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The Gravity of Feathers
Fame, Fortune and the Story of St Kilda
Brief Description
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...
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Format: Hardback
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See moreWhen the last inhabitants of St Kilda were evacuated in 1930, the archipelago at 'the edge of the world' lost its permanent population after five millennia.This book tells the absorbing and eventful story of St Kilda from up to the evacuation and its aftermath, using previously untapped sources to provide fresh insights, and tell the true story.
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Description
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 and exporting the ancestors of today's Hebridean sheep, the islanders gained access to consumer goods and learned how to play politics to their advantage.
The Gravity of Feathers 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.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781780278810
Publisher: Birlinn General
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 03 October 2024
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Birlinn Ltd
Illustration: 16 Plates, black and white; 8 Plates, color
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 34.0mm
Width: 156.0mm
Height: 234.0mm
Weight: 635g
Pages: 368
About the Author
Andrew Fleming specialises in prehistory and landscape archaeology. He taught at Sheffield University for 27 years and then at the University of Wales Trinity St David. He lives in Hertforshire.
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