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Scotland: The Story of a Nation
Hailed as a �vast, superb history [that] relates Scotland’s past over a dozen millennia” (Kirkus Reviews), Magnusson draws on a great deal of modern scholarship to redefine a nation’s history. He charts the long struggle toward nationhood, explores the roots of the original Scots, and examines the extent to which Scotland was shaped by the Romans, the Picts, the Vikings, a...more
Paperback, 752 pages
Published
January 17th 2003
by Grove Press
(first published 2000)
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Great information, and a really thorough overview of Scottish history. Some of the place references that are relative to modern-day UK highways might not be so useful for an American like myself, but otherwise all good info.
Only thing is, it's just SO dense that it's hard to get through. Took me the better part of a year, and I'd say maybe 10% of it really stuck. I'd sacrifice some of the detail for something that's a little more engaging so as to encourage some better retention.
Only thing is, it's just SO dense that it's hard to get through. Took me the better part of a year, and I'd say maybe 10% of it really stuck. I'd sacrifice some of the detail for something that's a little more engaging so as to encourage some better retention.
Not your grandfather's history book. At 700+ pages, it's not light reading. More of a history-cum-travelogue. Using Walter Scott's The Miscellaneous Works Of Sir Walter Scott: Tales Of A Grandfather, History Of Scotland as his framing story and whipping boy, Magnusson recasts the entirety of Scottish history in a more modern vein than Scott's nineteenth century work.
The cover blurb advertises this as a "traditional" history. If by that they mean heavy on politics and battles, it is. Not a lot of...more
The cover blurb advertises this as a "traditional" history. If by that they mean heavy on politics and battles, it is. Not a lot of...more
Sir Walter Scott wrote "A Grandfather's Tale" which became something of a standard Scottish history text. But Scott skipped over things that didn't fit with his views (pro union w/ England, Protestant). Magnus Magnusson starts many of his chapters w/ excerpts from "A Grandfather's Tale" but he goes beyond Scott, beginning with the earliest evidence of man in Scotland, around 7,000 B.C.
The author dispels some myths like Robert Bruce being confronted by William Wallace after the Battle of Falkirk....more
The author dispels some myths like Robert Bruce being confronted by William Wallace after the Battle of Falkirk....more
At 750 pages, maybe not the book you'd pack in the carry-on luggage--but an excellent, very readable yet meticulously detailed history of Scotland. Besides his friendly prose and comprehensiveness, what I like about Magnusson's approach is that he relates his historical narrative at every point to the historical monuments, markers, and ongoing commemorative projects that travelers want to know about (and he gives their exact location, unconcerned that modern highway numbers or commercial landmar...more
A thoroughly enjoyable romp through the heather, one epic journey from the megalithic to the end of the twentieth century. Magnus's 'Scotland-The Story of a Nation' is a mega biblion. Some seven hundred pages written in a warm and easy style.
I have come across many details here that I thought I knew, many more that I half knew, but by far all exceeded by historical facts that are completely new to me. I would readily recommend this journey in search of statehood, not just for those of Scotti or...more
I have come across many details here that I thought I knew, many more that I half knew, but by far all exceeded by historical facts that are completely new to me. I would readily recommend this journey in search of statehood, not just for those of Scotti or...more
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This book has been my companion since I started to first study Scotland's history. Magnusson is a great author in that he write clearly and easy to understand and is also very engaging. This book is pretty much an overview of all of Scotland's history and may not be the best for studying one particular subject, but is great for the novice. I use it all the time as a reference when I need a quick look-up. I have a friendly battered paperback with notes scrawled all through it that shows my devoti...more
This is a thick book!! And I really enjoyed most of the book! The last but coming into the 1940's and on were okay. My family came to America from Great Britain with the Pilgrims practically so I had no sense of their homelands history. Unlike my husbands whose family came from Glasgow to the US in 1912. It was very fascinating and will pick it up and read this book every now and again, just to re-read certain facts of historical significance. Now I just need a book about England and Ireland tha...more
Well, it took me a while, but I finally finished it. Firstly, I must begin by saying that Magnus Magnusson's Scotland is definitely in the popular history category. However, I thought it was a good basic introduction, or broad overview, of Scottish history. I had previously done intensive reading and research on particular areas of Scottish history (particularly the Reformation and Enlightenment eras), but I had never read a general history of Scotland. This book gave me a much better view of th...more
Little did I know that the history of Scotland would be as fascinating, if not moreso, than 'English' history. Indeed, would England have been the nation it was if not for Scotland (and wales, ans Ireland, perhaps)? As might be expecte ethos stretches from the early celts through the Norse influences to the more modern history made famous by Wallace, the Stewart's and rob Roy, through to the devolution to a Scottish parliament, although the detailed story finishes at the battle of culloden in 17...more
My ancestry does not include much in the way of ethnic color, but the Scots provide most of what there is. Indeed, in the past century the Scottish branch of the family, at some remove, has included a fighter pilot and war hero, a celebrated poet, and two successful movie stars. So it's with a nod to our Caledonian ancestors that we toast each other on the holidays, and I seized on the opportunity to take my bride to Scotland when I got married.
So it was with some surprise that I discovered that...more
So it was with some surprise that I discovered that...more
I'll save you the trouble of reading and give you some of the highlights: 1) Scots are bloody, dangerously aggressive people with short attention spans - loved starting wars and could win some battles but lost interest before the war was over.. 2) The Duke of Argyll is one bad mother . . . shut your mouth. 3) The movie BraveHeart did lead to the Scotland getting its own parliament for the first time since the 1700s. Seriously.
This book had some great chapters and others that were not so hot. Th...more
This book had some great chapters and others that were not so hot. Th...more
Fascinating.
I got all the way to Charles II where my interest started to wane, and then school started, blah blah.
But still an excellent primer in the history of Scottish state and monarchy. I do wish there was a little more reference to how actual people lived. One of the kings ruled for a really long time and we learned all about his wars and wives and then at the very end of the chapter Magnusson says well the plague was going on for most of his reign. What?! A 50 year plague? That killed a t...more
I got all the way to Charles II where my interest started to wane, and then school started, blah blah.
But still an excellent primer in the history of Scottish state and monarchy. I do wish there was a little more reference to how actual people lived. One of the kings ruled for a really long time and we learned all about his wars and wives and then at the very end of the chapter Magnusson says well the plague was going on for most of his reign. What?! A 50 year plague? That killed a t...more
Magnusson's "Scotland: The Story of a Nation" lacked the eloquence and detail of a Massie or Ambrose book but still gave a solid and at times inspiring account of Scottish History. I imagine it's greatest value would be as a reference for those seeking information as it was quite a challenge to read cover-to-cover and took me close to a year. Also it skips the 19th century except for a segue on Sir Walter Scott and breezes through the 20th century in about 30 pages. A more apt title would be A H...more
This is pure history and a lot of it. My goal in reading this book was to really learn about the history of the country that I was living in. The cliff notes version is that it is a miracle that there are any Scots left in Scotland! Between religious wars, wars for land, wars for titles, wars for honor - it is no wonder that there are more Scots outside of Scotland than in it.
I think the snippet from The Washington Post that appears on the cover of the book sums up the contents pithily, 'A well-told traditional history.' Only four stars because I did find my interest starting to drag about 3/4 of the way through the book, only picking up again with the '45 rising. In other words, it just seemed to lack that "I can't put this book down" feeling in places.
Perhaps it's my increasing dissatisfaction with strictly political histories, but it took me an unusually long time to read this book. The chapters, naturally divided by ruler, didn't seem to sufficiently explain who these kings and queens were, and excluded pretty much everything else except the scenery and the numerous wars and campaigns.
I've owned this for a while, and really want to finally read it. The parts I have already looked at seem wonderful...very good writing, engaging discussion. The part on Macbeth was certainly terrific - Shakespeare was such a libelist (a genius, but a libelist).
Feb 12, 2011
Anne
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
teens and adults
Shelves:
historical,
scotland
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Even though it was a history of a country, this author writes with imagination and wit and it is almost like reading a novel. I find it hard sometimes to read about the massacre at Glencoe and the Battle of Culloden. Mr. Magnusson shows all of the horrors that the people of this tiny country have gone through over hundreds of years, but have still managed to come out with their heads held high and their pride in their country intact. Definitely highly recommended.
I feel a great sense of accomplishment at finishing this book. From Neolithic times up to the return of the Scottish parliament, this book gives a great look at Scottish history. Having taken a British history class in college, it was nice to see Scotland's history and involvement in the Union fleshed out. The battle descriptions are very good to the point of being able to visualize what was going on. I liked how the author would start many chapters or sections with the way something (a field, a...more
Magnusson often adds "tour guide book" type of information, especially in the footnotes. (I like this.) As others have noted, the book focuses on the political history of Scotland, especially upon the royal succession. It was my first book on Scottish history, and I'd recommend it to anyone who, like me, doesn't know much about Scotland's history. Now I'm ready for a broader history, with more than just politics.
There was a lot of detail in this book. I was mostly interested in finding out more information about William Wallace, Robert the Bruce (Great Granddad) and David II (another Great Granddad). It was crazy reading about all the turmoil between the English and the Scots.
Hailed as a "vast, superb history [that] relates Scotland’s past over a dozen millennia” (Kirkus Reviews), Magnusson draws on a great deal of modern scholarship to redefine a nation’s history. He charts the long struggle toward nationhood, explores the roots of the original Scots, and examines the extent to which Scotland was shaped by the Romans, the Picts, the Vikings, and the English. Encompassing everything from the first Mesolithic settlers in 7000 B.C. to the present movements for independ...more
I am on Chapter 17, a little bit less than half-way done with the book. I have to say that this book is a little hard to follow. Sometimes I will be following along just fine and other times it will be like there are two different authors and the other author took over. Those times the reading seems to be somewhat tedious. There is a lot of information in the book. It makes me want to write a historical novel about Scotland kind of like how Tolstoy wrote War and Peace.
9/23/08 I finally finished...more
9/23/08 I finally finished...more
Jul 09, 2009
Redsteve
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Shelves:
17th-century,
18th-century,
19th-century,
british-isles,
celtic,
edwardian,
early-20th-century,
elizabethan,
history,
nonfiction,
politics,
religion,
renaissance,
scotland,
tudor,
war,
norse
It was interesting to read something written from a Scottish perspective on historical periods that I'm more familiar with from an English/Irish/French point of view. Also, I like the way Magnusson works in details about historical sites/exhibits - it makes me want to go to Scotland.
I good read, but I liked the author's The Vikings better.
I good read, but I liked the author's The Vikings better.
A very good read, and for those new to the learning of Scottish history, then you couldn't do better.
The absolute BEST scottish history book...full of great true stories, beautifully told!
While this book is thick, though not as thick as my complete works of Shakespeare, it is a good book.
Some historians write in a very dry style. I have been, for instance, trying to read a book about Irish Nationalism for six years, but the lanuage is so dry, I haven't been able to finish it yet. Magnusson, thank heavens, does not have a dry style. His style is engaging, almost a story telling style. Besides relating the bare bones of history, he also includes ancedotes, in particular a hugely f...more
Some historians write in a very dry style. I have been, for instance, trying to read a book about Irish Nationalism for six years, but the lanuage is so dry, I haven't been able to finish it yet. Magnusson, thank heavens, does not have a dry style. His style is engaging, almost a story telling style. Besides relating the bare bones of history, he also includes ancedotes, in particular a hugely f...more
For a biased nationalist view of Scotland, this was a very entertaining history -- and very thorough. Also, there were lots of pictures!
What an amazing land! I'm proud to be Scottish, too!
Jan 30, 2011
Greg
is currently reading it
An excellent book, very detailed, easy to read.
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