A Traveller's History of Scotland, Fourth Edition (Paperback)

by Andrew Fisher (Author) "It is impossible fully to understand the history of a country without reference to its geographical features and position..." (more)
Key Phrases: Robert Bruce, Great War, Home Rule (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
Part of a "Traveller's History" series, Fisher's Scotland paints a bleak, bloody picture of the country most of us associate with clans, tartans, and Robert Burns. The title is something of a misnomer. Fisher, who serves as archivist to the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry and administrator of Drumlanrig Castle, and has produced a biography of William Wallace, gives us a political history that largely ignores Scotland's unique culture and landscape. The fascinating Chapter 1, "The First Scotland," acquaints us with the original Scots who came from Europe to create an agrarian, coastal society before the appearance of the Romans and, later, marauding bands of Vikings. The remainder of the book is a gloomy recounting of battles for power, on the field and in the bedroom. In his attempt to provide a comprehensive history, Fisher misses the mark for his prospective audience of travelers; his text reads like a dry lecture of names, dates, and bare events lacking in background color. The book includes maps, a list of rulers and monarchs, a chronology of major events, and a historical gazetteer, making it a handy reference source. Recommended for libraries needing a concise history of Scotland.DJanet Ross, Sparks Branch Lib., NV
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"The various authors of The Traveller's Histories not only manage to condense the history and culture of a country or city into a portable paperback, they do it with wit and style".

A COMMON READER

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Interlink Publishing Group; 4 edition (March 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1566562791
• ISBN-13: 978-1566562799
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,837,686 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars grim, dry listing of names and dates, May 21, 2006

By	Brian - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Traveller's History of Scotland (Paperback)

I purchased this book to get some background before a short trip to Scotland. I thought that a short (230 pages) book written for travelers would give me a good overview of Scottish history - focusing mainly on the important events. Instead, this book is a very dry listing of names and dates without any depth. It might as well just be published as a list of bullet points (which would probably be easier to follow too). The author also presents a very bleak and depressing view of Scotland's past.
As mentioned, the book is very hard to follow as Fisher throws many unimportant facts at you - often out of chronological order. He has the very irritating habit of introducing a new king or ruler by immediately describing their death and the choice of a successor before going back in time to actually tell you about their reign. This focus on death also contributes to the depressing tone of the book.
The intended audience of travelers will not find this book useful at all. There are several maps, but many of the places mentioned in the book are not on any of them - requiring a much greater familiarity with Scotland than most visitors will have.