The Gravity of Feathers

Fame, Fortune and the Story of St Kilda

von Andrew Fleming

464 Seiten, Taschenbuch

Kurzbeschreibung des Verlags

St Kilda's people vanished after five millennia, and their shift to tourism shaped its fate.Shortlisted for The Wolfson History Prize.Discover the true story of St. Kilda.When the last 36 inhabitants of St Kilda, 40 miles west of the Scottish Hebrides, were evacuated in 1930, the archipelago at 'the edge of the world' lost its permanent population after five millennia.It has long been accepted that the islanders' failure to adapt to the modern world was its demise. Andrew Fleming overturns the traditional view. Unafraid of highlighting dark times, he shows how they sacrificed their reputation as an uncorrupted, ideal society to embrace and exploit the tourist trade. Creating a prestigious tweed, exporting the ancestors of today's Hebridean sheep, the islanders gained access to consumer goods and learned how to play politics to their advantage.This book tells the absorbing and eventful story of St Kilda from earliest times, up to the evacuation and its aftermath. Previously untapped sources and fresh insights bring to life the personalities, feelings, attitudes and rich culture of the islanders themselves, as well as the numerous outsiders who engaged with the remote island community.

• Themen: Geschichte und Archäologie Geschichte Besondere Ereignisse und Themen Sozial- und Kulturgeschichte
• ISBN: 9781836920045
• Sprache: Englisch
• Erscheinungsdatum: 04.06.2026
• Größe: 197 x 129 mm
• Verlag: Birlinn General