Dr Peter Lynch was a Senior Lecturer in the History & Politics Department at the University of Stirling and also Director of the Scottish Political Archive.The author of: Scottish Political Parties and 2014 Referendum (2014); IndyRef to ScotRef (2017); Aye or Nae The Scottish Referendum Experience 1979-2014 (2019); (all Welsh Academic Press); and Scottish Government and Politics (Edinburgh Univ. Press, 2001), Peter Lynch is now retired and living in Edinburgh.

"There is scholarship on every page ... the definitive reference work on the nationalist strand of Scottish politics and Scottish history ... the early days in particular are extremely well done, with close attention to original sources ... impressive and has never been so well set out before."Kenny Farquharson, Scottish Affairs"Highly recommended ... an exhaustive account of the twists and turns of the party's history since its foundation in 1934"Paul Warwick, Simon Fraser University"lucid, comprehensive and balanced - an invaluable guide to the SNP"David Torrance"essential reading"James Halliday, Scots Independent"highly recommended ... Peter Lynch is to be congratulated on providing a fair telling of the story of the National Party, through good times and bad ... a readable, fair, factual account of a story that needs to be told "A Flag in the Wind

• List of IllustrationsPreface to the Second Edition1. Understanding the Scottish National Party2. The Origins and Establishment of the Scottish National Party3. The Struggle for Existence: 1934-454. The Long Road to Electoral Competitiveness: 1945-595. The Growth Years: 1960-706. From Boom to Bust: 1971-797. The Search for Credibility: 1980-898. Alex Salmond and the Modernisation of the SNP: 1990-979. Devolution and a New Beginning for the SNP: 1997-200710. Governing Scotland and the Independence Referendum: 2007-14BibliographyIndex

Dr Peter Lynch was a Senior Lecturer in the History & Politics Department at the University of Stirling and also Director of the Scottish Political Archive.The author of: Scottish Political Parties and 2014 Referendum (2014); IndyRef to ScotRef (2017); Aye or Nae The Scottish Referendum Experience 1979-2014 (2019); (all Welsh Academic Press); and Scottish Government and Politics (Edinburgh Univ. Press, 2001), Peter Lynch is now retired and living in Edinburgh.

"There is scholarship on every page ... the definitive reference work on the nationalist strand of Scottish politics and Scottish history ... the early days in particular are extremely well done, with close attention to original sources ... impressive and has never been so well set out before."Kenny Farquharson, Scottish Affairs"Highly recommended ... an exhaustive account of the twists and turns of the party's history since its foundation in 1934"Paul Warwick, Simon Fraser University"lucid, comprehensive and balanced - an invaluable guide to the SNP"David Torrance"essential reading"James Halliday, Scots Independent"highly recommended ... Peter Lynch is to be congratulated on providing a fair telling of the story of the National Party, through good times and bad ... a readable, fair, factual account of a story that needs to be told "A Flag in the Wind

• List of IllustrationsPreface to the Second Edition1. Understanding the Scottish National Party2. The Origins and Establishment of the Scottish National Party3. The Struggle for Existence: 1934-454. The Long Road to Electoral Competitiveness: 1945-595. The Growth Years: 1960-706. From Boom to Bust: 1971-797. The Search for Credibility: 1980-898. Alex Salmond and the Modernisation of the SNP: 1990-979. Devolution and a New Beginning for the SNP: 1997-200710. Governing Scotland and the Independence Referendum: 2007-14BibliographyIndex

Dr Peter Lynch was a Senior Lecturer in the History & Politics Department at the University of Stirling and also Director of the Scottish Political Archive.The author of: Scottish Political Parties and 2014 Referendum (2014); IndyRef to ScotRef (2017); Aye or Nae The Scottish Referendum Experience 1979-2014 (2019); (all Welsh Academic Press); and Scottish Government and Politics (Edinburgh Univ. Press, 2001), Peter Lynch is now retired and living in Edinburgh.

"There is scholarship on every page ... the definitive reference work on the nationalist strand of Scottish politics and Scottish history ... the early days in particular are extremely well done, with close attention to original sources ... impressive and has never been so well set out before."Kenny Farquharson, Scottish Affairs"Highly recommended ... an exhaustive account of the twists and turns of the party's history since its foundation in 1934"Paul Warwick, Simon Fraser University"lucid, comprehensive and balanced - an invaluable guide to the SNP"David Torrance"essential reading"James Halliday, Scots Independent"highly recommended ... Peter Lynch is to be congratulated on providing a fair telling of the story of the National Party, through good times and bad ... a readable, fair, factual account of a story that needs to be told "A Flag in the Wind

• List of IllustrationsPreface to the Second Edition1. Understanding the Scottish National Party2. The Origins and Establishment of the Scottish National Party3. The Struggle for Existence: 1934-454. The Long Road to Electoral Competitiveness: 1945-595. The Growth Years: 1960-706. From Boom to Bust: 1971-797. The Search for Credibility: 1980-898. Alex Salmond and the Modernisation of the SNP: 1990-979. Devolution and a New Beginning for the SNP: 1997-200710. Governing Scotland and the Independence Referendum: 2007-14BibliographyIndex