Bruce Webster – författare

In the eleventh century there was no such identity as Scotland. The Scots were one of several peoples in the Kingdom of the King of Scots: the Picts may have faded away, but English, British, Galwegians were still distinct and Anglo-Normans were soon to be added. On the eve of the Reformation, five centuries later, Scotland was one of the most fiercely self-conscious nations in Europe. How this came about is the theme of this study.

The amount of research in Scottish history has increased enormously, particularly in the earlier periods. Scotland from the Eleventh Century to 1603 is an attempt to show how our understanding of Scotland's past is affected by the kind of evidence that has come down to us; and also how that evidence itself is the result of the sort of history Scotland has had. The sources are easy enough to find, for most of them are in print; but they are not always so easy to use. This book is both a guide for those who want to study the original sources at first hand and a description of them for those who could like to know what lies behind the accounts in textbooks and general histories.

A problem-focused and clearly organized survey of the dynastic strife and crisis of medieval government in 15th century England.