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Scottish History: From Bannockburn to Holyrood
A concise and excellent guide to Scottish history and how Scotland has come to be the country it is today
From prehistoric Scotland to the 2014 referendum for independence, this little book covers all the main events throughout Scotland's history . Included are key events, such as the Union of Crowns and Burns Night; important people, including as Bonnie Prince Charlie and Alexander Graham Bell; and significant places, such as Culloden.
From prehistoric Scotland to the 2014 referendum for independence, this little book covers all the main events throughout Scotland's history . Included are key events, such as the Union of Crowns and Burns Night; important people, including as Bonnie Prince Charlie and Alexander Graham Bell; and significant places, such as Culloden.
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
128 pages, Paperback
First published March 13, 2014
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48 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 16, 2019
Una muy valiosa introducción en pequeñas perlas a los aspectos más fundamentales de la historia, de la cultura y de la economía escocesa. Está muy bien estructurado. Da una imagen muy aproximada y real de lo que representa Escocia, no sólo para el resto de Gran Bretaña, sino para todo el planeta.
En mi caso, lo leí como complemento a un par de guías de viaje, y me ha resultado muy útil.
No le doy las cinco estrellas porque, al menos en la versión digital, las imágenes no vienen acompañadas de texto.
En mi caso, lo leí como complemento a un par de guías de viaje, y me ha resultado muy útil.
No le doy las cinco estrellas porque, al menos en la versión digital, las imágenes no vienen acompañadas de texto.
August 17, 2018
I did know what to expect with this book, but given that I live approximately 20 miles from the Scottish Border in Northumberland and frequently visit Scotland on day trips and on holiday - it is a place I really love. In fact, my mum and grandparents are set to drive up to the Isle of Skye, one of my favourite places, in a days time for a fortnights holiday.
This is a fantastic little book that has plenty of information about various places in Scotland and the most important events such as Burns Night and the Union of Crowns. It also includes information about key figures in Scottish history - Alexander Graham Bell and Bonnie Prince Charlie, to name but a few. A concise guide that is ideal for those looking for an overview of the countrys history from prehistoric Scotland right up to the independence referendum in 2014. I learned a lot, and as all of the information is set out in an accessible and easy-to-read way, I got through this quite quickly. As this is a concise guide you just get the basic facts before the book moves on other topics, and I found this ideal. It allows you to pick out which topics you may wish to discover in more depth in the future.
Many thanks to Collins for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
This is a fantastic little book that has plenty of information about various places in Scotland and the most important events such as Burns Night and the Union of Crowns. It also includes information about key figures in Scottish history - Alexander Graham Bell and Bonnie Prince Charlie, to name but a few. A concise guide that is ideal for those looking for an overview of the countrys history from prehistoric Scotland right up to the independence referendum in 2014. I learned a lot, and as all of the information is set out in an accessible and easy-to-read way, I got through this quite quickly. As this is a concise guide you just get the basic facts before the book moves on other topics, and I found this ideal. It allows you to pick out which topics you may wish to discover in more depth in the future.
Many thanks to Collins for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
January 1, 2019
A short wee book with a great summary of Scottish history. Really enjoyed it!
January 21, 2020
A concise, easy to read guide to Scotland, full of interesting facts. A really useful book if planning a holiday in Scotland, or if you're just curious. It gives you a great background of its history, special places, people and politics. Having read it, I'm planning visit some of the places mentioned that I was unaware of before. Thank you to John Abernethy, Net Galley and the publisher, Harper Collins for an ARC.
June 17, 2019
Scottish History by John Abernethy.
I really enjoyed reading this short book about the histpory of Scotland. Being a Scot its good to look backon our history, This book was concise and covered many of the great places, events and people of our country.
Looking back from the stone age right up to the 2014 referrendum for Independence. It wasnt over complex and didnt push any political views. Great for a starting point on learning about scots history.
Thanks to NetGalley and Collins Little Books for book.
I really enjoyed reading this short book about the histpory of Scotland. Being a Scot its good to look backon our history, This book was concise and covered many of the great places, events and people of our country.
Looking back from the stone age right up to the 2014 referrendum for Independence. It wasnt over complex and didnt push any political views. Great for a starting point on learning about scots history.
Thanks to NetGalley and Collins Little Books for book.
October 22, 2018
Scottish History is published by Collins as a Little Book, and so you won't be surprised to learn that this gives you a brief run through Scottish history, from ancient to very recent.
It gives you some lovely titbits of information, such as Dunedin being the ancient name for Edinburgh.
If you would like a short introduction to Scottish history, it's implications in politics, and how it is tied in to English, Irish and British history, then this is the book for you!
Scottish History by John Abernethy is out now, and available on Amazon, and everywhere else you can find books!
I was given this book for free in return for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and Collins Reference (the publishers) for this book.
Check out my GoodReads profile for more reviews.
It gives you some lovely titbits of information, such as Dunedin being the ancient name for Edinburgh.
If you would like a short introduction to Scottish history, it's implications in politics, and how it is tied in to English, Irish and British history, then this is the book for you!
Scottish History by John Abernethy is out now, and available on Amazon, and everywhere else you can find books!
I was given this book for free in return for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and Collins Reference (the publishers) for this book.
Check out my GoodReads profile for more reviews.
March 30, 2019
This is a great introduction to Scottish history it gives a good amount of information without overcomplicating or assuming previous knowledge. This book will wet you whistle for reading further about specific periods and events mentioned in the book. A throughly enjoyable read for all history buffs looking to dip their toe in the history of the Celtic nation.
August 25, 2023
What a nice book and what a great country Scotland. A geographical wonder constituted by the highlands, the lowlands and the islands, populated by the Picts and the Gaelic speaking people of Ireland on one side, the Scandinavian on the other and the Scots, to build up together what was first called Caledonian by the Romans, Alba by the Gaelic up to today’s Scotland. A country that saw their people not only to stay in its territory but to spread abroad to influence the world, like Dr. David Livingstone did in Africa by discovering the Victoria Falls among others, or James Wilson and John Witherspoon did by being under the signatories of the US declaration of independence (John Wilson himself being co-author of the US constitution), or John Muir, by pioneering Alaska and getting that far as to the Wrangel Island. Other great Scottish people influenced the world from in and outside the country, like James Watt (Steam engine, trigger of the industrial revolution), Alexander Graham Bell (telephone), Watson Watt (Radar), John Logie Baird (1st color tv transmission), Alexander Flemming (penicillin), James Richard Mcleod (insulin), James Young (paraffin), James Clerk Maxwell (electromagnetic radio waves base of the today digital era), John Napier (decimal point and logarithms), Adam Smith (author of “Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of Wealth of Nations”, founder of modern economics), … even the first cloned mammal (dolly the sheep) was to happen in Scotland in 1997.
What to say about literature: Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes), Robert Louis Stevenson (Treasure Island, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, …), Kenneth Grahame (Peter Pan), etc.
This pocket version has been for sure a big challenge for the author, by the way, born in Shetland, who has been able to summarize more the 9,000 years of Scottish human history into 215 pages of one side chapters each in a pocket version (DIN A6 size) with at least half of the pages being pictures, so just a little bit more than 100 pages of text. Fantastic read for a vacation. One of the best reads of this year 2023, partially read during my trip to the scottish Outer Hebrides and finished when I was back home in Germany. Very recommendable for those who want to get a good overview about Scotland (a 360° view, btw., since it touches as well politics, independence aspirations, North Sea oil extraction, etc.). A 5 stars book.
What to say about literature: Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes), Robert Louis Stevenson (Treasure Island, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, …), Kenneth Grahame (Peter Pan), etc.
This pocket version has been for sure a big challenge for the author, by the way, born in Shetland, who has been able to summarize more the 9,000 years of Scottish human history into 215 pages of one side chapters each in a pocket version (DIN A6 size) with at least half of the pages being pictures, so just a little bit more than 100 pages of text. Fantastic read for a vacation. One of the best reads of this year 2023, partially read during my trip to the scottish Outer Hebrides and finished when I was back home in Germany. Very recommendable for those who want to get a good overview about Scotland (a 360° view, btw., since it touches as well politics, independence aspirations, North Sea oil extraction, etc.). A 5 stars book.
May 7, 2022
A great wee book. Simple and straight forward, concise, chronologically ordered and well laid out. This book is a brilliant read for a brief introduction into Scottish history. The inclusion of good pictures helped break up the text and made the information presented all the more digestible. A fun, easy to understand, informative, pleasurable read.
Begins with prehistoric Scotland and ends in much more recent times and covers a lot in-between ! A good book for improving one’s knowledge of Scottish history.
Begins with prehistoric Scotland and ends in much more recent times and covers a lot in-between ! A good book for improving one’s knowledge of Scottish history.
January 21, 2020
A concise, easy to read guide to Scotland, full of interesting facts. A really useful book if planning a holiday in Scotland, or if you're just curious. It gives you a great background of its history, special places, people and politics. Having read it, I'm planning visit some of the places mentioned that I was unaware of before. Thank you to John Abernethy, Net Galley and the publisher, Harper Collins for an ARC.
July 6, 2021
Pretty much does what it says on the cover - a quick, entertaining history of Scotland
March 21, 2016
This was a fun little book to have in the bathroom, haha. Good info, I'll have to read a more in depth history soon.
April 10, 2022
A great pocket history book. I loved how much information was squeezed into each small page, and it didn’t bore me senseless like a lot of history books!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews