Publisher's Synopsis
The Oxford Companion to Scottish History interprets history broadly, including archaeology, architecture, culture, folk belief, climate, geology, and languages in its scope. Compiled by more than 170 contributors, it covers over 2000 years and extends from Galloway to Orkney and Shetland and from the Borders to the Western Isles. At more than half a million words and nearly 800 pages, it provides comprehensive coverage of Scotland's eventful history. Entries on figures such as Columba, Macbeth, William Wallace, and James (Paraffin) Young sit alongisde entries on sport and culture - on Burns Clubs, curling, and shinty - and on major historical issues such as clans, Clearances, and Covenanters. It also deals extensively with migration and with Scots abroad - from Canada to Russia to New Zealand. It is more than a historical dictionary or an encyclopedia - it analyses as well as describes. Multi-authored entries explore key themes such as kingship, national identity, women, urban and rural life, the economy, housing, living standards, and religious beliefs across the centuries in an authoritative but approachable way.
