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Current Features

22 November 2009
Published in hardback by Weidenfeld & Nicolson on 22nd Oct 2009, priced £20

A bold, authoritative and comprehensive history of Scotland from its best-loved TV historian.

A History of Scotland explores the centuries of turbulent history that have shaped the modern country. In this wide-reaching history, Neil Oliver looks back as far as the Big Bang, the early formation of the land and the primitive humans and tribes that gradually came to populate the fertile but often inhospitable terrain.

From the earliest days, the contrast between the harsh conditions of the Highlands and the rich farming land of the Lowlands created conflict between the new inhabitants, and the struggle for overall power and control has been a predominant feature of Scotland’s history. A constant succession of monarchs, the result of endless plots and battles, left the country fundamentally divided and unstable, and vulnerable to manipulation by foreign forces and its own nobility.

The struggle to overthrow English rule and establish independence is another major feature of Scottish history, and Neil Oliver takes a fresh look at the myths that have grown up around the famous figures of resistance, such as Robert the Bruce and William Wallace. He emphasizes the importance of forgotten battles in shaping not just Scottish, but British history and shows that the developments of Scotland and England have always been interlinked.

A History of Scotland takes the same provocative, intricate and fascinating approach as Neil Oliver’s acclaimed BBC series and is a great and lasting testament to his love for his own country.

NEIL OLIVER is an archaeologist, historian, author and broadcaster, best known for his work on Coast. His television debut came in 2002 with BBC2’s Two Men in a Trench, for which he also wrote the two accompanying books. In 2005, he starred in the Channel 4 documentary Not Forgotten, and went on to become the archaeological and social history expert on Coast, which he presented in the second and third series. Other television work includes The Face of Britain, Time Team, The One Show and The History Detectives.

Neil Oliver will be appearing at Waterstones in St John's Shopping Centre on Friday 4th December at 1pm.