Neal Ascherson was born in Edinburgh in 1932. Sustaining a long career in journalism, he has written for The Observer (1960-1990) and the Independent on Sunday (1990-1998). He contributed scripts for the 1974 documentary series World at War and the 1998 series The Cold War. More recently, he has been a regular contributor to the London Review of Books. His own books include The Polish August (1981), Black Sea (1995) and Stone Voices (2002).

Highly personal and unusual assessment of Scotland now, weaving in his own political odyssey with a deep historical knowledge.We don't have intellectuals in this country any more except Neal and a couple of his mates, and the richness of texture in Stone Voices shows us what we are missing

Neal Ascherson was born in Edinburgh in 1932. Sustaining a long career in journalism, he has written for The Observer (1960-1990) and the Independent on Sunday (1990-1998). He contributed scripts for the 1974 documentary series World at War and the 1998 series The Cold War. More recently, he has been a regular contributor to the London Review of Books. His own books include The Polish August (1981), Black Sea (1995) and Stone Voices (2002).

Highly personal and unusual assessment of Scotland now, weaving in his own political odyssey with a deep historical knowledge.We don't have intellectuals in this country any more except Neal and a couple of his mates, and the richness of texture in Stone Voices shows us what we are missing