"How can a politically disabled nation create a history for itself?" James Campbell sets out across Scotland to answer his own question. From the bustle of the Edinburgh Festival and the sleaziness of "Sin City" Aberdeen to the depopulated Highlands ("the last great European wilderness"), a history of thoughts, fears, and aspirations evolves from his conversations with the local inhabitants. The "Invisible Country" is seen in different ways by the people he meets: in the "Big Idea" of Scottish Independence, the romanticism of the English lairds, the money-spinning talk of the oil troubleshooters, and the grim resentfulness of the South Western-Islanders. In many ways the book is a disturbing account of a country which was described by Edwin Muir as "becoming lost to history." But Campbell's observations, always thoughtful and pertinent, reveal not only the despair but also the humor and strength at the heart of a Scotland which, though very real, cannot always be seen.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Library Journal
Travelers pull up your armchairs, rocking chairs, or whatever. Campbell, a native Glaswegan, arrived in Edinburgh in the 1970s to be editor of the New Edinburgh Review. "The genesis of this book had much to do with my reading of Edwin Muir's Scottish Journey (1935), an excellent analysis by an indifferent traveller," he says. As with Muir's book, this is not a travelog, but a witty and insightful look at a fascinating, romantic land by a native son. The delight for the reader is in meeting the locals. As a Scot, Campbell can describe and define with candor. The number of tourists to Scotland will definitely rise with the American publication of this book. Enjoy. Recommended for all libraries.
- Paula M. Zieselman, Debevoise & Plimpton, New York
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.
- Paula M. Zieselman, Debevoise & Plimpton, New York
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
An interesting and entertaining piece of travel writing. (Times Literary Supplement )
I recommend Invisible Country to all intelligent travelers who might visit Scotland. (New Society )
I recommend Invisible Country to all intelligent travelers who might visit Scotland. (New Society )
This intelligent, beautifully written story of the author’s journey to Scotland. (The Book Reader )
A witty and insightful look at a fascinating, romantic land by a native son. (Library Journal )
I recommend Invisible Country to all intelligent travelers who might visit Scotland. (New Society )
I recommend Invisible Country to all intelligent travelers who might visit Scotland. (New Society )
This intelligent, beautifully written story of the author’s journey to Scotland. (The Book Reader )
A witty and insightful look at a fascinating, romantic land by a native son. (Library Journal )
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