The First Nation In Europe. A Portrait Of Scotland And The Scots by Murray, David - 1960

UK: Pall Mall Press, 1960. Hardcover. Very Good/Good. Signed inscription by author on flyleaf, the jacket is a bit chipped. This is a new kind of book about Scotland-not a history, but a portrait. "It is not," says David Murray, "taken up with the fleeting and mostly turbulent procession of monarchs and great people. It seeks the formative causes of the Scottishness of Scotland." With this in mind, he examines the many aspects of Scottish life which set Scotland apart as a nation in its own right-the law, the schools, the Kirk, Scottish art and letters, Scottish industry, Scottish politics, the Scot abroad. To this task he brings a wide and detailed knowledge of Scotland, both past and present, a fund of good stories and little-known facts and a wholehearted enjoyment of his theme. Every Scot throughout the world is certain to welcome and enjoy this book, but it is equally sure to appeal to everyone who enjoys good writing, well spiced with humour and an understanding of human nature.