SilverThistle

As a Scot I'll be casting my vote when the Referendum for Independence takes place next year and although I keep up to date fairly well with as much debate as I can on the matter I was interested to read Mr McWhirter's 'take' on it all. There's no doubt he knows his stuff and he's written this book to tie in with the STV program aired recently and it makes very interesting reading.

How we got where we are today and all that the road ahead entails for us is clearly laid out and despite being a serious matter it's written with humour and wit, while still paying attention to details. There's such a lot of Scotland's history in the pages and I suspect it would make an interesting read even for non Scots.

The question which will be on the Ballot form is "Should Scotland be an independent country?" so there's not a lot of ambiguity there, it's a 'yes' or 'no' answer. However, in order to make an informed choice voters need to know what the pro's and con's are of voting one way in favour of the other and that's what makes this whole referendum like a leap of faith for some. Nobody can say with absolute surety what lies ahead for Scotland. This book though, goes a long way towards helping Scottish voters (and anyone else who has an interest in these matters) gain a better understanding of what has gone before and what may lie ahead, depending on which way the voting goes. It's fascinating stuff.

I already know which way I'll be voting but after reading this book I feel I have a much better understanding of much of the devolution debates which previously went above my head at times. It's a marvelous book and one I can see myself dipping into again and again over the coming year, and probably beyond.

Next year will be all about making informed choices and I urge anyone in a position to vote in next year's Referendum to arm themselves with as much information as they can find.

Note: I received a free copy of this title from the publisher.