Darien: The Scottish Dream of Empire [Paperback]

John Prebble (Author)

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Book Description

Publication Date: October 2000

In defiance of the King in the face of the hostility by the English, the Scottish Parliament set out to establish a colony on the Isthmus of Darien in Central America. This, the persistent dream of one man, William Paterson, was to be a panacea for Scotland's economic ills. The first expedition set out in July of 1698. Three years later, the whole enterprise collapsed, two thousand men had died for nothing and with them had been lost half the wealth of Scotland. Its final consequence was the forced union of the broken Scottish nation with England, which had done so much to ensure its collapse. This story of stupidity, incompetence, and corruption is back in print.

#outer_postBodyPS { display: none; } #psGradient { display: none; } #psPlaceHolder { display: none; } #psExpand { display: none; } In defiance of the King in the face of the hostility by the English, the Scottish Parliament set out to establish a colony on the Isthmus of Darien in Central America. This, the persistent dream of one man, William Paterson, was to be a panacea for Scotland's economic ills. The first expedition set out in July of 1698. Three years later, the whole enterprise collapsed, two thousand men had died for nothing and with them had been lost half the wealth of Scotland. Its final consequence was the forced union of the broken Scottish nation with England, which had done so much to ensure its collapse. This story of stupidity, incompetence, and corruption is back in print.

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Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Prebble's 1968 volume chronicles Scotland's failed 1695 attempt to establish a colony in Central America in an effort to break free from Britain and become an empire. Everything that could go wrong did, and the plan ended in disaster, costing the lives of several thousand Scots as well as nearly half the country's wealth which wasn't much to begin with. Other new Scottish history titles from Dufour include Hugh Peebles's Warshipbuilding on the Clyde (ISBN 0-85976-530-X), John Riddell's The Clyde: The Making of a River (ISBN 0-85976-526-1), and George Seton's portrait of St. Kilda (ISBN 1-84158-033-3).
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

John Prebble needs little introduction. He was one of Scotland's best-known and most popular historians. The author of Glencoe, Culloden, The Highland Clearances, and many other bestselling books, he was an outstanding storyteller and gripping writer.

Product Details

Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Birlinn Ltd (October 2000)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1841580546
ISBN-13: 978-1841580548
Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #430,355 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #25 in Books > History > Americas > Central America > Panama
- #39 in Books > History > Americas > South America > Colombia

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