Reviews of publications, including, but not restricted to, the Society's own publications, are published online free to view here. This digital format enables a more relaxed approach to particular styles or lengths of article, although we would ask authors to maintain, where possible, the same high standards and style as represented in the Style Guide for publishing other works with us.
Reviews:
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"The Frontiers of Imperial Rome" by David Breeze
23 Apr 2013
Breeze, D J (2011) "The Frontiers of Imperial Rome", Pen & Sword Books, Barnsley, Hb, xxi, 242 p., rrp £25, ISBN 9781848844278
reviewed by Dr Philip Rance -
“The Essential Gaelic-English English-Gaelic Dictionary” by Angus Watson
18 Feb 2013
Watson, A. 2012. “The Essential Gaelic-English, English-Gaelic Dictionary”, Edinburgh: Birlinn, xiv + 510 pp (hb). ISBN 978-1-84158-367-9, rrp £25. Reviewed by Fergus Cannan, Associate Curator, “Object of Devotion: Medieval English Alabaster Sculpture from the Victoria and Albert Museum”
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“Moidart: Among the Clanranalds” by Charles MacDonald
08 Jan 2013
MacDonald, C; edited by Watts, John. 2011. “Moidart: Among the Clanranalds”, Edinburgh: Birlinn, xv + 254 pp, 9 black & white pls. (pb). ISBN 978-1-84158-984-8, rrp £9.99.
Reviewed by Fergus Cannan, Associate Curator, “Object of Devotion: Medieval English Alabaster Sculpture from the Victoria and Albert Museum” -
"Edge of Empire: the Antonine Wall, Rome's Scottish Frontier" by David Breeze
11 Jun 2012
Breeze, D. 2008. "Edge of Empire: the Antonine Wall, Rome's Scottish Frontier", 128 page softback, many full colour plates and illustrations, Birlinn Ltd, rrp £14.99, ISBN: 9781841587370
reviewed by Dr. Philip Rance, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München -
"Studies in the Final Palaeolithic Settlement of the Great European Plain" by Kobusiewicz, M. and Kabacinski, J. (eds)
07 Jun 2012
Kobusiewicz, M. and Kabaciński, J. (eds), 2007, "Studies in the Final Palaeolithic Settlement of the Great European Plain". Hb, 208pp, numerous figs, ISBN 978-83-89959-85-0, price unknown. Poznań: Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznań Branch & Poznań Prehistoric Society.
Reviewed by: Alan Saville, National Museums Scotland, June 2012 -
"St Giles’, The Dramatic Story of a Great Church and its People" by Rosalind K Marshall
14 May 2012
Marshall, Rosalind K. 2009 "St Giles’, The Dramatic Story of a Great Church and its People" Saint Andrew Press, 240pp, (pb) ISBN 978-0-715208-83-0, rrp £9.99.
Reviewed by Rev Gordon A Campbell, Honorary Church of Scotland Chaplain, University of Dundee -
“Northern Lights: The Age of Scottish Lighthouses” by Alison Morrison-Low
09 Jun 2011
Morrison-Low, A D. 2010. “Northern Lights: The Age of Scottish Lighthouses” NMS Enterprises Limited for the National Museums Scotland and the Royal Scottish Society of Arts. (pb) ISBN 978-1-905267-47-7, rrp £17.99. (hb) ISBN 978-1-905267-57-6, rrp £25.00.
Reviewed by Mr Robert JC Mowat RD MA Dip Sci Arch FSA Scot, Dunfermline, Fife. -
“Investigations in Sanday, Orkney Vol 2: Tofts Ness, Sanday, an island landscape through 3000 years of prehistory” by Stephen J Dockrill
25 Jan 2011
Dockrill, SJ 2007 “Investigations in Sanday, Orkney Vol 2: Tofts Ness, Sanday, an island landscape through 3000 years of prehistory” The Orcadian Ltd and Historic Scotland, 417 pages, 288 illus, 83 tables, hardback RRP £38.50 ISBN 978 1 902957 28 9
reviewed by Dr Simon Gilmour FSA FSAScot MiFA -
"The Archaeological Landscape of Bute" by George Geddes & Alex Hale
18 Jan 2011
Geddes, G & Hale, A 2010, "The Archaeological Landscape of Bute" Edinburgh:RCAHMS, 53pp, colour illus, ISBN 978-1-902419-74-9, £7.50
reviewed by Dr Anna Ritchie OBE Hon.FSA Scot. -
"Islay - The Land of the Lordship" by David H Caldwell
11 Oct 2010
Caldwell, D H. 2008 "Islay - The Land of the Lordship" Birlinn Ltd., ISBN 978-1-8415-8358-7, 396pp, 52 photographic illustrations, £30 hardback reviewed by Emeritus Professor Geoffrey Barrow
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“Land of Mountain and Flood. The Geology and Landforms of Scotland.” by A McKirdy, J Gordon & R Crofts.
23 Jun 2010
McKirdy, A., Gordon, J. & Crofts, R. 2007. “Land of Mountain and Flood. The Geology and Landforms of Scotland.” Birlinn Ltd. ISBN 978-1841583570 . (Hard covers, some copies still available through specialist book suppliers) Now published (2009) as a paperback: ISBN 978-1841586267. £20.00 Reviewed by Alastair M D Gemmell.
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"Portmahomack: Monastery of the Picts" by Martin Carver
04 May 2010
Carver, M. 2008 "Portmahomack: Monastery of the Picts" Edinburgh University Press. (pb) ISBN 978-0-7486-2442-3, rrp £26.99 Reviewed by Dr Christopher Lowe, Headland Archaeology (UK) Ltd
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"Archaeology and Early History of Angus" by A Dunwell, and I Ralston
12 Apr 2010
A Dunwell, and I Ralston, 2008 "Archaeology and Early History of Angus", Stroud: Tempus/The History Press, (pb) ISBN 978 0752441146, 188pp, 26 colour plates and 62 b&w figures. £17.99
Reviewed by Neil Wilkin, University of Birmingham, PhD candidate -
"Scottish Odysseys: The Archaeology of Islands" by Noble, G, Poller, T, Raven, J & Verrill, L
24 Nov 2008
Noble, G., Poller, T., Raven, J. & Verrill, L. (eds). 2008. "Scottish Odysseys: The Archaeology of Islands." Tempus. ISBN 978-0752441689. £18.99
Reviewed by Caroline Wickham-Jones -
"Weights and Measures in Scotland: A European Perspective" by Connor, R, Simpson, A and edited by Morrison-Low, A
04 Jun 2008
RD Connor, ADC Simpson, edited by AD Morrison-Low 2004 "Weights and Measures in Scotland: A European Perspective", Edinburgh: NMS Enterprises Ltd. & Tuckwell Press, ISBN 1901663884, 872pp, 8 colour and 315 b&w illustrations. £50.00
Reviewed by Aaron Allen, University of Edinburgh -
"Lines: a brief history" by Tim Ingold
29 May 2008
Ingold, T. 2007 "Lines: a brief history" Routledge: London. ISBN 978-0-415-42427-1
Reviewed by Andrew Jones, Archaeology, University of Southampton
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"In the Shadow of Bennachie: a field archaeology of Donside, Aberdeenshire" by the RCAHMS
29 May 2008
RCAHMS 2007 "In the Shadow of Bennachie: a field archaeology of Donside, Aberdeenshire" Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. ISBN 978-0-903903-46-2, 306 pp, numerous full-colour illus. £30; Fellows £27 +p&p
Reviewed by Ian Shepherd, Aberdeenshire Council -
"Beavers in Britain’s Past" by Bryony Coles
29 May 2008
Coles, B.J. 2006 "Beavers in Britain’s Past" WARP Occasional Paper 19. Oxford: Oxbow. x+242 pages, 158 illustrations; ISBN 978-1-84217-2261, paperback £40.
Reviewed by Felix Riede, University College London
The Society has the following books awaiting review:
Andrew Duncan Senior: Physician of the Enlightenment edited by John Chamlers, 256 page softback, 34 b&w and 14 colour illustrations, NMS Enterprises Ltd - Publishing, RRP £14.99, ISBN: 978 1 905267 30 9 available from www.nms.ac.uk/books
St Giles': the Dramatic Story of a Great Church and its People by Rosalind K Marshall, 221 page hardback, 9 colour plates, 15 b&w figures, St Andrews Press, RRP £9.99, ISBN: 978 0 715209 27 1
Northern Lights: the age of Scottish Lighthouses by A D Morrison-Low, 288 page softback, 100 colour and b&w illustrations, NMS Enterprises Ltd - Publishing in conjunction with the Royal Scottish Society of Arts, RRP £17.99, ISBN: 978 1 905267 47 7 available from www.nms.ac.uk/books
"Elginhaugh: A Flavian Fort and its Annexe" - Volumes 1 and 2 by W S Hanson, 686 page softback, 64 b&w plates and 171 illustrations, Britannia Monograph Series No.23 with Historic Scotland, rrp: £58.00, ISBN: 9780907764342
"Lost Aberdeen: the Outskirts" by Diane Morgan, 212 page hardback, many b&w plates and illustrations, Birlinn Ltd, rrp: £16.99, ISBN: 9781841585505
"Murus ille famosus (that famous wall): Depictions and Descriptions of Hadrian's Wall before Camden" by William D Shannon, 38 page softback, colour map extracts, Cumberland and Westmoreland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society, Tract Series Vol XXII, rrp £7.50 post free, ISBN: 9781873124451
"Archaeology Around Glasgow" by Susan Hothersall, 139 page softback, many colour plates and maps, Glasgow Museums, rrp £10, ISBN: 9780902752870
"Architectural ironwork in Stornoway: Scotland's Hidden Gem" by Ali Davey and David S Mitchell, 142 page softback, 422 figures most full colour plates, Historic Scotland TCRE Group, ISBN: 9781904966319
"From Kelso to Kalamazoo: the life and times of George Taylor 1803-1891" edited by Margaret Jeary and Mark Mulhearn, 176 page softback, 11 b&w illustrations, NMS Enterprises, rrp £8.99, ISBN: 9781905267279
If you would like to review one of these titles, please contact the office with details of which work you are interested in and a brief note of your own credentials or competence to review that particular publication. The Society asks that review copies are returned for deposition in the National Museums Scotland library, with which it maintains a close association. We would also ask that authors provide a short biography and/or a robust web-link to similar information.
Review articles published here are copyright of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland and the individual authors. These articles do not represent the views of the Society or its Fellows. The Society reserves the right to remove any review article.
