The Scots are one of the world's greatest nations of emigrants. For centuries, untold numbers of men, women, and children have sought their fortunes in every conceivable walk of life and in every imaginable climate. All over the British Empire, the United States, and elsewhere, the Scottish contribution to the development of the modern world has been a formidable one, from finance to industry, philosophy to politics.

To the Ends of the Earth puts this extraordinary epic center stage, taking many famous stories--from the Highland Clearances and emigration to the Scottish Enlightenment and empire--and removing layers of myth and sentiment to reveal the no-less-startling truth. Whether in the creation of great cities or prairie farms, the Scottish element always left a distinctive trace, and Devine pays particular attention to the exceptional Scottish role as traders, missionaries, and soldiers.

This major new book is also a study of the impact of the global world on Scotland itself and the degree to which the Scottish economy was for many years an imperial economy, with intimate, important links through shipping, engineering, jute, and banking to the most remote of settlements.

Filled with fascinating stories and an acute awareness of the poverty and social inequality that provoked so much emigration, To the Ends of the Earth will make its readers think about the world in a quite different way.


From the Hardcover edition.