St Kilda and the wider world - Andrew Fleming

Forty miles out into the Atlantic from the western isles of
Scotland lies the archipelago of St Kilda. Home to human
populations for more than 4000 years, the islands inhabitants
were evacuated from the main island in 1930 leaving it as a haven
for wildlife, a tourist destination and workplace for those
studying and monitoring the islands ecology and its radar station
built in the 1950s. Many of those writing about St Kilda have
emphasised the remoteness and insularity of its environment,
describing its population as having endured a wretched and
isolated existence marooned on an archipelago miles from
civilisation. In this book Andrew Fleming challenges such
interpretations. His history of the islands reviews the
archaeological evidence for the first inhabitants before 2000 BC,
how they lived and survived, and how they became integrated into
the wider world. Much of the book focuses on more recent times
where documentary sources relay in great detail the lives of St
Kildans over the past few centuries; how they farmed,
administered justice, took on communal responsibilities, their
religious, and other, beliefs, the impact of visitors to the
islands, and how events outside of the islands had an impact on
their lives. Described as a historical drama queen, this is an
excellent story of a remote island community which has been
mythologised by many commentators. Superb photographs do much of
the work of description.