The New Penguin History of Scotland

Book excerpt: The New Penguin History of Scotland brings together the work of Scotland's foremost historians in a volume that is essential reading for anyone interested in Scotland and her people. Exploring the last 8,000 years of the country's history, from the scarcely documented Neolithic period to the current state of the nation, The New Penguin History of Scotland draws on the latest scholarship and a wide range of other disciplines-archaeology, social sciences, economics, science, religion, and literature. With individual chapters written by a leading expert on each particular period, The New Penguin History of Scotland illuminates the many ways in which the nation's history has shaped its national identity-going beyond the stories of kings, bishops, and battles to bring to life the history of the country's environment, family, and community. Lavishly illustrated, this engaging book will quickly establish itself as the most authoritative and comprehensive history of Scotland available today.