Uncover the Truth Behind Scotland's Past: An In-Depth Exploration of Scottish History

Lisa Cox: Love it

United States on Aug 18, 2023

Marianne H. Mciver: Reading History of Scotland in preparation for travel to the country and genealogy work on my family. Fascinating reading.

United States on Mar 04, 2023

Ronnie: This was the 2nd book of Mr Oliver's I have read and I found it all quite fascinating. I was always interested in history but my interest was killed stone dead by an appalling history teacher who was about as dull as anyone could be. After taking early retirement, my interest now rekindled I turned to Neil Oliver's work, and glad to report he has been a first rate choice. His enthusiasm for our home country and fellow Scots through Time, jumps off the pages. I have read other reviews, some verbose, some negative, but this book is a must read for any Scot, and a good choice for others to assist in understanding not only our history but something which has shaped our national character.

United Kingdom on Dec 06, 2022

Larry Edward Megazzi: The theme of Scottish history that Neil Oliver presents is no matter how poorly the Scots were treated by the English the Scots remained loyal and came back like whipped dogs. Again and again Scotland rose in revolt and were defeated by the English. Victories against the English were one off events which gave short reprives. After Culloden, the Highland culture was destroyed and yet Scottish regiments joined the Royal Army and performed ably through out the empire. For the most part Scots who migrated to America joined Loyalist forces to fight against the Americans. Something about the Scottish character makes them loyal and brave.

United States on Sep 08, 2022

mary a harkless: I am admittedly somewhat of a history geek, but this history of Scotland is above the par. The amount of information he crams into a surprisingly reader friendly text is amazing. He somehow manages to make almost understandable the twists and turns of Scotland’s complex struggles for both political and personal freedom and the amazing contributions Scots have made to the world in nearly every field of endeavor. His orderly progression through the centuries helped me pull together the bits and pieces I’ve accumulated over the years, from sources as varied as history books, family legends, movies, and historical fiction. (We have family stories about William Wallace and Robert the Bruce, but did they know each other?!!).

With Oliver’s help, I have finally got it! I unreservedly recommend this book to anyone who wants to better understand the impact of this big little country!

United States on May 22, 2021

greasey: I read this book thinking it would be just like the 10 part TV series on BBC 4, but was disappointed, as I felt at just 400 pages it could have been longer, should have had more depth too it and detail. If it had been written in 2 or 3 volumes like the History of Britain books by Simon Schama then Neil Oliver's history of Scotland would deserve 5 stars rather than 4. The book begins with the shaping and making of Scotland through geological processes millions of years ago, through to the Neolithic period, then onto the Romans whom never conquered Scotland, by building Hadrian's Wall and the other lesser known Antonine Wall. He then jumps forward to Picts, the Caledonians and the founding of the first Kings of Scotland from the House of MacAlpin. I wish there could have been more details about the early kings of Scotland as this often gets overlooked by the House of Wessex on wards in England. The author then briefly describes the Canmore line of Scottish Kings, up to the Scottish Wars of Independence with William Wallace and Robert the Bruce, which again could have included more detail and maps showing the battles. The we go on to the founding of the House of Stewart, until the...

United Kingdom on Apr 27, 2019

Shavi: I was obviously interested in the history of Scotland so I was quite certain reading a history book would certainly be a pleasant experience, and I decided to get Neil Oliver's given his very good reviews. I couldn't have been happier with my purchase. The history of Scotland on its own is fascinating enough: upfront resistance to the Roman Empire, the surge of two differentiated cultures, murders amongst family, deadly traps for hitherto friends, sadist torture, monarchs in exile who because of a small slip because of their humanity they changed the course of history... But Neil delivers it at a wave length that makes this magnificent tale a story you cannot take your eyes of. I simply could not stop reading before I finished a chapter (which I warn you, are quite lengthy and full of details worth digesting slowly). The storytelling was that good. And in the fashion of George Martin's GOT novels, he intertwines the backs and forths of the different actors of Scotland, not necessarily following the same timeline, which keeps the story thrilling and alive throughout the book.

One can tell Neil's passion for geology, as the first chapter is a beautiful introduction to the...

United Kingdom on Jan 26, 2019

Julie: I'm going to Scotland in a few weeks and wanted to get some pop-history to help me enjoy the trip more. I haven't finished this book yet, and I am enjoying it, but sometimes it's a little dense. I enjoy the author's anecdotes about how he relates to his native country, but sometimes I wish there was a little more of that and a little less of "then this bishop said this and this noble did that and then the king was dead" for pages at a time. Also, and this is totally not the author's fault, but this is clearly aimed at a UK audience who has a lot better knowledge of English history than someone who doesn't live there. Sometimes an offhand mention of "this king was doing this thing in London" is clearly meant to impart a lot of context, but even after reading a similar "pop-history" book about England it goes over my head. Also, I really find myself wishing that one of the color plates in the book was a MAP! Why no map?! Maybe I should have got the dvds of the documentary on the same subject that this guy did before this book.

United States on May 31, 2013

Nicholas Casley: This is a review of the original hardback edition. I read Neil Oliver's book after watching his inspirational TV series, when an upcoming first visit to Scotland motivated me to find out more of the nation's history. (I was ashamed to admit I knew more about the history of, say France than Scotland.) But, having watched the TV series, I was dimly aware of gaps which I hoped the book would fill.

My experience has always been that books based on TV histories always tell more than the screentime can contain, and this is no different here. For starters there is an added initial chapter in which Oliver revisits his `History of Ancient Britain' in a Scottish context, covering prehistoric Scotland as far back as four billions years ago. But the chapters are overlong; they should take at most an hour to read, not two hours at best, which was my experience here. But parts are so well-written, and Oliver is so good a storyteller, that a sense of time was often lost to this reader.

For Oliver's book is not a dry academic text: it is avowedly and stridently written for the general reader. This is the second book by Oliver that I have read and, as with the first, he has a...

United Kingdom on Oct 26, 2012

Stuart79: This is as good a book as almost any, I'd say, to start with if you want a good, solid overview of the story of Scotland.

I would like, though, to start with a negative point, and get it out of the way first. Before you're even into the book proper, author Neil Oliver makes a rather bold - and in my view, plain wrong - statement. "Scotland's history has been badly served over the years," it says on the inside jacket cover. To me this is a rather sweeping assessment (although he doesn't mention names) and by it he dismisses the many excellent works over the decades from the likes of Magnus Magnusson, John Prebble and countless others. It is a rather typical attitude from an author of a "new" history. It's almost as though he's saying that what you're about to read surpasses anything you may have read before. That's certainly the impression I got, anyway.

That said, my overall impression of the book as a whole once I'd worked my way though it was excellent. He begins with a tough chapter, going right back to square one, with the formation of the planet itself. For me this was perhaps a little too early a starting point, but then again Oliver isn't just a historian but...

United Kingdom on Feb 17, 2012