Edinburgh: A New History
By (Author) Alistair Moffat
Birlinn General
Birlinn Ltd
10th January 2025
United Kingdom
General
Non Fiction
Social and cultural history
Local history
European history
Hardback
224
Width 138mm, Height 216mm, Spine 18mm
336g
From prehistory to the present day, the story of Edinburgh is packed with incident and drama. As Scotlands 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 Edinburghs 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 worlds best-known and most beautiful cites.
Alistair Moffat was born and bred in the Scottish Borders. A former Director of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Director of Programmes at Scottish Television and founder of the Borders Book Festival, he is also the author of a number of highly acclaimed books. From 2011 he was Rector of the University of St Andrews. He has written more than thirty books on Scottish history.