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From Pictland to Alba, 789-1070 (New Edinburgh History of Scotland, 2)
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About From Pictland To Alba, 789-1070
Product Description In the 780s northern Britain was dominated by two great kingdoms; Pictavia, centred in north-eastern Scotland and Northumbria which straddled the modern Anglo-Scottish border. Within a hundred years both of these kingdoms had been thrown into chaos by the onslaught of the Vikings and within two hundred years they had become distant memories. This book charts the transformation of the political landscape of northern Britain between the eighth and the eleventh centuries. Central to this narrative is the mysterious disappearance of the Picts and their language and the sudden rise to prominence of the Gaelic-speaking Scots who would replace them as the rulers of the North.From Pictland to Alba uses fragmentary sources which survive from this darkest period in Scottish history to guide the reader past the pitfalls which beset the unwary traveller in these dangerous times. Important sources are presented in full and their value as evidence is thoroughly explored and evaluated. Unlike most other volumes dealing with this period, this is a book which 'shows its workings' and encourages the readers to reach their own conclusions about the origins of Scotland.Key Features:• The first book in over twenty years to explain the destruction of the Picts and the rise of the Scottish kingdom from contemporary accounts alone• Recounts and evaluates modern scholarship developing readers’ awareness of recent debates and controversies • Subjects contemporary sources to rigorous examination allowing students to appreciate the strengths and pitfalls of different types of evidence• Locates early Scottish history firmly within a European context Review From Pictland to Alba is an extremely valuable synthesis of recent scholarship, and a showcase for Woolf's original insights. The book is essential reading for scholars and its accessible style should ensure an extensive student readership. From Pictland to Alba will no doubt be considered a formative text by the next generation of scholars of early medieval Scottish History. -- Fiona Edmonds, Clare College, Cambridge, Cambrian Medieval Celtic Studies Teasing out the tangle of sources and suggesting ways of filling in the blanks, Woolf comes closer than we've ever been to a coherent account of a fascinating time. 4 stars -- Michael Kerrigan, The Scotsman From Pictland to Alba is a major contribution to the history of Scotland and its neighbours, a survey integrating much good recent scholarship with the author’s own valuable interpretations. -- Mark Zumbuhl, University of Manchester, Northern Scotland Vol 3, No 1 The author of this masterly work presents and discusses the evidence of the available, often fragmentary, sources to provide an intelligible account of the eventual evolution of a very limited 'kingdom' of Alba., Northern History I find an overriding sense of adventure in this volume, with ideas rolling thick and fast... Woolf repeatedly demonstrates a perceptive senseof place in his historical arguments, giving a valuable insight into the interplay of geography and history in Scotland’s past. Woolf ’s skills of close textual analysis are also brilliantly demonstrated throughout the volume.... A striking and laudable feature of Woolf ’s book is the concern to show Scotland in a bigger historical picture. Woolf often draws on parallels and insights from across medieval Europe. This is important in showing the value of comparative evidence to provide insights into Scottish history. This feature of Woolf ’s work also highlights Scotland’s potential significance for mainstream European medievalists. There is no doubt that this volume marks a major advance in interpreting the Viking Age istory of Scotland. Woolf demonstrates the breadth of vision and originality of mind which deservedly characterises him as one of the leading early medieval Insular historians. -- Claire Downham, University of Aberdeen, Journal of Scottish Historical Studies ...a sometimes demanding,
