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Title: An excellent short history of Scotland
Review: I read this book just before traveling to Scotland (the lowlands, there isn't much in it about the highlands) and found it to be an excellent preparation. I was able to recognize the various castles, cathedrals, abbeys that we saw and knew something about where and how they fit into Scottish history. I was much better able to enjoy the trip as it wasn't quite so new and overwhelming. Lang appears not to have too much of an axe to grind, but he does have some antipathy to John Knox, whom he clearly regards as an occasionally dishonest and troublesome rebel who not only upended the established Roman Catholic church and the monarchy, but destroyed a great deal of beautiful art and architecture into the bargain.
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