Books published by or about the National Library
The National Library of Scotland has a long history of publishing books on subjects of historical, cultural and general Scottish interest. You can find details here of our latest publications and where to buy them.
If you have a publishing-related enquiry, please contact External Relations: phone 0131 623 3807 or email marketing@nls.uk.
'Rax me that buik'
By Iain Gordon Brown
This authoritative and lively book highlights the extraordinary and eclectic Scottish collections of the National Library of Scotland.
It is a celebration of the Library's vast store of material that is 'Scottish', in its broadest sense, reflecting the major contribution that Scotland and the Scots have made through history and across the world.
Richly illustrated, the book presents and describes a wide range of items and aims to place each in its historical, cultural or literary context.
With the volume's emphasis on highlights, rather than 'treasures', some items may seem a surprising choice. Although not well-known or overtly 'Scottish', they are fascinating, intriguing or historically significant, and have their part to play in the Library's history and development.
Author Iain Gordon Brown, Principal Curator in Manuscripts Collections at NLS, has had a long involvement in the selection and acquisition of material for the national collection. His choice of items for 'Rax me that buik' highlights areas where the Library's world-class collections have a strong focus, and many good stories to tell.
A graduate of Edinburgh and Cambridge universities, Dr Brown is a Fellow of both the Society of Antiquaries of London and the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He is a widely published author and a respected scholar, also known for his light and humorous touch.
144 pages.
Published by Scala: October 2010
Paperback (274 x 196mm): £16.95
ISBN: 978 1 85759 634 2
Where to buy this book
Available to buy in the NLS shop and from all good booksellers.
'Scottish Printed Books'
By Antony Kamm
Foreword by Alexander McCall Smith
In Scotland, printing began in 1508. This lively account of the next 500 years introduces notable books and other printed literature, the people who wrote, printed, published, and sold them, and their methods.
It also reveals some memorable talents and describes Scotland's remarkable dynastic contributions. Highlights include:
- Bibles
- Proclamations and the secret press
- Public and personal education
- Scientific, technological, and medical books
- Broadsides and chapbooks
- Figures of the Scottish Enlightenment
- Poetry and drama
- A timeline of significant events and curiosities.
Many of the images from rare books in National Library of Scotland collections are reproduced here for the first time.
Antony Kamm's publications included (as author) 'Collins Biographical Dictionary of English Literature' (1993), 'The Israelites: an introduction' (1999), 'Julius Caesar: a life' (2006), 'The Romans: an introduction' (2nd edition 2008), and (with Malcolm Baird) 'John Logie Baird: a life' (2002); (as joint compiler) 'A Book of Old Edinburgh' (1983), and 'Scottish Traditional Rhymes' (new edition, 1991).
48 pages.
Published: June 2008.
Pamphlet (260 x 175 mm): £5.99
ISBN-13 978-1-905207-21-3
Where to buy this book
'Scottish Printed Books' is published by the National Library of Scotland in association with Sandstone Press Ltd. You can buy it at Reader's Registration in our George IV Bridge Building, or online from BooksfromScotland.com and Amazon.co.uk.
'A Swing Through Time: Golf in Scotland 1457-1744'
By Olive M Geddes
The origins of golf are a matter of mystery and controversy. Only by piecing together the evidence of early documents can we gain an insight into the 'dark ages' of the sport - the 400 years before the earliest surviving Rules of Golf appeared in 1744.
Olive M Geddes is a Senior Curator in Manuscript Collections at NLS. In 'A Swing Through Time', she guides us expertly through the earliest written records of golf, shedding light on its birth and the techniques and equipment used. Above all we learn of golf's social standing as it began to develop from an outlawed activity to the world's most internationally popular game.
112 pages, 70 illustrations.
Published: April 2007.
Softback: £12.99
ISBN 978-1-905267-09-5
Hardback: £15.99
ISBN 978-1-905267-81-7
Where to buy this book
This revised edition is a co-publication with NMS Enterprises Ltd. It is available direct from National Museums of Scotland:
Tel: 0131 247 4026
Fax: 0131 247 4012
Email: publishing@nms.ac.uk
'Ideas that Shaped the World'
Edited by David McClay
Foreword by Magnus Linklater
'Ideas that Shaped the World' is an 'introduction to the John Murray Archive'. It offers a fascinating glimpse into the political, social and intellectual life of the John Murray publishing firm's heyday, via the correspondence between authors and publisher in the John Murray Archive.
Richly illustrated throughout, it draws on unique source material from the archive, with chapters written by the JMA curatorial and cataloguing team at NLS. The book provides insights into what a publisher's archive tells us about their authors and the world they inhabited. It also charts the journey of an idea, from its genesis to its publication.
52 pages
Published by NLS in June 2007.
Softback format only: £6.50
ISBN 978-1-872116-30-3
Where to buy this book
Available to buy from NLS (Readers' Registration) or online from the Third Millennium Information Group.