This book was a well-organized, brief overview of Scottish history. The author fit a lot into a small book! I especially liked learning more about the Highlands and Lowlands, the language and culture of Scotland. I think it served its purpose well. ( )

Scotland: A Very Short Introduction is a small book packed with a lot of information about Scotland, both historical and current. Broken into sections on politics and government, education, society, religion, culture, Scotland and the wider world, and economy and environment, it addresses the history and issues of each subject.

This introduction tells the story of Scotland beyond that of the romantic highlands, whiskey and tartan glamorized by Sir Walter Scott in the early 1800s as a “brilliant public relations exercise” and is a fine overview of the nation. ( )