writers discusses the geography, people and culture of this fascinating land—from prehistoric times to the present day.

The only short history of Scotland available that deals with the most recent developments in the country, like the establishment of Scotland's first parliament in over 300 years in 1999, this work places events in their historical and cultural context, and reflects the remarkable revival in Scottish culture and history writing since the 1960s. Topics covered include the shaping of the kingdom, medieval Scotland, reformation and dual monarchy, union and enlightenment, industrialization, and the troubled but ultimately triumphant twentieth century. Harvie also deals with long-standing clichés about Scotland and analyzes Scotland's disproportionate role in European nationalism.

Christopher Harvie, Professor of British and Irish Studies at Tübingen University, made himself the leading historian of twentieth-century Scotland with two classic works, Scotland and Nationalism (1977, third edition 1998) and No Gods and Precious Few Heroes: Twentieth-Century Scotland (1981, third edition, 2000). Educated at the High School and University of Edinburgh, a pioneer of distance learning at the Open University, and a polymath in the tradition of Adam Smith and Patrick Geddes, Harvie now brings his interest in technology, politics and culture, displayed in The Lights of Liberalism (on the Oxbridge élite, 1976), The Centre of Things (on political fiction, 1991) and Fool's Gold (on North Sea oil, 1994) to bear on his own country, in A Short History of Scotland.