Books published by Birlinn General

Set on a farming estate in the upper reaches of the River Spey, Of Stone and Sky follows several generations of a shepherding family in a paean to the bonds between people, their land and way of life. It is a profound mystery, a passionate poem, a political manifesto, shot through with wisdom and humour.

Covering the period 1286-1306 and written with reference to historic documents as well as the most up-to-date research, Under the Hammer examines the process of conquest and attempted colonisation of one medieval kingdom by another.

A balanced and objective assessment of the financial consequences of Scottish independence from Gavin McCrone, one of the UK's top economists with decades of involvement in the devolution and independence debates.

Walter Smith was one of the most talked about and respected managers in British football. This insightful biography casts a reflective and analytical eye over his life and career, examining this shrewd professional through the many highs and lows that he has experienced as a player and manager.

Blood Salt Spring is a meditation on where we are - exploring ideas of nation, race and belonging. Much of the collection tackles the isolation and traumas of 2020, but it also looks to find some meaning and makes an attempt to heal the pain and vulnerabilities that were picked and cut open again in the recent cultural shifts and political wars.

To celebrate Edinburgh, its literature, and more importantly, its people, Polygon and the One City Trust have brought together writers - established and emerging - to write about the place they call home. Based around landmarks or significant links to Edinburgh each story transports the reader to a different decade in the city's recent past.

This book takes an innovative approach to telling the history of Newcastle upon Tyne by focusing on the historic maps and plans that record its growth and development over many centuries.

In this book, Sally MacColl presents 50 delicious tried-and-tested seafood recipes featuring produce from the waters around her home island of Mull, including salmon, trout, haddock and mackerel as well as mussels, langoustine, lobster, scallops and crab.

Miami, 1963. A young boy from Louisville, Kentucky, is on the path to becoming the greatest sportsman of all time. Cassius Clay is training in the 5th Street Gym for his heavyweight title clash against the formidable Sonny Liston. He is beginning to embrace the ideas and attitudes of Black Power, and firebrand preacher Malcolm X will soon become his spiritual adviser. Thus Cassius Clay will become 'Cassius X' as he awaits his induction into the Nation of Islam. Cassius also befriends the legendary soul singer Sam Cooke, falls in love with soul singer Dee Dee Sharp and becomes a remarkable witness to the first days of soul music. As with his award-winning soul trilogy, Stuart Cosgrove's intensive research and sweeping storytelling shines a new light on how black music lit up the sixties against a backdrop of social and political turmoil - and how Cassius Clay made his remarkable transformation into Muhammad Ali.

Hey America! unearths the untold story of how successive presidents and their most senior aides recruited pop, rock and soul musicians to campaign for their election and help shape and represent public policy (often with disastrous consequences). It reveals a remarkable roller-coaster of social change.

New paperback edition of this popular Scottish reference book

Blood and Gold is a powerful, dynamic fusion of African and Scottish myth and fantasy which explores the themes of racism, immigration and colonialism, and the acceptance of self, grief and loss.

Combining letters and sketches with an accompanying narrative describing their journeys, this is a wonderful celebration of the two Mendelssohns and a portrait of Scotland and Italy of the time as seen through the eyes of two of the Romantic movement's most acclaimed composers.

A new edition of a classic book by one of Scotland's most eminent historians (originally published by Mainstream as Culloden and the Last Clansman), this is the tragic story of one of Scotland's most notorious murders and miscarriages of justice, which inspired Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped.

This new companion to Little Sparta tells the story of Ian Hamilton Finlay's extraordinary creation, exploring the underlying themes, and introducing and explaining the significance of the main elements and artworks in each part of the garden.

Stand alone novel from the author of the bestselling DCI Daley Series. Gangs of London meets The Sopranos. Terms of Restitution is a thrilling gangland tale of shifting alliances and deceit, punctuated by the real family problems that we all face and underpinned by Meyrick's trademark dark humour throughout.

Drawing on the latest research and established sources, A Sword for Christ offers a new and stimulating perspective on the 15-year period between 1645 and 1660, when Oliver Cromwell attempted to create a new type of 'Godly' state after the execution of Charles I.

A brand new stand-alone novel from Alexander McCall Smith, The Pavilion in the Clouds is a beautifully evocative story, set mostly in 1930s Ceylon (now known as Sri Lanka). This atmospheric novel, set in the pre- and post-war years in both Ceylon and Scotland poses the question of what it is to be home.

As well as a sumptuous souvenir of Mull, this is a practical working cookbook which will guide both beginners and experienced cooks through Carla's fresh and adventurous cuisine.