The Lion in the North: A Personal View of Scotland's History

John Edward Curtis Prebble (1915-2001) was a Canadian author and historian who is best known for his Scottish histories, and for his screenplay for the 1964 movie, Zulu. In this interesting book, considered by some to be Prebble's magnum opus, the author follows the course of Scottish history from earliest times, through to the clearances of the early- to mid-nineteenth century. Along the way, the reader is treated to many black-and-white pictures and maps. Overall, I found this to be a very good history. Now, as you might expect with a book that covers some 2000 years of history, some subjects are covered in more detail than others. But, that said, this book does cover a lot! It is a good book, encyclopedic in his reach, but a bit dry and academic. Nonetheless, it is a very good book, one that is sure to please anyone interested in Scottish history.

The immense history of Scotland reads like a Hollywood script. Starting with the pre-Celtic people called the Picts - and ending in modern time, Prebble does a superb job of walking us through the arousing array of peoples that make up the modern Scot. If you love this beautiful land, as I do, then you'll devour this book as if it was a novel. I was left a bit empty at how fast we went from Pictish to Scottish - with very little written and discussed on the pre-Scottish tribes that gave Rome so many headaches.