Undiscovered Scotland

 

"Edinburgh: A New History" by Alistair Moffat has been published to coincide with Edinburgh's 900th anniversary celebrations in 2024. What you find between the covers is a thoroughly readable encapsulation of the history of what for many - for us, anyway - is the greatest city in the world, blessed by geology and geography and so often in history the focal point of momentous (if not always especially pleasant) events.

The book is divided into 51 short chapters, each taking as its subject a particular aspect of the history of Edinburgh. We start with the foundation of the city by King David I of Scotland before moving back rather further in time to the volcanic activity and ice sheets that shaped the ground on which Edinburgh stands. We then move steadily forwards again, addressing the history of the city chronologically. The end result is what might once have been called a "popular history", a history book intended for a general audience. The author is to be congratulated on producing a book that is short enough to be approachable and well-written enough to be accessible to just about everyone. This is a history book that seems likely to be actually read by a good proportion of those who buy it: and we suspect that may not be true of many of those it will have been sharing bookshop shelf space with. If you want to know more about Edinburgh, then this is a great place to start.

The publishers' description gives more detail about the contents of the book: "From prehistory to the present day, the story of Edinburgh is packed with incident and drama. As Scotland’s capital since 1437, the city has witnessed many of the key events which have shaped the nation. But Edinburgh has always been much more than just a political centre. During the Enlightenment, it was one the intellectual powerhouses of Europe, and in the twentieth century it became the arts capital of the world with the founding of its many festivals. Finance, religion, education and industry are also important parts of the story. Alistair Moffat explores these themes and many more, showing how the city has grown, changed and adapted over the centuries. He introduces Edinburgh’s famous places and people – including monarchs, murderers, writers and philosophers – as well as the ordinary citizens who have contributed so much to the life of one of the world’s best-known and most beautiful cites."