Scottish History: The Power of the Past

by Edward J. Cowan, Richard J. Finlay

This book examines how generations of Scots have exploited and reshaped history to meet their needs, from the conquest of the Picts to the refounding of Parliament. Chapters explore the violent manipulations of the past in medieval Scotland, the Scottish Reformation, the transformation of "Highland barbarism" into "Gaelicism," and other issues.

320 pages, Hardcover

First published October 15, 2002

About the author

Edward J. Cowan FRSE was a Scottish historian. He was born in Edinburgh and educated at Dumfries Academy.

He was Professor of Scottish History at the University of Glasgow and Director of the university’s Dumfries Campus, he previously taught at the Universities of Edinburgh and Guelph, Ontario. A fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, he was also a Visiting Professor in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA.