Wild Scots by Michael Fry
One bleak night in March 1603, a lone horseman galloped to Holyrood castle in Edinburgh, home of James VI of Scotland. There he knelt on bended knee and saluted him as King of England. The accession marked a union of the kingdoms and seemed to presage a Scottish renaissance. But while the lowlands were integrated with England, the outlying highlands became marginalized. Highlanders responded by consolidating their distinct identity, built around the unique feudal clan system, a Gaelic cultural heritage and a history of fierce resistance.From the heroic blood feuds of clan chiefs to the dour asceticism of Presbyterian ministers, Michael Fry's encyclopaedic social history of the Scottish highlands focuses squarely on the people. He traces the ironies of their fate as emigration, forced clearances and the breakdown of feudal relations undermined traditional customs. But this is no eulogy for a dying era. Michael Fry shows that the highlands simply had to modernise and traces the inventive ways in which Gaelic culture has adapted through to the present day.
'Fry is a gentleman and a scholar, and a formidable writer.. a first --class narrative of the Gaidhealtachd.' -- Scotland On Sunday 20050703 'Formidable...superb...spectacularly audacious.' -- The Times 'Outstanding...closely argued, cleverly constructed and, best of all, deliciously written.' -- Literary Review 'Sparkles with gripping details...a first-class narrative.' -- Scotland on Sunday 'Attacks and defends the personalities of the past with ferocious and infectious pleasure...Excellent.' -- Glasgow Herald 'Delicious' -- Daily Mail 'Alive and colourful.' -- Times Literary Supplement 'A celebration of an ever-adapting Gaelic society.' -- Good Book Guide 'An excellent new book' -- Max Hastings, Daily Mail 20051008 'This is a stimulating account from a journalist-historian covering four centuries, and it certainly shakes a few perceptions.' -- Scottish Life 20051201 'Fry flattens! sacred cows in energetic and elegant prose.' -- Ross Leckie, The Times -- Ross Leckie, The Times 20060722
Michael Fry was educated at Oxford and Hamburg. He has been a visiting fellow at Strathclyde and Brown universities, and held other international fellowships. His books include Patronage and Principle, The Dundas Despotism and The Scottish Empire. A popular history, How the Scots Made America, was recently published in New York. He has also written numerous articles and pamphlets on modern Scottish history. He has contributed to most major newspapers and has been a weekly columnist for The Scotsman, The Herald and The Sunday Times. He lives in Edinburgh.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780719561030 |
| ISBN 10 | 0719561035 |
| Title | Wild Scots |
| Author | Michael Fry |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | John Murray Press |
| Year published | 2005-07-04 |
| Number of pages | 400 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |