Scotland: A Very Peculiar History: Volume 1

by Fiona Macdonald

From its earliest inhabitants up to the beginnings of Stewart rule, 'Scotland: A Very Peculiar History - Volume 1' is a lively and informative account of the chequered (or rather, 'tartaned') history of Scotland. Detailing grisly clan wars and the many mythical creatures to look out for while you're out in the wild, this ebook gives an objective account of the nation's history, with 'no added haggis'! Focussing on the more weird and wonderful aspects of Scottish history, such as forgotten towns and mysterious runes, it celebrates how Scotland came to be, and includes fact boxes, quotes, poetry excerpts and recipes you wouldn't believe!

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Scotland, Historical

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Fiona Macdonald studied history at Cambridge University and at the University of East Anglia. She has taught in schools, adult education and university, and is the author of numerous books for children on historical topics.

Reviews

[Jessika Caruso · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an amazing introduction to Scottish history! The writing made history come alive in an exciting way. She used lots of exclamation points, which I rarely see historians do. More than just a book of fun facts, this is a thorough and well thought out chronology of the land. Volume 1 begins when humans first settled Scotland, and it does a great job of balancing anthropology, political history, and sociology. Along the way, it provides readers with some interesting stories about myths and legends surrounding the Scots, different artifacts, and famous people. It covers a long time period in a short book very well. The illustrations and quotes break up the text and are humorous and relevant. Onto Volume II (1300s-Modern Scotland)!

[Michell Karnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short overview of Scotland.

[Veronica · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 stjärnor. Älskar att den är skriven med humor samtidigt som man lär sig massor. Älskar allt som har med skottland och dess historia att göra.

[Sarah Coffey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Random, quick overview of early Scotland
. If you want details, maps, and the whole picture, probably look elsewhere. If you want some basics presented in a fun way, it's for you .

[jeanette kirk · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy but fun read! Lots of facts and trivia, kept me googling events for more information!

[Victoria Foote-Blackman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A small, very portable hardcover book, that provides a brief, but charming and informative read of Scottish life up to the 14th century. It is the perfect introduction, a quick dip into the subject while distracted on the train, plane or ferry. Also manages to clarify confusion over the different people who came to settle, whether Picts, Scots, Britons and Angles. Amusing illustrations as well. A light and lightweight but very effective overview to Scotland's early past. The only shortcoming is no index of Scottish topographical or geographical terms.

[Linda Street-Ely · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable little handbook of some of Scottish history that might be a bit more obscure to the non-historian. Unfortunately, the two members of Clan Logan who were with "the soldier who took the heart of Bruce" toward the Holy Land were not mentioned. They, too were killed in action. And yes, it was in Spain, they were killed by Moors, but they were planning to reach the Holy Land. A bit more accuracy on that story would have been good. Otherwise, I loved the recipes, the descriptions of clothing, toys, family, and life, and the huge variety of font. This is a storytelling book, witty, and a fun read. Highly recommend if you're remotely interested in Scottish history.

[Ginette]

Just too bad the book is so small, would have loved to read some more!

[Max Rebo]

2 pequeños volúmenes, deliciosamente editados, en los que se repasa brevemente la historia de Escocia, . Está orientado para los más jóvenes, pero es perfecto para hacerse una idea general.

[Dietmar · Rating 3 out of 5]

nice little book to get an overview of scottish history (from ice age to William Wallace). Will definitely get Vol. 2 when we are in Edinburgh this fall ...

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this up as a quick read between books. Not bad, very brisk - good for a quick refresher on Scottish history.