The Flag in the Wind


Book Description

Born in Glasgow in 1904, Dr John MacCormick studied law at Glasgow University and was one of the chief founding members of the National Party of Scotland in 1928 and, with the merger of the NPS and the Scottish Party, of the Scottish National Party in 1934. In 1942, he left the SNP and was instrumental in the forming the Scottish Convention which went on to produce the Scottish Covenant in 1949, upon which nearly two million signatures of support for a Scottish parliament were obtained. After a high-profile trip to the US and Canada to present Scotland's case for Home Rule he was voted Lord Rector at Glasgow University. During his stint in this position he became involved in the plot to steal the Stone of Destiny from Westminster Abbey before going on to publish The Flag in the Wind in 1955. With a new introduction by the author's son, this updated edition of John MacCormick's seminal work examines the early years of the twentieth-century Nationalist movement in Scotland, providing an invaluable insight into people and events that help create and then shape the SNP and its campaign to secure a devolved Scottish Assembly.




The Story of Scotland's Flag and the Lion and Thistle


Book Description

The story of the how Saint Andrew's Cross, or The Saltire, became Scotland's Flag. Part of the Corbies series of books. Ideal for explaining aspects of history to younger children. Recommended for age 7+.




Our Island Story


Book Description

Our Island Story is the "history" of England up to Queen Victoria's Death. Marshall used these stories to tell her children about their homeland, Great Britain. To add to the excitement, she mixed in a bit of myth as well as a few legends.




The Story of Scotland


Book Description

Once upon a time there lived in Greece a king who had a son called Gathelus. Prince Gathelus was very handsome and brave, but he was wild, and gay, and wicked, and he caused his father much sorrow and trouble. Over and over again the King punished and imprisoned his son for his evil deeds. But in spite of all his father could do, Gathelus grew no better but rather worse. At last the King had no more patience with him, and banished him from the land.




Blood Legacy


Book Description

LONGLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE 'An incredible work of scholarship' Sathnam Sanghera Through the story of his own family’s history as slave and plantation owners, Alex Renton looks at how we owe it to the present to understand the legacy of the past. When British Caribbean slavery was abolished across most of the British Empire in 1833, it was not the newly liberated who received compensation, but the tens of thousands of enslavers who were paid millions of pounds in government money. The descendants of some of those slave owners are among the wealthiest and most powerful people in Britain today. Blood Legacy explores what inheritance – political, economic, moral and spiritual – has been passed to the descendants of the slave owners and the descendants of the enslaved. He also asks, crucially, how the former – himself among them – can begin to make reparations for the past.




Scottish Miscellany


Book Description

With Scottish Miscellany, author Jonathan Green lets you revel in the fun and fascinating explanations behind Scottish traditions and folklore, giving you the answers to questions you’ve always had—or never knew you had—and more as he covers all aspects of Scotland. From Scottish culture to the ancient history of the country to modern pastimes, this book has all that and more. Learn why the thistle is the floral emblem of Scotland, how Scotch whisky is made, why the Scots celebrate Hogmanay, how to play the bagpipes, and much more. This delightful book is the perfect gift for anyone planning a visit to Scotland, with an interest in Scottish history, or a drop of Scottish blood.




The Union Jack


Book Description

Known the world over as a symbol of the United Kingdom, the Union Jack is an intricate construction based on the crosses of St, George, St, Andrew and St, Patrick. Nick Groom traces its long and fascinating past, from the development of the Royal Standard and 17th-century clashes over the precise balance of the English and Scottish elements of the first Union Jack to the modern controversies over the flag as a symbol of empire and its exploitation by ultra-rightwing political groups.




Born Under a Union Flag


Book Description

A book about the relationship of a football club to a political decision? On one level this is madness. But in Scotland it makes perfect sense. What do Rangers mean to Scotland and what does Scotland mean to Rangers? What do Rangers mean to Britain and what does Britain mean to Rangers? How does the club and the game interact with the world around it? Questioning how British and Scottish identities fit into supporting Rangers, Born Under the Union Flag provides the first solid exploration of the relationship between sport and national identity. Well-known and informed contributors from both sides of the independence debate, including Harry Reid, Iain Duff, and Will McLeish, all lend their disparate viewpoints this book, showing just how nuanced - and difficult - the discussion really is. A must-read for anyone interested in Rangers, the history of Scottish football, or the independence debate. Like a great football match, when the final whistle is blown, the players will shake hands and move on. If they have any sense, the winners will be magnanimous in victory; the losers will rue the day but accept the result nonetheless. I guess the one thing neither side wants is a draw and a replay. But that's up to the voters.




Scotland's Story


Book Description