Scotland and Nationalism: Scottish Society and Politics, 1707-2000 [Paperback]

Christopher T. Harvie (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 041519525X | ISBN-13: 978-0415195256 | Publication Date: November 26, 1998 | Edition: 3

First published in 1977, Christopher Harvie's acclaimed study of Scottish culture and politics since the Union of 1707, has been extensively rewritten to bring the story up-to-date and to draw on the remarkable output of Scottish historians and writers in the 1980s.

Focusing on poltical nationalism in Scotland, Harvie examines why this nationalism remained apparently in abeyance for two and a half centuries, and why it became so relevant in the second half of the twentieth century.

Including a brand new bibliographical index of key personalities and a glossary of nationalist groups, students of Scottish history and of politics will find this a fascinating book.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Reviews of the first edition:

Witty, penetrating and frequently provocative overview of Scots culture and politics during the last three centuries. - History Today

This is a brilliant book, packed with learning and imagination. - Neal Ascherson, The Scotsman

Mr Harvie has written a unique and remarkable book. It is not a history of nationalism but an attempt to place Scottish politics and society in some sort of analytical perspective. - Hibernia

It is a brilliant book full of provocative insights, and combining political and cultural analysis in a most interesting way. Scotland and Nationalism takes its place as the best book yet written on the subject. - Political Studies

Scotland and Nationalism provides a bold and imaginative lead into difficult territory, and has more ideas within a page or two than many a definitive work in its entirety. - Times Literary Supplement

Scotland and Nationalism is an intellectual tour de force - The Scottish Historical Review --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 3 edition (November 26, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 041519525X
• ISBN-13: 978-0415195256
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,320,094 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Is Harvie a Scottish Nationalist?, December 30, 2002

By 

Bibliophile - See all my reviews

This review is from: Scotland and Nationalism: Scottish Society and Politics, 1707-2000 (Paperback)

I bet his answer would be "yes." But how would he define his nationalism? I wish he made his hopes on Scotland's future more clear. I for one can never understand why a brilliant nation with a distinct history of its own should have been absorbed into a political union with England a mere three hundred years ago. The basis for such a marriage of unequals doesn't seem very strong to me, and I don't see why proud Scots - who have much to be proud of - would want to continue being second-class citizens when so many banana republics with tiny populations (some less than a million) have their own seats at the UN. Go figure. The Danes and the Irish too are small nations, and they are treated as full, independent members at international conferences. It's time the Scots thought about their future, and this book is a good place to start on how they got into this mess in the first place. I would even go further back than Harvie: since when had the Scots been "British" before Union? Neither the Romans nor the Anglo-Saxons nor even the Normans could make Scots buckle under, and Harvie would do well to emphasise that too. The notion that a nation of mixed "races" cannot be a nation doesn't make sense to me: many Russians have non-Russian ancestries, and America is a nation of many races. Are these not independent countries? Scotland is a good deal less "mixed" than England. A million years ago ALL of us came from Africa anyway, so why aren't we one nation instead of 180 or whatever the number is at the UN? Why not 180, I say? The more the merrier. Why can't Scots be Scots?

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book- one of the best on the subject, March 9, 2001

By 

Amy E. Carman - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Scotland and Nationalism: Scottish Society and Politics, 1707-2000 (Paperback)

This is definately the best book concerning Scottish Nationalism- detailed history and excellent insight. Without this I would have been lost on my thesis. If you are interested in Scottish politics, you should read this.