Media: BOOK - paperback, 336 pages
Author: T. Venning
Year: 2015
ISBN: 9781445648194
Other: colour photos, family trees, bibliog, index
Publisher: Amberley Publishing

The kingdom of Scots was the last of the non-Anglo-Saxon states of Britain to survive as a political entity. Alone of the ‘Celtic’ nations, it was not absorbed into England by conquest. James VI of Scotland came to the throne of England in 1603, and when union with England finally came in 1707 during the reign of Queen Anne, it was technically on equal terms. This success owed much to the abilities and tenacity of a succession of rulers.

The story of the rulers of Scotland’s constituent states and then of the united kingdom of Scots from Kenneth MacAlpin onwards is complex and often violent. It is full of rapid reversals of fortune, brilliant and incompetent leadership, family strife, and triumph and tragedy closely intertwined. The obscure earlier history is often as fascinating as the better-known stories of the Bruce and Queen Mary, though less familiar. This saga of a thousand years is a tribute to the qualities of Scotland’s rulers.

Contents:
Introduction
1. The Constituent Kingdoms
2. King of Scots from AD843 to 1057
3. The House of Dunkeld 1057-1286
4. The Wars of Independence and the Bruces 1286-1371
5. The Stewarts 1371-1542
6. The Stuarts 1542-1651
7. From One Union to a Second 1651-1707
Bibliography
Table of Sovereigns
Queens and King Consorts of Scotland to 1603
Genealogical Tables
Index