Luath Press Ltd.

Arts of resistance; poets, portraits and landscapes of modern Scotland.

Moffat (chair, Royal Scottish Academy's exhibition committee) et al. examine the relationship between art and resistance in Scottish art and poetry. The authors follow the history of resistance art in Scotland from the end of the 19th century and the dawn of modernism to Scotland's thriving and diverse arts community today. This publication is intended for those studying Scottish literature and art. Distributed in the US by Ingram Publisher Services. Price is converted from euros. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Beatrix Potter's Scotland; her Perthshire inspiration.

McGeachie, a member of the Beatrix Potter Society, takes readers to the countryside of Highland Perthshire, Scotland, the place that first inspired Beatrix Potter, the author and illustrator of the Peter Rabbit books. Potter spent her childhood summers at Dalguise House near Dunkeld in the area. It was when she returned to Scotland as an adult that Peter Rabbit was born, first in the form of picture letters to her friends. Her teenage journal, written in a code cracked 14 years after she died, reveals her fascination with the flora and fauna of Perthshire and the people she met there. The author gives details on the history and geography of Scotland in addition to accounts of Potter's visits there. The book contains numerous contemporary color photos of locations, plus b&w historical family photos and color illustrations from Potter's work. The book is distributed in the US by Ingram Publisher Services. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Blind Ossian's Fingal; fragments and controversy.

Born in the Scottish Highlands shortly before the Jacobite uprising, MacPherson (1736-96) published Fragments of Ancient Poetry in 1760 and Fingal: An Ancient Epic Poem in Six Books in 1762, characterizing both as ancient Gaelic texts that he had discovered and translated. They were immediately popular throughout Europe, but other scholars clambered for the originals, or any evidence that he had not composed the poems himself. He never provided such evidence, and the controversy continues to the present. Allan Burnett, a journalist specializing in Scottish history and heritage, and Linda Anderson Burnett (history, Edinburgh U.) discuss the timeline of the legendary bard Ossian; the setting, themes, and characters of his poems; his poems and the controversy; and MacPherson's life. Then they present a selection of the poems. The final section collects opinions from his contemporaries Hugh Blair, Samuel Johnson and James Boswell, Malcolm Laing, and the Committee of the Highland Society of Scotland. Distributed in the US by Ingram Publishers Services. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Bodysnatchers to lifesavers; three centuries of medicine in Edinburgh.

Womersley, a journalist who specializes in medicine, and Crawford, a microbiologist who has migrated towards public relations, now both work for the University of Edinburgh. Here they review the history of medicine in the city from the incorporation of the Edinburgh Guild of Barbers and Surgeons in 1505 to the opening of the University's Medical School in 1726 and soon after the first teaching hospital. The story continues to the 19th century when the all-male medical profession was rocked when one of its stalwarts was discovered after death to be a women, into the 21st century. Distributed in the US by Ingram Publisher Services. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

The evolution of evolution; Darwin, enlightenment and Scotland. (reprint, 2009)

This is a reprint of a 2009 text in which Edinburgh-based independent scholar Stephen describes and analyzes the influences that a number of Scottish mentors had on Darwin's development. As the children and grandchildren of the Scottish Enlightenment, these teachers, consciously or unconsciously, would have passed on to Darwin fundamental beliefs of the Enlightenment. No new material has been added to the reprint. Distributed in the US by Ingram Publisher Services. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

The flower and the green leaf; Glasgow School of Art in the time of Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

To supplement the considerable writing that exists on the iconic Glasgow School of Art, this commemorative volume describes the history of its construction, followed by histories of the education, artists, and outreach carried out there. Chapters are included on the departments of sculpture, drawing, painting, and decorative arts; the lives and careers of its most influential artists and teachers; and the expansion of the school beyond its original building. The volume is well-illustrated with historic photos, drawings, plans and views of the buildings and surrounding area, and works of art. Distributed in the U.S. by Ingram Publisher Services. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

The killing time; fanaticism. liberty, and the birth of Britain.

The period between the 1638 revolution when Scotland signed the National Covenant and the 1707 Treaty of Union with England were filled with war, civil unrest, assassinations, torture, and jolting regime changes. Writer and editor Ross explores and makes sense of the major issues and events of the violent and perplexing period by concentrating on the lives of some of the most influential people of the era. Distributed in the US by Ingram Publisher Services. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

A new history of the Picts. (reprint, 2010)

McHardy, founder of the Pictish Arts Society, presents this new history of the indigenous culture in Scotland which challenges the anglo-centric assumptions held by many modern historians. Drawing from recently discovered archaeological evidence and his own extensive historical and linguistic research, McHardy portrays the Picts as having a complex tribal society rather than existing as wild barbarians. This new perspective on the Picts also sheds light on the biases imposed by past British historians and their attempts to create a common British history. This book is intended for those with an interest in Scottish history. Distributed in the US by Ingram Publisher Services. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Scottish photography; a history.

With this book Normand (art history, U. of St Andrews, Scotland) fills a gap in the literature by providing a systematic history of photography from Scotland. He points out that histories of photography from other countries are common, but Scotland has not been fully represented; and he states that this absence is surprising because "...Scotland took a lead role in the early development of photography and has occupied centre stage, at intervals throughout the dramatic unfolding of its history." His study is presented in an attractively designed book (8x8 inches) with numerous illustrations. Distribution in the US is by Ingram Publisher Services. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Social sculpture; the rise of the Glasgow art scene, rev.ed.

In the last 30 years, Glasgow has emerged as the UK's main art center after London. Lowndes (historical and critical studies, Glasgow School of Art) offers a social history of the Glasgow art scene from the early 1970s onwards. Although it is written in narrative format, the book draws on interviews with 60 Glasgow writers, artists, musicians, and others involved in the network of local independent labels, live music venues, nightclubs, and musicians' cooperatives. Those interviewed also include curators, critics, and those involved in funding of the arts. Although the book covers the work of both public institutions and grassroots arts initiatives, emphasis is on artist-led projects and the ephemeral events that have bolstered the Glasgow art scene. This revised edition is updated to give an inside account of the city's art scene in the last seven years. The book includes b&w photos of sites and gallery installations. It is distributed in the US by Ingram Publisher Services. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Trident and international law; Scotland's obligations.

This text is the product of an eponymous conference sponsored by the British organizations Acronym Institute for Disarmament Diplomacy, the Edinburgh Peace and Justice Centre, and Trident Ploughshares. The conference was called in response to the decision by the British government to renew the Trident nuclear weapons system and in light of the majority support in the Scottish Parliament for removing all nuclear weapons from Scotland and growing concerns about the acceptability and legality of nuclear weapons in general. The motivation of the proceedings clearly seems to be to overcome the perceived barrier to a nuclear-free Scotland found in the British law of devolution, which limits Scottish parliamentary power on certain questions. To that end, it brings together various legal experts on British and international law in order to consider the questions of which laws take precedence when it comes to the question of nuclear weapons and Scotland. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)