Recommended reading?

[georgekidd]

As Scottish history is my main interest I tend to visit my cousin a lot as he has loads of books on Scotland, some of which cover the history of various parts of the country. One book in particular I like is History of a Nation by David Ross. Does anyone have any books they could recommend? I'm mainly looking for history of the Picts and the areas they settled in except maybe Fife as I've read so much about that I'm bored with the place now.

Also I would like to know about some worthwhile history sites. scottishhistory.com is one I know about, but I think maybe that is directed at high school students?

[Polwarth]

Can't help with Pictish info - not my area of interest, I'm afraid - but someone else may be able to make suggestions.

I like T C Smout who used to teach at Edinburgh U and also Tom Devine, who until last year was at Aberdeen U and is now at Edin U. I think that some consider them as history 'revisers' - but then, in my opinion, that's what research does, it clarifies and revises our views!

John Prebble, an Englishman who emigrated to Canada and wrote books about Scotland is also very good - even if some of his stuff has now been superceded by newer historical opinion.

[georgekidd]

My cousin has the Prebble books. He also has the book that Prebble referenced for the Highland Clearances, but he says I'll have to wait until he's read that one before I borrow it!

Are Smout and Devine the ones that wrote about the Lowland Clearances?

[Polwarth]

They have both written about it in their books - can't tell you which though - cos I don't have them here at the mo.

Do a bibliography search under T C Smout and Thomas Devine - the books will be listed.

[oneofthefew]

I saw both these historians being dismissed regularly as revisionists on another forum I used to be a member of!

[Polwarth]

I'm sure you did..... It's only my PERSONAL opinion that they are good historians.... widnae want tae FORCE embdi to MY point of view (unlike others we both know!)

[ANDY-J3]

The problem with studying the history of Dark age Scotland is that there is very little primary textual evidence to work with, especially given that the Picts didn't have a written language. All historians of the period are drawing conclusions from very limited evidence that has been gone over several times and it's reaching a stage where new and original studies are becoming rarer. One of the best books I've read dealing with the period is " The Picts and the Scots" which is interesting because it deals with the relationships between the two peoples rather than focusing solely on the Picts.

Amazon.co.uk: The Picts and the Scots: Books: Lloyd Laing,Jennifer Laing