Bøker av Graeme Morton

A deconstruction of the national biography and mythology of William WallaceFreed from the historian's bedrock of empiricism by a lack of corroborative sources, the biography of this short-lived late-medieval patriot has long been incorporated into the ideology of nationalism. It is to explain this assimilation, and to deconstruct the myriad ways that Wallace's biography has been endlessly refreshed as a national narrative, over many generations, that forms this investigation. William Wallace: A National Tale examines the elision of Wallace's after-life into narrative ascendency, dominating the ideology and politics of nationalism in Scotland. This narrative is conceptualised as the national tale, a term taken out of its literary moorings to scrutinise how the personal biography of a medieval patriot has been evoked and presented as the nation's biography over seven centuries of time. Through the verse of Blind Hary, the romance of Jane Porter, to the historical imaginations of Braveheart and Brave, Scotland's national tale has been forged. This is a fresh, engaging and timely exploration into Wallace's hold over Scotland's national mythology.Key FeaturesReappraises William Wallace as a national figureBrings Wallace into the 2014 debateExplores Wallace variously as: A Protestant; A Scottish Chief; A Romantic Hero; a Hollywood HeroExamines Scotland's obsession with the need for a national hero

This revised and updated volume in the New History of Scotland series is a blended history of the Scots in a period of major transformation during the industrial era from 1832 to 1914. Examining Scottish society through the lens of development as part of that new identity, Graeme Morton examines the changing nature of society within Scotland and the relentless eddy of historical developments from home and away. Where previous histories of this period have focused on industry, this book will take a closer look at the people that helped to innovate and forge Scottish national identity through technology and opportunity. Identity was a key element in explaining Industrial Scotland and cultural and technological innovations were melded in this foundry of a confident and self-determined nation.