Author: Karen J. Cullen Publisher: Edinburgh University Press ISBN: 074864184X Category : Social Science Languages : en Pages : 232
Book Description
This book examines the climatic and economic origins of the last national famine to occur in Scotland, the nature and extent of the crisis which ensued, and what the impact of the famine was upon the population in demographic, economic and social terms. Current published knowledge about the causes, extent, and impact of the famine in Scotland is limited and many conclusions have been speculative in the absence of extensive research. Despite the critical importance of this crisis, one of the four disasters of the 1690s, which are widely acknowledged to have contributed to the economic arguments in favour of the Union of the Parliaments in 1707, the topic has been largely neglected and even underplayed by historians. This is the first full study of the famine, providing a unique scholarly examination of the causes, course, characteristics and consequences of the crisis. A comprehensive study of agricultural, climatic, economic, social and demographic issues, the book seeks to establish answers to the fundamental question concerning the event. How serious was it? Using detailed statistical and qualitative analysis, it discusses the regional factors that defined the famine, the impact on the population, and the interconnected causes of this traumatic event.
Author: Alexander Fleming Publisher: Birlinn Ltd ISBN: 1788851463 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 339
Book Description
The Flemish are among the most important if under-appreciated immigrant groups to have shaped the history of medieval and early modern Scotland. Originating in Flanders, Northern Europe's economic powerhouse (now roughly Belgium and the Netherlands), they came to Scotland as soldiers and settlers, traders and tradesmen, diplomats and dynasts, over a period of several centuries following the Norman Conquest of England in the eleventh century. Several of Scotland's major families – the Flemings, Murrays, Sutherlands, Lindsays and Douglases for instance– claim elite Flemish roots, while many other families arrived as craftsmen, mercenaries and religiously persecuted émigrés. Adaptable and creative people, Flemish immigrants not only adjusted to Scotland's very different environment, but left their profound mark on the country's economic, social and cultural development. From pantiles to golf, from place names to town planning, the evidence of Flemish influence is still readily traceable in Scotland today. This book examines the nature of Flemish settlement in Scotland, the development of economic, diplomatic and cultural links between Scotland and Flanders, and the lasting impact of the Flemish people on Scottish society and culture.
Author: Christopher J. Berry Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA ISBN: 0198784457 Category : Economics Languages : en Pages : 153
Book Description
In 1776 Adam Smith (1723-90) wrote The Wealth of Nations, a book so foundational that it has led to him being called the father of economics. Today he is associated with the promotion of self-interest, a defense of greed and a criticism of any governmental 'interference' in market transactions which, if left to the 'invisible hand', will produce prosperity and liberty. Yet if Smith is actually read these associations are more a caricature than a faithful portrait. In this Very Short Introduction, Christopher Berry offers a balanced and nuanced view of this seminal thinker, embedding his fierce defense of free trade, competition, and assault on special interests in contemporary European history, politics, and philosophy. As Berry explores, Smith was more than an economist. His book The Theory of Moral Sentiment, offered a complex account of ethics in the context of human social behavior. His scope as a professor at the University of Glasgow, a major center of the Scottish Enlightenment, was extensive. Beyond courses in philosophy and jurisprudence he also gave classes covering history, literature, and language. In addition to his two major works he also wrote a pioneering study of the history of astronomy as an illustration of the motivations that drive humans to seek answers to questions. He produced, again derived from his Glasgow classroom, an analysis of the development of grammar and language. As Christopher Berry shows, Adam Smith was no narrow thinker, but rather one who produced not only one of the greatest books in the history of social science, but also a wide-ranging body of work that remains significant today. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
Author: Margaret Batty Publisher: Birlinn ISBN: Category : History Languages : en Pages : 308
Book Description
This definitive history traces the origins and evolution of Methodism in Scotland, through the breakaway 'Connexions' of the nineteenth century to wartime and ecumenical activity in the twentieth century. In the broad context of Christian activity in Scotland, 1750-2000, it looks at the activity of lay 'Local Preachers' and Sunday School teachers, men and women who broke new ground as they shared the gospel in light of their workaday experience. The book brings to light many otherwise unknown local characters, telling a human story, which shows how personal aspirations and disappointments fitted into the larger picture. Based on extensive original archival research, Scotland's Methodists makes a strong and distinctive contribution to the history of religion in Scotland over the last three centuries. It will appeal to academic historians and students of religion, to Methodists in local communities across Scotland, as well as to the wider community of Methodist scholars in the UK and USA.
Author: Alex de Campi Publisher: Unbound Publishing ISBN: 1783528494 Category : Fiction Languages : en Pages : 428
Book Description
1333. Edward III is at war with Scotland. Nineteen-year-old Sir Harry de Lyon yearns to prove himself, and jumps at the chance when a powerful English baron, William Montagu, invites him on a secret mission with a dozen elite knights. They ride north, to a crumbling Scottish keep, capturing the feral, half-starved boy within and putting the other inhabitants to the sword. But nobody knows why the flower of English knighthood snuck over the border to capture a savage, dirty teenage boy. Montagu gives the boy to Harry as his squire, with only two rules: don't let him escape, and convert him to the English cause. At first, it's hopeless. The Scottish boy is surly and violent, and eats anything that isn't nailed down. Then Harry begins to notice things: that, as well as Gaelic, the boy speaks flawless French, with an accent much different from Harry's Norman one. That he can read Latin too. And when Harry finally convinces the boy – Iain mac Maíl Coluim – to cut his filthy curtain of hair, the face revealed is the most beautiful thing Harry has ever seen. With Iain as his squire, Harry wins tournament after tournament and becomes a favourite of the King. But underneath the pageantry smoulder twin secrets: Harry and Iain's growing passion for each other, and Iain's mysterious heritage. As England hurtles towards war once again, these secrets will destroy everything Harry holds dear.
Author: James Lachlan MacLeod Publisher: John Donald ISBN: Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 296
Book Description
The Victorian period in Scotland was remarkable, with rapid changes and immense wealth coexisting alongside entrenched conservatism and great poverty. For the churches also, the Victorian period was a time of transformation - with every assumption being challenged and tested. In this context it is not surprising that some churches fragmented, and the Free Church was one of them.
Author: Karen J. Cullen
Author: Alexander Fleming
Author: Christopher J. Berry
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Author: Margaret Batty
Author: Alex de Campi
Author: Allan I. Macinnes
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Author: James Lachlan MacLeod
Author: Karin Bowie