The New Penguin History of Scotland brings together the work of Scotland's leading historians in a volume that is essential reading for anyone interested in Scotland and her people. Edited by Houston and Knox, it explores the powerful continuities, cycles and occasional historical dead-ends of Scotland's history over the last 8,000 years, from the scarcely documented Neolithic period to the state of the nation in 2001. Drawing on the latest historical scholarship and a wide range of other disciplines - archaeology, social sciences, economics, science, religion and literature - each chapter goes beyond the stories of kings, bishops and battles, bringing to life the history of the material environment, family and community, and the lives of the masses. With individual chapters written by leading experts in the period, The New Penguin History of Scotland illuminates the many ways in which the nation's history has shaped its national identity. Lavishly illustrated in association with the National Museums of Scotland, this book should establish itself as an authoritative and comprehensive history of Scotland.