SCOTLAND HISTORY

Before Scotland: The Story of Scotland Before History by Alistair Moffat

Publisher's Synopsis
Moffat has written an engaging history of the earliest peoples, geology, and events of Scotland, describing and interpreting archaeology there and at connected settlements on the Continent. Readers will come away with a vivid sense of the lives, food, habitation, boats, battles, land, and society of Scotland from the 6th millennium BC to the early Middle Ages. Two sets of color plates and frequent inset boxes with comparative material from other early civilizations are included. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Brochs of Scotland by J. N. G. Ritchie

Synopsis
This volume examines some of the best ancient monuments in Britain - the iron age brochs of north & west Scotland. It sets the building of these fortifications into context & looks at some of the theories that have been proposed for their origins.'

Stone Age Farmers Beside the Sea: Scotland's Prehistoric Village of Skara Brae by Caroline Arnold

Publisher's Synopsis
This description of the Stone Age settlement preserved in the sand dunes of Scotland's Orkney Islands includes how it was discovered and what it reveals about life in prehistoric times.

Ancient Scotland by Nigel Blundell

Publisher's Synopsis
The mystery and austere beauty of Scotland are captured in this beautifully illustrated book. It details the rich, captivating history of Scotland from its first inhabitants 9,000 years ago to its numerous invasions over the centuries to the ongoing mystery of the Loch Ness Monster. Includes index and color photographs.

Ancient Pillar Stones of Scotland: Their Significance and Bearing on Ethnology by George Moore

Roman Scotland by David J. Breeze

Synopsis
Two thousand years ago the Roman army, one of the world's most successful fighting machines, set out to conquer Scotland. Three invasions were attempted and each ended in withdrawal. These forays have left their mark on today's landscape in the form of impressive earthworks - the remains of forts and frontiers constructed by the army, including the famous and spectacular Antonine Wall. Using the latest archaeological evidence and contemporary Roman documents, including the uniquely informative Vindolanda writing tablets, Dr Breeze assesses these three periods of occupation and the effect they had on Scotland and its people. He asks: why the Romans chose to invade and why they failed what was the strength and nature of the invasion force how strong was the opposition what was daily life like for civilians and soldiers what was the relationship between Rome and the northern tribes after the Roman withdrawal Copiously illustrated with photographs and drawings, this informative and lively guide is enhanced by specially commissioned reconstruction drawings of military installations.

The Making of Scotland: Surviving in Symbols: The Kingdoms of the Picts by Martin Carver

Synopsis
This study of the Picts aims to clarify the debate over their provenance, influence and eventual disappearance as they were subsumed into the greater Scottish ethnic mix with the arrival of the Vikings. It forms part of "The Making of Scotland" series.

The Early Prehistory of Scotland by Alex Morrison

Publisher's Synopsis
Bringing together the latest work on the Mesolithic in Scotland and Northern England, this book a much-needed reassessment of early prehistory from the key researchers in the area. Base firmly on archaeological evidence from recent excavations, this important book also includes work on the environmental background and on the history of the enquiry. Broad-based, comprehensive and thoroughly up-to-date, this will be an essential reference work for all those interested in early prehistoric Scotland.

Farmers, Temples and Tombs: Scotland in the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age by Gordon Barclay

Megalithic Measures and Rhythms: Sacred Knowledge of the Ancient Britons by Anne Macaulay

Synopsis
Among civilization’s strangest monuments are the huge stone circles built in the British Isles and northwest France between 6,500 and 3,500 years ago. Ignored or plundered for centuries, it is only in recent times that they have begun to reveal their remarkable complexity. It is now widely acknowledged that those ancient sites were aligned precisely according to major celestial events and most likely linked to the agricultural calendar of early farming settlements. But a mystery remains: How did those megalithic builders achieve such extraordinary accuracy in their measurements? Inspired by the surveying work of Alexander Thom, Anne Macaulay devoted her life to investigating stone circle sites, seeking out their hidden geometry and deeper cultural significance. She drew on ideas from geometry and metrology, archaeology and anthropology, history and mythology, as well as astronomy and music. Macaulay concludes that the extraordinary mathematical skills of the British megalithic builders was original and self-contained—and eventually, the elite of that society became the "proto-Greeks" as their knowledge flowed toward the Eastern Mediterranean. This well-researched study shines a light into the hidden secrets of a distant past.

Mysterious Scotland by Michael Balfour

Publisher's Synopsis
In Mysterious Scotland, Michael Balfour investigates strange stories from the country’s moors, forests, rivers, holy wells, and lochs—as well as the old legends and dark secrets of palaces, castles, and cathedrals. Roaming a land where the past is mirrored in the present, he explores standing stones, mermaid beaches, and magic springs; seeks out new theories about Celtic and Pictish stones, carvings, and tombs; and finds monsters, ghouls, and ancient cures. Not forgotten are the great historical figures who throng the pages, each making a unique contribution to Mysterious Scotland. Michael Balfour is the author of Stonehenge and Its Mysteries and Megalithic Mysteries.