Scotland: A Short History

Christopher Harvie, one of Scotland’s leading historians and political writers, takes a long view of Scotland: its land, people, and culture. Scotland: A History sweeps from the earliest settlements to the new Parliament of 1999 and beyond. It describes the unique multi-ethnic kingdom which emerged from the Dark Ages, the small, proud nation manoeuvring among the great powers of medieval Europe, and the radical reformation which forced a compromise with its mighty southern neighbour. Harvie follows Scotland’s tense partnership with England for over 400 years, through dual monarchy and union, enlightenment and empire, industrialization and de-industrialization. First published over a decade ago, this new edition has been extended – at both ends – to include recent discoveries about Scotland’s early pre-historic settlements, through to a new final chapter covering the history, politics, and economics of the country under the Holyrood Parliament – and the background to the controversy over the Independence Referendum of 2014.