The Scottish World

The Scottish World
Author: Billy Kay
Publisher: Random House
Total Pages: 259
Release: 2011-12-02
Genre: History
ISBN: 1780574010

'Thaim wi a guid Scots tongue in their heid are fit tae gang ower the warld' In The Scottish World, renowned broadcaster Billy Kay takes us on a global journey of discovery, highlighting the extraordinary influence the Scots have had on communities and cultures on almost every continent. While others have questioned the self-confidence of the Scots, Kay has travelled the world from Bangkok to Brazil, Warsaw to Waikiki and found ringing endorsements for the integrity and intellect, the poetry and passion of the Scottish people in every country he has visited. He expands people's view of Scotland by relating remarkable stories of the wealthy Scottish merchant community in Gdansk; of national geniuses of Scots descent, such as Lermontov in Russia and Grieg in Norway; of an American Civil War blamed on Sir Walter Scott and initiated in the St Andrew's Society of Charleston; of inspirational missionaries in Calabar and Budapest; of Scotch professors establishing football in soccer strongholds such as Barcelona and São Paulo; of pioneers like Sandeman and Cockburn, and the Scottish roots of many of the great wines of Europe; and of their amazing involvement in liberation movements in Malawi, Chile, Peru, Greece, Corsica and India. The Scottish World is a celebration of the enormous contribution the Scots have made to the modern world.

The Royal Scots

The Royal Scots
Author: Trevor Royle
Publisher: Random House
Total Pages: 150
Release: 2011-09-02
Genre: History
ISBN: 1780572387

The Royal Scots are Scotland's oldest infantry regiment, with a tradition that stretches back to 1633. This first concise history of the regiment is based largely on the recollections of several generations of Royal Scots - men like Private McBane, who carried his three-year-old son into battle at Malplaquet, and Private Begbie, the youngest soldier to serve in the First World War. These first-hand accounts take the reader through the great wars of the eighteenth century, when Britain was a rising global power, through the setbacks and the triumphs of the Napoleonic Wars and on to the glorious years of the nineteenth century. The two world wars of the twentieth century saw the Royals expand in size, and there are full accounts of its meritorious service on all the main battle fronts. More recently, the regiment has been involved in operations in the Balkans and Iraq. In 2006, in one of the most radical changes in the country's defence policy, the Royal Scots will be amalgamated into the new Royal Regiment of Scotland. Royal Scots is, therefore, a timely celebration of the British Army's most venerable regiment, right of the line and second to none.

The Old Service

The Old Service
Author: P. R. Newman
Publisher: Manchester University Press
Total Pages: 352
Release: 1993-12-15
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780719037528

Newman examines why this high profile group of Royalists took the risks they did and explores how their role in the Civil Wars is an important key to our understanding of the wider questions of Royalist ideology and allegiance.

Scots On Scotch

Scots On Scotch
Author: Philip Hills
Publisher: Random House
Total Pages: 151
Release: 2012-12-21
Genre: Cooking
ISBN: 1780577885

This is a book in which Scots tell the truth about their national drink. Ignoring the mythology which surrounds Scotland and her favourite tipple, it is written by people who are passionate about their subject, who know what they write about and who love what they know. It is about whisky and about Scotland - the real Scotland behind the invented one of the advertisers and the gift shops. Over the last 40 years Scots have reasserted their spiritual and cultural independence, and as part of this process they have redicovered the unique quality of their national drink. This renaissance not is a cause for celebrations not only by Scots but also by the rest of the world. Malt whiskies have risen from a minority taste in a small nation to become internationally recognised as the connoisseur's spirit par excellence. Contributors include acclaimed writers Ruth Wishart, George Rosie, Trevor Royle, Colin McArthur, Alan Bold and Derek Cooper; Russell Sharp, formerly chief chemist at Chivas and now president of the Caledonian Brewing Company; and poets Hamish Henderson, Hugh MacDiarmid and Norman McCaig.

Military History of Scotland

Military History of Scotland
Author: Spiers Edward M. Spiers
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press
Total Pages: 857
Release: 2014-07-11
Genre: History
ISBN: 0748654011

The Scottish soldier has been at war for over 2000 years. Until now, no reference work has attempted to examine this vast heritage of warfare.A Military History of Scotland offers readers an unparalleled insight into the evolution of the Scottish military tradition. This wide-ranging and extensively illustrated volume traces the military history of Scotland from pre-history to the recent conflict in Afghanistan. Edited by three leading military historians, and featuring contributions from thirty scholars, it explores the role of warfare in the emergence of a Scottish kingdom, the forging of a Scottish-British military identity, and the participation of Scots in Britain's imperial and world wars. Eschewing a narrow definition of military history, it investigates the cultural and physical dimensions of Scotland's military past such as Scottish military dress and music, the role of the Scottish soldier in art and literature, Scotland's fortifications and battlefield archaeology, and Scotland's military memorials and museum collections.