Scotland: The Story of a Nation

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: This book is about three things:
1. Battles, mostly
2. Politics, second
3. Religion, third
There is nothing about how the people lived or how they made a living. There is nothing about social customs. There is nothing about how clans were organized or how they functioned. You don't learn much about famous Scots except as their lives relate to one of the main topics listed above.

The main impression left by this history is that the Scots did nothing but fight among themselves or with the English. I find it difficult, at best, to visualize the progress of battles, even with maps provided, but if this sort of thing is your cup of tea, you should enjoy the book.

Magnuson is a fine writer, but this book contains little in the way of human interest. However, if you wanted to tour the historic sites of Scotland, Magnuson tells you exactly where they all are.