Pocket History of Scotland-Revised

by James A. MacKay

Though it may not be among the largest of nations, Scotland certainly has one of the longest and richest histories, and has undergone significant changes over the centuries. This compact history of Scotland charts the twists and turns of the country's often tumultuous past, from the earliest Mesolithic inhabitants to the modern 21st century nation we know today.

Paperback

Published April 6, 2002

About the author

Also credited as "James MacKay" or "James Alexander MacKay".

Dr. James Alexander MacKay was a prolific Scottish writer and philatelist whose reputation was damaged by a criminal conviction for theft and repeated accusations of plagiarism. In an obituary by John Holman, Editor of the British Philatelic Bulletin, Mackay was described as a "philatelic writer without equal". Mackay's output was broad.

Reviews

[John Matthew IV · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice illustrated history of Scotland. Lots and lots of photos.

Physically hard to read with the size of the pages. It is a wee but fat book.

p. 14: Lussa Wood on Jura
p. 36: Battle of Mons Graupius in 83 aD at Bennachie
p. 36: "Solitudinem faciant pacem appellant" - "They made a desert and they call it peace" - Calgacus
p. 45: "A combination of boredom and common sense had eventually persuaded the Empire to leave Scotland to the natives."
p. 63: The People of Scotland 900-1266:
* Galloway
* Deira (Northumbria)
* Benicia (Lothian)
* Calatria
* Manaan
* Dalriada
* South Pictland
* North Pictland
p. 106: "The reigns of Alexander II (1214-49) and his son Alexander III (1249-86) are regarded as the golden age of Scotland's medieval history.
p. 108: Battle of Largs in 1263
p. 109: "The removal of the Norse threat, however completed the consolidation of the kingdom of Scotland."
p. 125: "The Declaration of Arbroath was the crowning achievement of Robert Bruce."
p. 200: "the Scottish practice of extempore prayer was declared illegal" -- "spoken or done without preparation.
p. 234: The Darien Scheme (1698-1700)
p. 248: Lollius Urbicus was a Numidian Berber governor of Roman Britain between the years 139 and 142, during the reign of the Emperor Antoninus Pius.
p. 263: "In due course the destruction of the clan system would drastically alter the economic character of the Highlands and leave a legacy of bitterness to this day."
p 268: Horse drawn plough replaces the oxen drawn plough.
p. 272-7: Henry Dundas
p. 291: Free Church of Scotland
p. 329: Local Government Act, 1973:
* Dumfries & Galloway
* Borders
* Strathclyde
* Lothian
* Central
* Fife
* Tayside
* Grampian
* Highland
* Western Isles
* Orkney
* Shetland

[Sir Robbiethehoo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A concise but yet very detailed overview of Scotland’s history. Charting its beginnings through to the present day. Laid out chronologically and with the inclusion of great photographs and images this really helps makes the information presented be all the more digestible. I did find some of the information on religious and political aspects a little dry at times. And you’d need pretty large pockets for this book to fit in. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, light reading and informative, would happily recommend.

[Michael Eklund · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple but charming, well illustrated. An easy read for someone new to Scottish history.

[Helen Waring · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was expecting much from this small but chunky book. It is beautifully illustrated and offered a fairly comprehensive history of Scotland despite its small size.

My struggles with this book is that it is almost impossible for a lay person to dip in and out of it. On numerous occasions references are made to a person or situation that had not been previously explained.

For instance, on page 138:

Though the Third Estate has little influence on royal policy, it played an increasingly important role in farming…..

And the Third Estate refers to what..???

Or on page 206:

In June 1643, a Convention of the Estates met in Edinburgh…..

No reference to who or what this Convention of the Estates was.

The language also tries to be overly prosaic which results in a lack of clarity essential for a text of this nature. The same person is referred to in multiple different ways leaving the reader having to revisit previous paragraphs or even pages to clarify what or who was being referred to.

It feels like a much lengthier text has been condensed which results in far too much information being given and needless small details. A book of this size, covering ten thousand years of history, needs to be giving a straightforward overview with references for further detailed reading if the reader desires.

There is a glossary which could have been hugely helpful but was in fact a woeful list of a little over two dozen words. The dense nature of this book with little space for explanation could have excused itself with a comprehensive glossary. Even church terminology when explaining the period after the unification of the monarchy contained many ecclesiastical terms that I was unfamiliar with. Google became my friend!

I would recommend this if someone wants a coffee table book or a something to dip into if you are already familiar with the broad arc of Scottish history and the key details. It isn’t really a read for someone who, like me, has had an English education which pretty much lacks any reference to anything North of the border.