Hugh Collins, a restless socio-anthropologist whose researches had taken him to many strange places, decided that the time had come to settle down in the northwest of Scotland, in the country he had known and loved as a boy. One night, on board ship off the African coast, a man died a very peculiar death. This death was unexplained then, and might have remained so, had his young cousin Bill never met the Minister's daughter. But this meeting, although it almost cost Bill his life, led to the discovery of many strange things in a community held silent by fear and superstition. In this book, the dramatic power of the story is tremendously heightened by the contrasting tranquillity and beauty of the Scottish scene, of which Alistair Mair writes with his customary skill and affection.
A doctor in a small town in Scotland, Peter Ashe has been exploited by his senior partner for seventeen years. When, suddenly, the older man dies Peter and his wife Elizabeth welcome their chance to enjoy life with their two children like any other family. But the arrival of Jacky Carstairs and her sister Anne introduces new and unexpected complications. With Jacky, Peter establishes a curiously delicate relationship which goes beyond the strange intimacy of doctor and patient in the face of death. His attachment to Anne is an extension of this bond; and it also brings home to him the truth that he has reached middle age. Elizabeth understands her husband's dilemma but cannot help him; their children, young adults determined to break the restraints of childhood, stretch their parents' tolerance to the limit. As the tension within the Ashe family mounts to near tragedy, the human demands of the close-knit community are told with great sympathy and skill.
Hugh Collins, a restless socio-anthropologist whose researches had taken him to many strange places, decided that the time had come to settle down in the northwest of Scotland, in the country he had known and loved as a boy. One night, on board ship off the African coast, a man died a very peculiar death. This death was unexplained then, and might have remained so, had his young cousin Bill never met the Minister's daughter. But this meeting, although it almost cost Bill his life, led to the discovery of many strange things in a community held silent by fear and superstition. In this book, the dramatic power of the story is tremendously heightened by the contrasting tranquillity and beauty of the Scottish scene, of which Alistair Mair writes with his customary skill and affection.
The second edition of this popular textbook provides a systematic and comprehensive introduction to UK party politics, combining chapters on each of the main parties (Conservative, Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Scottish National Party) with an assessment of post-devolution Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Clark analyses the extraordinary recent developments in UK politics, including Brexit, the 2015 and 2016 Labour leadership contests, and the surprise 2017 general election, exploring how these events have impacted the political parties, the people of the UK and the UK's position in the world. The book also covers the rise of minority parties such as UKIP, the influence of the media and party campaigning, organisation and funding. Written in an accessible style, this new edition is an essential companion for students taking modules on British Political Parties, Party Politics or British Politics more generally, as well as functioning as a useful background text for modules in Comparative Political Parties. It is an ideal introduction for all readers new to the topic. New to this Edition: - A new chapter on the Scottish National Party takes account of their rise, their role as a governing party in Scotland, and becoming the third largest party at Westminster. - Up-to-date coverage of all the latest developments affecting UK political parties including the Scottish referendum, the 2015 and 2017 general elections, the 2016 devolved elections and Brexit. - Extended coverage of the rise and fall of UKIP.
French Politics and Society is the ideal companion for all students of France and French politics with a strong reputation for its lucidity and lively exposition of the French polity. This third edition remains a highly readable text and offers a broad, critical and comprehensive understanding of French politics. The book provides an excellent description of French institutions and ensures readers access to background information through discussing historical developments, political forces, public policy, and the evolution of important aspects of French society. Key updates for the third edition include: extensive updates including the Chirac, Sarkozy and Hollande presidencies; inclusion of constitutional and state reform coverage since 2008; the French party system and evolution of the French left and right; more on France’s positioning with regards to Brussels and the impact of the European economic crisis. French Politics and Society is essential reading for all undergraduates studying French politics, French studies, European studies or comparative politics.
In this acclaimed book, Alistair Moffat tells the story of a part of Scotland that has played a huge role in the nation's history and moved poets, painters and writers as well as ordinary people for hundreds of years. The hunter-gatherers who first penetrated the virgin interior, the Celtic warlords, the Romans, the Northumbrians and the Reivers, who dominated the Anglo-Scottish borderlands for over 300 years, have all had their part to play in the constantly evolving life of the area. It is the people of a place that make its history and Alistair Moffat's book is a testament to those who have made the Borders their home, and who have created the traditions, myths and romance that define it so strongly.
In To the Island of Tides, Alistair Moffat travels to – and through the history of – the fated island of Lindisfarne. Known by the Romans as Insula Medicata and famous for its monastery, it even survived Viking raids. Today the isle maintains its position as a space for retreat and spiritual renewal. Walking from his home in the Borders, through the historical landscape of Scotland and northern England, Moffat takes us on a pilgrimage in the footsteps of saints and scholars, before arriving for a secular retreat on the Holy Isle. To the Island of Tides is a walk through history, a meditation on the power of place, but also a more personal journey; and a reflection on where life leads us.
As Hawick celebrates the 500th anniversary of the fight at Hornshole, the first stirrings of the defining traditions of the common riding, Alistair Moffat takes the narrative much further back into the mists of prehistory, to the time of the Romans, the coming of the Angles and the Normans. He recounts how Hawick got its name, where the old village stood, who the early barons of Hawick were and then charts the amazing rise of the textile trade, bringing the story right up to the present day. Beneath the familiar streets and closes lies an immense story - the remarkable and unique story of Hawick. If this book shows anything, it shows that Hawick has changed radically over the many centuries since people began to live between the Slitrig and the Teviot. All that experience in one place has created and invented much and the future will turn for the better for a simple reason. Hawick's greatest invention is her people.
Seve is the most extrovert player Europe has ever produced. Playboy good looks along with a magnetism that attracted non-golfers to the game made him the biggest drawing card Europe has ever had. He emerged on the world scene with typical élan, hitting one of the most outrageous shots ever seen at the 1976 Open Championship. Three years later he became the youngest Open Champion of the modern era when he won the first of his five major championships. Ballesteros started Europe's domination of the Majors throughout the 80s and 90s, paving the way for Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer, Ian Woosnam, Sandy Lyle and Jose Maria Olazabal. His play in the Ryder Cup, fuelled by an intense dislike for Americans, helped restore Europe's pride in the event. Driven by Basque pride and with a fiery Latin temperament, Seve has often let his heart rule his head. Seve is the remarkable story of one of the game's most fascinating characters.
An “exciting and dramatic” history of the raiders who ruled the lawless Anglo-Scottish borderlands for over a century (Cumberland News). Nowhere else in Britain in the modern era, or indeed in Europe, did civil order break down over such a wide area, or for such a long time, as on the border country between Scotland and England. For more than a century, the hoofbeats of countless raiding parties drummed over the border. From Dumfriesshire to the high wastes of East Cumbria, from Roxburghshire to Redesdale, from the lonely valley of Liddesdale to the fortress city of Carlisle, swords and spears spoke while the law remained silent. Fierce family loyalty counted for everything, while the rules of nationality counted for nothing. The whole range of the Cheviot Hills, its watershed ridges and the river valleys that flowed out of them, became the landscape of larceny while Maxwells, Grahams, Fenwicks, Carletons, Armstrongs, and Elliots rode hard and often for plunder. These were the Riding Times and in modern European history, they have no parallel. This book tells the remarkable story of the Reivers and how they made the Borders.
The brainchild of bestselling author Alexander McCall Smith, historian Alistair Moffat and artist Andrew Crummy, the Great Tapestry of Scotland is an outstanding celebration of thousands of years of Scottish history and achievement, from the end of the last Ice Age to Dolly the Sheep and Andy Murray's Wimbledon victory in 2013. This book tells the story of this unique undertaking from its original conception and creation by teams of dedicated stitchers to its grand unveiling at the Scottish Parliament in 2013, its subsequent touring and the creation of its permanent home in the Scottish Borders.
To paraphrase Alistair Beaton's Caledonia - the first play in this collection - 'The English have anthologies, the Spanish have anthologies, the French have anthologies . . . why should not Scotland have its anthology?' Scotland is entering a crucial period in its history, where its identity is being debated daily, from everyday conversation to the national and international press. At the same time, its theatre is resurgent, with key Scottish playwrights, theatres and theatre companies expanding their performance vocabularies while coming to prominence in national and international contexts. Caledonia is a tale of hubris and delusion, portraying a crucial slice of Scotland's history and its foray into imperial colonialism told with dark humour and creative flair, by award-winning playwright and satirist Alistair Beaton. Bullet Catch, by Rob Drummond, is a unique theatrical experience exploring the world of magic, featuring mind-reading, levitation, and the most notorious finale in show business. Morna Pearson's The Artist Man and the Mother Woman is a wickedly funny, deceptively simple, surreal portrait of a spectacularly dysfunctional relationship. Rantin', by Kieran Hurley draws on storytelling, live music and an unapologetically haphazard take on Scottish folk tradition, in an attempt to stitch together fragmented stories to reveal a botched patchwork of a nation. First performed at the Royal Court in 2013, Narrative by Anthony Neilson is a theatrical exploration of the the boundaries and possibilities of storytelling. Featuring plays from Alistair Beaton, Rob Drummond, Morna Pearson, Kieran Hurley and Anthony Neilson, this collection is edited by Dr. Trish Reid, a leading critical voice on Scottish theatre.
What is the enduring impact of Presbyterianism on what it means to be Scottish?Presbyterianism has shaped Scotland and its impact on the world. Behind its beliefs lie some distinctive practices of governance which endure even when belief fades. These practices place a particular emphasis on the detailed recording of decisions and what we can term a 'systemic' form of accountability.This book examines the emergence and consolidation of such practices in the 18th-century Church of Scotland. Using extensive archival research and detailed local case studies, it contrasts them to what is termed a 'personal' form of accountability in England in the same period. The wider impact of the systemic approach to governance and accountability, especially in the United States of America, is explored, as is the enduring impact on Scottish identity.This book offers a fresh perspective on the Presbyterian legacy in contemporary Scottish historiography, at the same time as informing current debates on national identity.Key Features:A novel focus on religion as social practice, as opposed to belief or organizationA strong focus on Scotland, but in the context of BritainExtensive archival work in the Church of Scotland records, with an emphasis on form as well as contentA different focus on the Church of Scotland in the eighteenth centuryOffers a detailed focus on local practice in the context of national debates
This is the first survey of Unionism, the ideology of most of the rulers of the United Kingdom for the last 300 years. Because it was taken so much for granted, it has never been properly studied. Now that we stand in the twilight of Unionism, it is possible to see it as it casts its long shadow over British and imperial history since 1707. The book looks at all the crucial moments in the history of Unionism. In 1707, the parliaments and (more important) executives of England and Scotland were united. During the 18th century, although not immediately after 1707, that union blossomed and brought benefits to both parties. It facilitated the first and second British Empires. The Union of Great Britain and Ireland in 1800-01 was formally similar but behaviourally quite different. It was probably doomed from the start when George III refused to accept Catholic Emancipation. Nevertheless, no leading British politician heeded the Irish clamour for Home Rule until Gladstone in 1886. That cataclysmic year has determined the shape of British and Irish politics ever since. Having refused to concede Irish Home Rule through the heyday of primordial Unionism from 1886 to 1920, British politicians had to accept Irish independence in 1921, whereupon primordial Unionism fell apart except in Northern Ireland. Twentieth-century Unionism has been instrumental - valuing the Union for its consequences, not because it was intrinsically good. As Unionism was inextricably tied up with the British Empire, it nevertheless remained as a strong but unexamined theme until the end of Empire. The unionist parties (Conservative and Labour) responded to the upsurge of Scottish and Welsh nationalism, and of violence in Northern Ireland, in the light of their mostly unexamined unionism in the 1960s. With the departure from politics of the last Unionists (Enoch Powell and John Major), British politics is now subtly but profoundly different.
In this modern age the regional and national boundaries which define Scotland seem fixed and permanent. But of course this has not always been so. In this book Alistair Moffat looks at the shifting political shape of the land long before its modern borders were created. In doing so he brings to vivid life the half-forgotten kingdoms that came and went during Roman times, the Dark Ages and the early medieval period. This is a fascinating journey into a tantalisingly little-known period of our history, yet one which is crucial to our understanding of who we are and where we came from. 'Moffat's tireless reasearch ... and commanding knowledge bring these forgotten peoples to life' – Scottish Field
This book is unique in that it offers the first truly rigorous application of economic principles to its subject. The authors analyse:* the economic literature on sporting leagues* the demand for professional team sports* the players' labour market.Amongst the topics discussed are the US system of franchising and draft picks and the chances of thei
Uncover the story of Scotland with Alistair Moffat's history collection. From the Ice Age to the modern day, this bundle leaves no stone unturned. Journey through the long-lost kingdoms of Roman times and the Dark Ages, uncover the bloodshed wrought by the Border Reivers for two centuries, track down the true King Arthur, and learn the true story of how Scotland became the nation it is today. 'Moffat plunders the facts and fables to create a richly-detailed and comprehensive analysis of a nation's past' – Scots Magazine Titles included in this bundle are: The Faded Map Arthur and the Lost Kingdoms The Reivers Scotland: A History From Earliest Times
This updated guide examines the different relationships between the various tiers of government in the UK and the EU, and how the EU's powers affect the UK, from a range of perspectives. It evaluates the role of the media, political parties, pressure groups, social media and the ever-changing position of public opinion, and places the relationship in its historical context to show how it has evolved over time. Each chapter includes an introduction, learning goals, a glossary, likely exam questions, helpful websites and suggestions for further reading. This new edition has two new chapters, 'Europeanisation' and 'The British Media and the EU', includes the fallout from the 2015 UK Parliament general election and the 2014 European Parliament election and draws on freshly updated examples, tables and figures updated throughout.
Dr Alistair Ross is a University of Oxford academic whose previous work has been described by Ruby Wax as ‘very, very smart’. This new introductory book strikes an easy balance between theory and practice. It takes the reader from the field’s Freudian roots to its contemporary applications, skills and insights. Over the last 30 years, important new theoretical ideas, skills and clinical practices have emerged in counselling and psychotherapy. While key Freudian concepts like transference, counter-transference and the influence of the past on the present remain vital to psychodynamic work, research drawn from infant development, neuroscience, the role of the sacred, and intersubjective approaches to relationships has changed the way therapists understand and work with clients. Either in its own right or as part of an integrative approach, psychodynamic counselling and psychotherapy have an important role to play in developments to come. The book’s features include: • A re-discovery of the importance and relevance of Freud for present-day therapeutic relationships. • An encounter with the breadth and depth of our understanding about, and experience of, the unconscious. • An introduction to research that has evolved after Freud, revealing new ways of applying his ideas. • A contemporary perspective on traditional counselling and psychotherapy skills, illustrated by vignettes and personal insights from Alistair Ross’s professional practice. • An encouragement to develop new skills for relating at depth with our clients’ past, present and future, motivated by revealing how life-changing therapy can be. This book is a must-read for trainee and practising (psychodynamic or integrative) therapists who want an overview of new thinking and practice or might benefit from greater insight into psychodynamic practice, applying Freud’s theoretical world to improving the lives of real people today. ‘It is good to see Alistair, a valued student of mine and now an equally valued colleague, taking up the torch for psychodynamic counselling and psychotherapy for a new generation. He has written a book that collates much of the valuable writing to date and at the same time adds new dimensions that should not be overlooked.’ Michael Jacobs, Visiting Professor, University of Leeds and Bournemouth University, UK
This bestselling dictionary contains over 1,700 entries on all aspects of politics and international relations. Written by a leading team of political scientists, it embraces the multi-disciplinary spectrum of political theory including political thinkers, history, institutions, theories, and schools of thought, as well as notable current affairs that have shaped attitudes to politics. Fully updated for its fourth edition, the dictionary has had its coverage of international relations heavily revised and expanded, reflected in its title change, and it includes a wealth of new material in areas such as international institutions, peace building, human security, security studies, global governance, and open economy politics. It also incorporates recommended web links that can be accessed via a regularly checked and updated companion website, ensuring that the links remain relevant. The dictionary is international in its coverage and will prove invaluable to students and academics studying politics and related disciplines, as well as politicians, journalists, and the general reader seeking clarification of political terms.
Neolithic Causewayed enclosures are amongst the oldest, rarest and most enigmatic of the ancient monuments found in Europe. First recognised as a distinct type in the 1920s, sixty-nine certain or probable examples have now been identified in the British Isles. As a class, they are of outstanding importance, for while their precise functions remain unclear, they represent the first non-funerary monuments and the earliest instance of the enclosure of open space. This book presents an overview of the findings of a systematic national programme of research, carried out by the RCHME, now merged with English Heritage. Every certain, probable and suggested causewayed enclosure in England has been investigated through integrated aerial and field survey. Specialist reconnaissance flying has been undertaken, along with the thorough analysis of aerial photographs taken from the 1920s onwards. This has greatly increased the number of sites known, turning the spotlight onto many that have received little or no archaeological attention in the past. The aerial surveys now available offer a new basis for improved understanding. Analytical field investigations of the few causewayed enclosures that are well preserved as earthworks have also squeezed fresh information out of even those long familiar to archaeologists. Far from merely ‘dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s’ of past fieldworkers, these detailed surveys have led to the rejection of some long-held theories and the proposal of new interpretations. This book significantly advances the understanding of causewayed enclosures both as individual monuments and as a class. It is a major contribution to the understanding of the British Neolithic, and to ‘landscape archaeology’ more generally.
A doctor in a small town in Scotland, Peter Ashe has been exploited by his senior partner for seventeen years. When, suddenly, the older man dies Peter and his wife Elizabeth welcome their chance to enjoy life with their two children like any other family. But the arrival of Jacky Carstairs and her sister Anne introduces new and unexpected complications. With Jacky, Peter establishes a curiously delicate relationship which goes beyond the strange intimacy of doctor and patient in the face of death. His attachment to Anne is an extension of this bond; and it also brings home to him the truth that he has reached middle age. Elizabeth understands her husband's dilemma but cannot help him; their children, young adults determined to break the restraints of childhood, stretch their parents' tolerance to the limit. As the tension within the Ashe family mounts to near tragedy, the human demands of the close-knit community are told with great sympathy and skill.
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