The Dreadful Monster and its Poor Relations


Book Description

'An invaluable primer to some of the underlying tensions behind contemporary political debate' Financial Times It has always been an important part of British self-image to see the United Kingdom as an ancient, organic and sensibly managed place, in striking contrast to the convulsions of other European countries. Yet, as Julian Hoppit makes clear in this fascinating and surprising book, beneath the complacent surface the United Kingdom has in fact been in a constant, often very tense argument with itself about how it should be run and, most significantly, who should pay for what. The book takes its argument from an eighteenth century cartoon which shows the central state as the 'Dreadful Monster', gorging itself at the dinner table on all the taxes it can grab. Meanwhile the 'Poor Relations' - Scotland, Wales and Ireland, both poor because of tax but also poor in the sense of needing special treatment - are viewed in London as an endless 'drain on the state'. With drastically different levels of prosperity, population, industry, agriculture and accessibility between the United Kingdom's different nations, what is a fair basis for paying for the state?




Clubbing Together


Book Description

Clubbing Together offers the first global study of Scottish ethnic associationalism, exploring transnationally the evolution and role of Scottish clubs and societies.







Tait's Edinburgh Magazine


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Happy Endings in Hollywood Cinema


Book Description

This wide-ranging investigation probes traditional associations between the 'happy ending' and homogeneity, closure, 'unrealism', and ideological conservatism, testing widespread assumptions against the evidence offered by a range of classical and contemp




Studies in Early Professionalism


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This text provides an in-depth review of recent historical research on the emergence and maturation of institutionalized public accountancy in Scotland. This research is important for understanding the profession, and also provides a template for further studies of public accountancy's origins in other countries.




The Examiner


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