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A History of Scotland
David Ross is a historian who examines the state of a country/nation as it is today, and then explains how that country has developed through time using people and places and events to make history come alive, rather than depend on a dry narrative of kings, queens and battles. Aimed at the general reader, this short history focuses on the seventy generations who have inhabited Scotland within historical time. It is their work, beliefs and experience that form the basis of modern Scotland, and drove Scotland towards establishing its parliament in 1999. The book tracks too how Scotland has changed because of new arrivals, but argues that the country has maintained and prized its cultural and political differences while welcoming ethnic influence.
192 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2009
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12 people want to read
About the author
David Ross
51 books4 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
David Sutherland Ross is a fully fledged member of that well-established species, the Scottish literary exile. Born in Oban, Argyll, he was removed at an early age to his ancestral county of Ross and Cromarty, where he grew up and went to school. Furnished with a little knowledge about all sorts of things thanks to a Scottish education, he migrated to London expecting to become a journalist, but became a publisher instead.
Having learned from blurb-writing how to represent a tangle of ill-assorted elements and random events as a unified whole, he realised he was eminently qualified to write the history of Scotland, and produced Scotland: History of a Nation. Nowadays, as chairman of a small Scottish-based publishing company, he combines publishing with writing and the compilation of anthologies, including Awa’ and Bile Yer Heid, a collection of Scottish insults and invective. Although he enjoys it all immensely, sometimes he wonders whether it isn’t too late to try something completely different, like utilising his ability to do water-divining; or perhaps opening a beach restaurant in Bali.
His favourite place in Scotland is the summit of Ben Venue; his favourite Scottish food, new-baked scones with raspberry jam; his favourite Scottish book, The Scottish National Dictionary, and his favourite Scottish phrase, “Just a sensation.”
David Sutherland Ross is a fully fledged member of that well-established species, the Scottish literary exile. Born in Oban, Argyll, he was removed at an early age to his ancestral county of Ross and Cromarty, where he grew up and went to school. Furnished with a little knowledge about all sorts of things thanks to a Scottish education, he migrated to London expecting to become a journalist, but became a publisher instead.
Having learned from blurb-writing how to represent a tangle of ill-assorted elements and random events as a unified whole, he realised he was eminently qualified to write the history of Scotland, and produced Scotland: History of a Nation. Nowadays, as chairman of a small Scottish-based publishing company, he combines publishing with writing and the compilation of anthologies, including Awa’ and Bile Yer Heid, a collection of Scottish insults and invective. Although he enjoys it all immensely, sometimes he wonders whether it isn’t too late to try something completely different, like utilising his ability to do water-divining; or perhaps opening a beach restaurant in Bali.
His favourite place in Scotland is the summit of Ben Venue; his favourite Scottish food, new-baked scones with raspberry jam; his favourite Scottish book, The Scottish National Dictionary, and his favourite Scottish phrase, “Just a sensation.”
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 29, 2012
I actually brought this book for my lovely Auntie for her birthday and decided to have a cheeky read before I post it to her. Well, I am 1/4 Scottish, but I don't really know much about the history of Scotland.
This is a rather condensed summary of a long and complex history. I have read it at an interesting time, because it has been in the news recently about Scotland perhaps regaining independance. So it has given me an understanding of the history behind the news!
I think this book is a good starting point, for further reading. This book could have benifited from some maps showing the areas being descibed and some family tree diagram for the royals. It was getting a little confusing for my wee brain.
This is a rather condensed summary of a long and complex history. I have read it at an interesting time, because it has been in the news recently about Scotland perhaps regaining independance. So it has given me an understanding of the history behind the news!
I think this book is a good starting point, for further reading. This book could have benifited from some maps showing the areas being descibed and some family tree diagram for the royals. It was getting a little confusing for my wee brain.
Displaying 1 of 1 review