Scotland: A Concise History

by Fitzroy Maclean, Magnus Linklater

"The Scots," said a censorious English member of Parliament in 1607, "have not suffered above two kings to die in their beds these two hundred years." He may have exaggerated, but undeniably Scotland has a rough and bloodstained history. It is a complex one too, but Sir Fitzroy Maclean disentangles the threads and enlivens his brisk account with both wit and scholarship. Pictures from authentic contemporary sources illuminate his story--its romantic figures and bloody battles, its politics and religion--and provide a rich visual record of Scotland's art, craftsmanship, and intellectual life. For this revised edition, the distinguished journalist Magnus Linklater (former editor of The Scotsman ), explores the renewed strengths of Scottish identity as the country enters the new millennium with a new parliament. 250 b/w illustrations. 250 black-and-white illustrations

Genres: History, Scotland, Nonfiction, Reference, European History, British Literature, Adult

248 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1968

About the author

Major General Fitzroy Hew Royle Maclean, Bt, KT, CBE.

Graduate of Eton and subsequently King's College, University of Cambridge. Joined the Diplomatic Service in 1932. Posted to Paris from 1933-1937 and then the British Embassy to Moscow from 1937-1941.

Veteran of WWII. In 1941, he chose to enlist as a private in the Cameron Highlanders, but was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant the same year. He was one of the earliest members of the elite SAS. By the end of the war, had risen to the rank of Brigadier. Maclean wrote several books, including Eastern Approaches, in which he recounted three extraordinary series of adventures: traveling, often incognito, in Soviet Central Asia; fighting in the Western Desert Campaign (1941-1943), where he specialized in commando raids (with the Special Air Service Regiment) behind enemy lines; and living rough with Josip Broz Tito and his Yugoslav Partisans. It has been widely speculated that Ian Fleming used Maclean as one of his inspirations for James Bond.

Unionist Party (Scotland) member of Parliament (MP) from 1941-1974.

Awarded a baronetcy, becoming 1st Baronet, Maclean of Strachur and Glensluain. Invested a Knight of the Order of the Thistle (KT). Appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). Recipient of the Croix de Guerre (France), the Order of Kutuzov (Soviet Union), the Order of the Partisan Star (Yugoslavia), and, posthumously, the Order of Prince Branimir (Croatia).

Reviews

[K.M. Weiland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I honestly think I got more out of this slim volume than I have any of the countless other sources I've read about Scotland. Their history really clicked for me within the larger context of Great Britain and the world--both the romanticized bits and the decidedly un-romantic bits. Every chapter was interesting (although I admit to glazing over a little bit when it got to modern-day politics), and I found myself underlining and annotating time again. Thought-provoking and entertaining.

[Joey]

"The conquest of Scotland was complete. Or so it seemed."

This "concise history" of Scotland is too concise, focusing mainly on the royal/political history of the nation above all else.

The book covers a long list of men seeking to rule (or, more recently, to lead) Scotland, but I have no idea what daily life was like for 99% of the population in the years 500, 1000, or 1500, which is what I was hoping for.

Also, the two authors lament both the dissolution of the British Empire and the introduction of devolution, revealing their personal bias. All history books are biased, of course, and it's easy to criticize this when you happen to disagree with a particular assertion. But the last few chapters of this book covering the modern era were particularly opinionated to the point of feeling unreliable.

Still, I got a helpful overview of topics I can explore in more detail later: the early colonization of the region and subsequent disappearance of the Picts; England's many invasions and eventual conquering of Scotland; and the campaign of cultural erasure against the Highlanders, culminating in the Highland Clearances.

[Chase Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5, rounded up. A great, quick primer on key moments and players in Scotlands history. Best paired with additional reading, as key names or events are often highlighted without context.

[Nathan Albright · Rating 5 out of 5]

It cannot be denied that the history recorded in this volume is a deeply melancholy one. According to the witty and canny but also patriotic author of this book, in this history which begins in the mists of antiquity, in Roman attempts at invasion and subjugation, and that continues to the late 1900’s, as this book was first published in 1970 (the particular version I read was published in 2000), the history of Scotland is one where many of the same patterns reveal themselves over and over again, weak and often corrupt central government, political and military weakness in the large scale counterbalanced by a rich cultural and intellectual life, proud nationalism and ferocious individual courage counterbalanced by weak social cohesion and deep divides between Pict, Scot, Strathclyde Celt and Angle, and later between Highlander and Lowlander, and between Protestant and Catholic, leading to tragedy in the face of the more unified English to the south, and repeated long regencies where for two centuries scarcely two Scottish kings died peacefully in their beds. Given such death and dispossession and division, this book cannot help but be melancholy and also possessed of a certain flinty courage that values a man for dying bravely where living successfully is such a challenge. And so it is.

In terms of its organization and structure, the book is written as a narrative history, with a large amount of maps and images ranging from photographs of politicians for independence and devolution to some strikingly Assyrian-looking Pictish reliefs from the era before the Scottish kingdom was unified under Dal Raida/Scot rule. After briefly discussing the origins of the Scottish kingdom, with a focus on political history, most of the book is spent discussing the period between the attacks of Edward I and the predictable defeats of the Jacobite revolts in 1715 and 1745. All of the chapters have as their title quotations from the chapters that relate to the contents, some of them quotes from Scots themselves, some of them quotes from observers or from laws, starting from a ruler ‘polished from the rust of Scottish barbarity’ through the gloomy observation that ‘they spend all their time in wars and when there is no war they fight each other’ to toasts to ‘the king over the water’ to the lats chapter, contributed by Magnus Linklater about ‘the settled will of the Scottish people’ with the possession of their own Parliament. The book closes with a cautious hope: “One thing, however, was clear. A turn had been taken which would change fundamentally not only the country itself, but its place in the world. For the first time since 1707 the Scots had charge of their own affairs. It was now up to them to make the best use of it (231).”

This book lives up to its name, as a concise history designed for people who are interested in Scottish history, and likely Scottish themselves in either ancestry or loyalty. The author is honest, painfully so, about the way that feuds and internecine struggles have weakened the Scottish people, the way that Scotland has preserved its own identity despite the long amount of time under English rule where they were a permanent minority within the British political system, a welcome source of troops but a backwoods plantation that was denied its political freedom, and frequently dependent on vulnerable single industries like sheep raising and cotton-based manufacturing. Although this is certainly not a happy book, with its gloomy look at battles lost and oppression suffered, the book and its discussion is a tribute to the tenacity of Scottish identity and to the worth of its contributions to the world, written by someone who is clearly proud to be a Scot.

[Daniel Garon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a little bit of whiplash as this book covers over 1000 years of Scottish history in about 160 pages. It seems that a good bit of external information, such as general political and economic concepts from the feudal system to the present day, is necessary to keep up. However the book is excellent as timeline of the history as I was visiting Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿. Also good for identifying a couple specific periods of Scottish history I would like to learn more about

[Eva · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as interesting as Robert the Bruce. A little dry, but that is to be expected from a factual history book. Great for research.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just before our trip. Helpful history and easy to read.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent classic history!!

[Bryce · Rating 2 out of 5]

Planning a trip to Scotland, I thought I read a "concise" history of Scotland. While this book was informative and full of interesting diagrams, maps, art and photos of Scotland, its focus in on the Scottish Kings from the 11th to the 18th centuries. The book is a bit choppy since it covers seven centuries of turbulent history in less than about 180 pages. Without the monarchal pedigree at the beginning of the book and a map of Scotland at the time, it would have been near impossible to keep all of the nascent kings (and a couple of queens) and all of their adult regents straight. Alliances with England, Denmark, France, and Germany were the order of the day. While the Scots fought fiercely, they were never able to throw off the yoke of England's rule.

One of my favorite passages in the book takes place during the reign of King James IV in the mid 15th century. James IV attempted to tackle the problem of the Highlands and Islands and end the prolonged feud between the Macdonalds on one hand and the Macleods and Mackenzies on the other. James attempted to introduce fishing and shipbuilding to the clans, but nothing ever came of the project. 'The Scots', reported an observer, 'are not industrious and the people are poor. They spend all their time in wars, and when there is no war the fight one another.'

[Tim Pendry · Rating 3 out of 5]

We have here a solid basic popular narrative of Scottish history, well illustrated and fairly presented, with (in the latest edition) an additional chapter taking the story up to the convening of the new Scottish Parliament in May 1999.

As an English reader, I welcome this narrative. Scotland has a definite and separate national story which, so long as it is stripped of sentimental accretions, has to be recognised as such. It is for the Scottish people to decide democratically what sort of future Scotland they want in that context.

Historical education is at a low point in England with history being taught to maintain a sometimes spurious social cohesion rather than tell these islands' story but, even in the golden age, the English were never taught adequately about their sister Celtic peoples.

This should change - although well under 10% of the population of the Kingdom (with Northern Ireland and Wales even smaller), there should still be a proportionate understanding of Scotland just as Scots education cannot do Scotland service if it mouths nationalist platitudes and rewritings.

This book gives us a baseline narrative although it will undoubtedly be out of date in its assessments today. History should be a critique of claims through the provision of a fair narrative and not a mythic buttress of claims for political ends. Maclean comes close to that ideal.

[Miriam]

"Clans of Scotland" (disc 3: MacLean Clan) is a must-see to see a picture of and understand the background of this author.

Great pedigree chart of the Stuarts from Duncan I to Charles Edward and Henry.

If you wonder about Mr. McLean's leanings this will give you a clue: "[The Duke of Cumberland] carried out [the battle of Culloden] with characteristically Teutonic thoroughness and gusto." p. 181

[Matt Kelland · Rating 1 out of 5]

A concise history of the government and battles of Scotland. Dryly presented, with less information than Wikipedia. It covers up to 1100AD in under 15 pages, half of which are pictures. The new section is a recitation of who was appointed to which posts in the new Parliament. Nothing about the social or cultural aspects, nothing about anyone except royalty & nobility, it's just a list of power struggles. Read some Nigel Tranter. You'll learn more and have more fun.

[Boris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought it would help inform my reading of Walter Scott. It does that admirably. I can now look up the Covenanters and the like.

It's a bit on the light / popular side, with plenty of illustrations.

[Niels Lodewijk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Useful and enjoyable read while traveling through Scotland. However, trying to summarise a history like Scotland's in less than 200 pages is a challenge and is because of its briefness sometimes hard to understand.

[Chris Cassic · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good overview. Left out some early information, and skipped some later history I was curious about, but did a fantastic job covering everything that led to the union between Scotland and England (man was it messy - more than once I was temporarily lost because one side or the other had changed allegiances).
Definitely some assumptions about Scottish terms and culture went over my head (and would have liked translations of the Gaelic passages), but I could definitely keep up with the overall thread.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written, concise, lots of pictures. This is a traditional political history rather than a social history—you'll learn about battles and kings and dynasties, but there's not a lot about Scottish culture. I would have liked a concise history describing things like how traditional Scottish music, food, and clothing developed—how the geography of the country shaped culture—and why Puritanism and Presbytarianism were stronger there than in England. If you have a recommendation for that, let me know!

[Alejandro Melendez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives a pretty good basic overview of the history of Scotland. Definitely when one reads this, one must expect simplicity and summaries of many moments of the past; makes no sense to hope for the most precise history book. Interesting to see the author personal opinions many times throughout the text and it is true that it would have been real nice to get a lot more information on the first 10 centuries. For sure the Picts, the Britons and the Celts are amazing and complex cultures that deserve a lot more.
Yet, a good introduction to the history of the country.

[Hugh Coverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy read that takes one through a truly concise history of the government of Scotland. This is a history of great men that highlights the rise and fall of kings and a queen, the trials and tribulations associated with the union of the two crowns, and the political maturation and economic development of Scotland since the union. It is richly illustrated in black and white from start to finish. An essential introduction to Scottish history.

[Marguerite MacLean · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was certainly concise. In 241 pages it went from the fist King of Scotland to the Parliamentary Government of 2011. It was also fascinating. There was so much I didn't know and although I hardly can call myself well educated on Scotland, I do feel I have a much better understanding of things. If you like history, and want a quick overview of the country of Scotland, I would highly recommend this book.

[Emilia McFerren · Rating 3 out of 5]

While somewhat out of date and hard to follow, I do have a better sense of Scotland’s history and national identity and how it relates to the rest of the UK, especially England. I did have to do some outside research to understand everything and seeing as this was published in 1993, I’ll need to do more to feel up to speed. But on the whole I am more confident in my knowledge of the country, so here’s to not making any blunders while living there!

[David Christensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book because I’ll be traveling to Scotland in 40 days and wanted to absorb as much background as I could. The book is dry, not an interesting read. But it was concise, well documented and illustrated. It covered the societal changes, religion, politics, economies, the struggles with England , labor, church, poverty and Scottish place in world history. So, I did gain a much better appreciation for the country I will spend considerable vacation time in.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this concise history. It covered the key events without overwhelming one with details. The maps were also quite helpful in understanding the text. My one complaint is that many of the illustrations were too small to make sense of. Recommended as a primer for those with little background in Scottish history. The writing is clear and informative.

[Anna]

This was quite entertaining, though it occasionally felt like I was forgetting it faster than reading it. I keep expecting history and nonfiction to read like fiction, and well, it doesn’t. In only one instance did I succumb to the urge to make a pencilled note on the margin. This is not bad for a book first published several years ago, that also touches on the topic of the British Empire.

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is there not to like? The book delivers as it claims, it is a concise history of Scotland. Tackling such a project has to be daunting: what to include, what to skim, what to discard? Maclean sets a standard for the concentrated history titles of Thames and Hudson.

[James Ruley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book met expectations by providing a concise, well-illustrated history of Scotland from Roman times to the present. Although the bulk of the work focuses on the 16th through 18th centuries, there is adequate coverage of all portions of the country’s history. A solid introduction.

[Chris Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I literally knew nothing about Scottish history, except what I learned (ages ago) about the Reformation there. This was a great history of Scotland. Covers from the Roman period through the 2016 election. Lots of amazing turns of phrase.

[Randa Mathias · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good concise overview, if a bit outdated at this point.

[James Junke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Concise indeed. Clear deep subject matter expertise reflected in a trenchant narrative with a true rogues gallery of characters.

[mary mustard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very monarchial, which is natural especially considering the general lack of evidence pre-1200s, but I would have preferred more culture, food, language.