Angus Robertson
Member of the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh Central (SNP), Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture
Book Recommendations:
Recommended by Angus Robertson
“The modern classic that Tom Nairn is best known for is The Break-up of Britain. As Gordon Guthrie wrote: “The Break-up of Britain will be remembered as the book that taught us to take nationalism seriously, to take constitutionalism seriously and to think institutionally.” https://t.co/RSgsqgo7Ik” (from X)
Tom Nairn, Anthony Barnett(you?)
Tom Nairn, Anthony Barnett(you?)
The classic text, with a new introduction by Anthony Barnett In this classic text, first published in 1977, Tom Nairn memorably depicts the “slow foundering” of the United Kingdom on the rocks of constitutional anachronism, its fall from empire and the gathering force of civic nationalism. Rich in comparisons between the nationalisms of the British Isles and those of the wider world, The Break-Up of Britain concludes by reflecting on the Janus-faced nature of national identity. Postscripts from the Thatcher and New Labour years trace the political strategies whose upshot accelerated the demise of a British order they were intended to serve. As a second Scottish independence referendum beckons, a new introduction by openDemocracy’s Anthony Barnett underlines the book’s enduring relevance.