Description: At the moment Scotland shared a monarch with England, everything was renegotiated: power, belief, and national identity. Power shifted. Old allegiances hardened almost overnight. Malcolm Laing wrote with Enlightenment confidence yet an acute awareness of Scotland's contested memories. In this classic Scottish history edition, Volume III of the Laing History of Scotland, Malcolm Laing charts the complex politics and religious struggles that followed the union of the crowns and shaped seventeenth century Scotland within the evolving framework of early modern Britain. As an early modern history book grounded in close reading of sources, it traces how the Stuart monarchy in Scotland navigated rivalry, resistance, and the long, uneven path towards Scotland before Act of Union. Long recognised as a scholarly historical reference, Laing's work offers a measured, questioning alternative to more polished narratives, illuminating the forces that redefined rule, faith, and allegiance across the realm. Its careful attention to constitutional change, competing loyalties, and the language of contemporary documents makes it indispensable for anyone serious about early modern Scotland. Ideal for history students, for academic researchers, and for readers of David Hume, the volume combines narrative momentum with uncompromising scrutiny of evidence. Out of print for decades and now republished by Alpha Editions. Restored for today's and future generations. More than a reprint - a collector's item and a cultural treasure.
