Five hundred million years of Scottish history from the author of Arthur and the Lost Kingdoms : “Deserves a prominent place in the history canon” ( Scots Magazine). Covering the Ice Age to the recent Scottish Referendum, the acclaimed historian and author explores the history of the Scottish nation. Focusing on key moments such as the Battle of Bannockburn and the Jacobite risings, Moffat also features other episodes in history that are perhaps less well documented. From prehistoric timber halls to inventions and literature, Moffat’s epic explores the drama of battle, change, loss, and innovation interspersed with the lives of ordinary Scottish folk, the men and women who defined a nation. “Moffat plunders the facts and fables to create a richly-detailed and comprehensive analysis of a nation’s past and references a huge number of sources.” — Scotland Magazine “The great thing about Moffat’s account is that, for all its emphasis on uncertainty, it rattles along with complete narrative certainty, to the extent that great events consistently take even a historically literate reader unawares.” — Scottish Review of Books “A very readable, well-researched and fluent account.” — Scotland on Sunday