The Road to Independence
Murray Pittock
Is the United Kingdom really as united as its name might suggest? For many people in the UK, increasing nationalism in Scotland raises serious questions about what the UK is, and where its future lies. In The Road to Independence?, now available in a revised and expanded Second Edition, Murray Pittock not only gives an account of modern Scottish nationalism, but explains what Scotland’s role in Britain has been historically and why it has changed radically in the last 50 years, with the debate about independence coming to the fore. The book now features a Foreword by First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond, which describes the debate surrounding the Scottish referendum on independence from the UK, due to take place in September 2014.
Pittock gives a lively account of the rise of modern Scottish nationalism and the reasons for it, the recent history and differing character of Scotland’s cities and cultural industries, the impact of multiculturalism on Scottish as distinct from British society, and the changes wrought by devolution, including the reasons for the election of Scotland’s first ever nationalist government in 2007.
The Road to Independence? is the only history of Scotland available with a truly contemporary focus. In dealing with everything from political structures to modern painting it is remarkably comprehensive; in explaining the rise of modern nationalism it is of fundamental importance to policymakers and the wider public. It will be of interest to students of politics, history, law and social science, and to all who want to understand the rapidly changing face of the UK.
Listen to Murray Pittock on BBC Radio 4 discuss the origins of Scottish nationalism and the history of its 300-year union with England.
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About Murray Pittock
Reviews for The Road to Independence
Atsuko Ichijo, Nations and Nationalism
enormously informative and often thought-provoking . . . this book could hardly be improved on: its lively, lucid, witty, beautifully written.
The Scotsman
a well arranged exposition of the various pressures and stresses Scottish society has faced and faces still.
The Diplomat
a perceptive and engaging look at the changing contours of modern Scotland and its relationship with and within the United Kingdom . . . Pittock brings to this topic a fresh narrative and clarity of argument that successfully tie together the many disparate strands of contemporary Scottish culture, politics, and society in interesting and perceptive ways.
Journal of British Studies
a clear and accessible description of the last fifty years of Scottish history . . . [Pittock] deserves congratulation for tackling a difficult task and providing much to think about.
Journal of Contemporary History
entertaining and vigorously written . . . intelligent and self-confident Scottish good sense.
Journal of Scottish Historical Studies
Both are tremendously good reads, but Pittock feels much more of our time and of the future.
Canadian Journal of History
This authors clear, thoughtful history of modern Scotland deserves to reach a wide audience… In a book packed with interesting detail, Pittock deftly weaves a narrative that is at once an intensely informative introduction to modern Scotland and a careful meditation about the nation's future
The Historian
The book is a balanced and perceptive introduction to the whole question of independence, but with much to say also to those already familiar with it.
Paul Henderson Scott, former president of the Saltire Society, and author of Towards Independence and Scotland Resurgent