The Story of Scotland

by Nigel G. Tranter

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Description

Scotland's story cannot be told merely in terms of documentary evidence, for this would be to neglect an integral part of the nation's heritage. The legends, myths, stories and memories handed down from generation to generation must be added to the bare bones of factual record if the character of the country is to be truly revealed. Nigel Tranter was able to combine the two with a masterly hand, expertly weaving the colourful threads of folklore into the fabric of historical fact. Tranter show more was impeccably qualified to tell the story of Scotland, having written many books detailing the nation's rich past and he possessed an exceptional gift for storytelling. His account begins in the years before records made traditional history possible and ends with the transformation of Scotland during the 19th century into a workshop of the world and a source of pioneers for Britain's empire. In this perennial bestseller, Niigel Tranter's incomparable tale of a nation's enthralling history is the most comprehensible primer on the subject yet published. Before he passed away in January 2000, Tranter had written over 70 novels and several works of non-fiction, almost all of them historical works set in Scotland. show less

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Member Reviews

4 reviews
A brief view of Scotland, I didn't have too many expectations as its not a large book to cover the history of a country. Covers the main points and is an introduction to the topic, but not a book for one who already has a good knowledge of Scottish History.
½
A nice abbreviated way to learn about Scotland's history. A good book to read before traveling to Scotland, as background information.
Author recommended by Elizabeth McLean.

... weaving the colourful threads of folklore into the fabric of historical fact.
In this perennial bestseller, Nigel Tranter's incomparable tale of a nation's enthralling history is the most comprehensible primer on the subject
De auteur van dit boek maakt er gelukkig geen geheim van: hij is geen historicus en is ook niet geïnteresseerd in de correctheid van de historische informatie, hij wil alleen een goed verhaal vertellen. Die eerlijkheid siert hem, maar zelfs zijn nobele voornemen is hem niet gelukt: dit verhaal steekt boordevol historische details en is nauwelijks te volgen. Bovendien houdt Tranter ermee op bij de start van de 20ste eeuw. Tenslotte - en ook daar maakt hij geen geheim van - is zijn betoog gekleurd door een aandoenlijk Schots nationalisme dat zich voortdurend uit in schimpscheuten tegen de Engelsen en tegen (de vele) Schotten die de Schotse zaak aan Engeland verkocht hebben. Ondanks al mijn sympathie voor de Schotten: vermijdt dit boek!
½

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Common Knowledge

Original publication date
1987
Important places
Scotland, UK

Classifications

Genres
History, Nonfiction, General Nonfiction
DDC/MDS
941.1History & geographyHistory of EuropeBritish IslesScotland
LCC
DA760 .T73History of Europe, Asia, Africa and OceaniaGreat BritainHistory of Great BritainScotlandHistoryGeneral
BISAC

Statistics

Members
158
Popularity
208,045
Reviews
4
Rating
½ (3.41)
Languages
English
Media
Paper, Ebook
ISBNs
6
ASINs
2