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A review by sadiereadsagain
A People's History of Scotland by Chris Bambery
4.0
Wanting to know more of the history of my own country (we only really got the Highland Clearances in school), I opted for this book as I am far more interested in social history and how the political or ruling landscape impacted the majority than I am in the lives of the rich and titled. I felt this book satisfied on that front, but possibly not as much as I was hoping.
The early chapters - which as this book takes a chronological approach deal with Scotland in its infancy up to the time of clans - were a bit of a struggle for me. I don't have any background knowledge, so felt it was a bit difficult at time to get a toe-hold. Even when I did, I'd often lose my grip after a page or two. A lot goes on, and this isn't a particularly long book in which to cover it.
I far more enjoyed the chapters on more modern history, particularly the independence debate. And I also enjoyed the touch of highlighting specific figures/figureheads. I found the role of women and the socialist movement particularly interesting, though did feel bogged down with the coverage of the strikes as the labour movement grew in momentum. At that point, I wondered if chronological was really the best way to tell our country's story, and that maybe a topic-by-topic approach may have made for less repetitive reading.
There is so much information in this book that there's no way I'll retain it (my flaw, not the book's), but I'm very glad I read it and will have it to return to when I need it!
The early chapters - which as this book takes a chronological approach deal with Scotland in its infancy up to the time of clans - were a bit of a struggle for me. I don't have any background knowledge, so felt it was a bit difficult at time to get a toe-hold. Even when I did, I'd often lose my grip after a page or two. A lot goes on, and this isn't a particularly long book in which to cover it.
I far more enjoyed the chapters on more modern history, particularly the independence debate. And I also enjoyed the touch of highlighting specific figures/figureheads. I found the role of women and the socialist movement particularly interesting, though did feel bogged down with the coverage of the strikes as the labour movement grew in momentum. At that point, I wondered if chronological was really the best way to tell our country's story, and that maybe a topic-by-topic approach may have made for less repetitive reading.
There is so much information in this book that there's no way I'll retain it (my flaw, not the book's), but I'm very glad I read it and will have it to return to when I need it!