Stone Voices

Highly personal and unusual assessment of Scotland now, weaving in his own political odyssey with a deep historical knowledge.We don't have intellectuals in this country any more except Neal and a couple of his mates, and the richness of texture in Stone Voices shows us what we are missing -- Andrew Marr
A richly textured and most unusual meditation on Scotland...his ability to leapfrom archaeology to the politics of the labour party, and then back via a little linguistics to recalling a pub conversation is both disconcerting and inspiring * Observer *
Provides a scholarly and poetic explanation of the emotional roots of Scottish nationalism, invaluable for any Englishman who is baffled by its anger and contradictions * New Statesman *
Absorbing and beautifully written... full of surprising revelations (it has by far the best account of the Picts I have ever read) and with a range of reference which is breathtaking in its scope. Throughout it all, Ascherson's devotion to Scotland and its people, for all their faults, shines through * Spectator *
Ascherson is both a brilliant writer and brings a searching intelligence to his subject (his analysis cannot easily be dismissed) * Scotland on Sunday *
Ascherson's book is like a beautifully written embrace: an arm round the shoulder in an Argyll pub, (yet) with a journalistic persistence and fluency * Independent *
An intelligent and robust addition to the debate north of the border... saved from chaos or earnestness by Asherson's clear prose, intellectual bravura and love of his native Scotland...provides a key to many of the riddles of national identity...a timely antidote to facile flag-wavers everywhere * Observer *
Ascherson is one of the most stylish and erudite journalists around... Stone Voices is a lucky bag of a book, into which Ascherson has stuffed everything he knows about Scotland.The luckiest part is that he knows a great deal * Sunday Telegraph *
Erudite and thorough -- Lesley McDowell * Sunday Herald *