Murray Pittock Books

Focusing on the concept of the Celt and the "Celtic Fringe," this work provides a thorough analysis of the literary and cultural representations of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales over the past 300 years. It investigates national identity, the validity of the term "Celtic," and its historical implications, including the Celtic Revival's influence on Irish nationalism. Additionally, it explores the colonial aspects of the Celtic experience, the significance of Celtic languages in identity preservation, and contemporary issues like the Troubles in Northern Ireland and modern Scottish nationalism.

The story of Culloden, one of the most important battles in Scottish history - how it was fought, how it has been remembered, and what it has come to mean.

Set in the vibrant 1890s, this book explores the dynamic literary culture of the era, often referred to as the Naughty Nineties. It delves into the works of prominent authors like Oscar Wilde, Bram Stoker, W. B. Yeats, and Walter Pater, analyzing the Decadent movement and the artistic theories of Symbolism and Aestheticism. Through this examination, it reveals the unique characteristics and influences that shaped British literature during this flamboyant period.

Exploring Robert Burns's international impact, this collection examines his poetry's significance across the globe, particularly in the U.S., Europe, and the Commonwealth. It highlights how Burns's work merges progressive themes with traditional styles, situating his legacy within broader contexts such as American exceptionalism and European democracy. The volume includes diverse perspectives from literary criticism, history, and cultural theory, offering fresh insights into Burns's influence on various cultural and political landscapes, including Italian and French contexts.

Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832) had an immense impact throughout Europe. His historical fiction, which brought the ideas of Enlightenment to bear on the novel,created for the first time a sense of the past as a place where people thought, felt and dressed differently. His writing influenced Balzac, Dostoevsky, Flaubert, Tolstoy, Dumas, Pushkin and many others; and Scott's interpretation of history was seized on by Romantic nationalists, particularly in Eastern Europe. This book gives for the first time a comprehensive account of the impact of Scott in Europe, from the early and highly influential translations of Defauconpret in France to the continued politicization and censorship of the novels in modern East Germany and Franco's Spain. Generic chapters examine Scott's presence in art and opera, two cultural forms which were deeply affected by his novels. This exciting collection of essays by an international team of leading scholars demonstrates the depth of Scott's impact on European translation, fiction and culture from 1814 to the present. It will be an indispensable research resource for Romanticists everywhere

This is a study of Enlightenment in Edinburgh like no other. Using data and models provided by urban studies theory, it pinpoints the distinctive features that made Enlightenment in the Scottish capital possible.

An engaging and authoritative history of Scotland's influence in the world and the world's on Scotland, from the Thirty Years War to the present day