For emigrant and ancestral Scots around the world, Scottish societies offer a chance for like-minded, passionate people to join together in celebrating past and contemporary Scotland. In a series of lively interviews with members of Scottish societies, Wherever The Saltire Flies charts a memorable journey in the ever-evolving concept of Scottish identity. These societies play a huge part in the preservation of Scottish culture and the worldwide promotion of Scotland, and the people involved are as much a part of Scottish history as those living in Scotland. Isnt it time for Scotland to quash its stereotypes and accept that genuine support and inspiration for international Scots in the modern world is being provided?

Symptoms: the initial signs of a problem. Diagnosis: analysis of the problem. Treatment: suggested solutions. Henry McLeish, former First Minister of Scotland and Tom Brown, one of Scotland's leading political commentators, are joined by eminent psychologist Anne Ellis as they follow on from their politically provocative Scotland: the Road Divides by putting Scotland on the therapist's couch. They assess what in our past has led to a present nation that is such a strange clamjamfry. Light and dark, brash but with a constant chip on its shoulder, Scotland's Jekyll and Hyde nature is shown to have had led to serious social and political problems including anti-social behaviour, and borderline or real poverty. The first part of the book asks us 'tae see ourselves as ithers see us' and the remainder deals with how Scotland should see itself. It asks the difficult question: Scotland - who are we? We ourselves are typical Scots, conscious that we have our fair share of the flaws examined in this book. Recognising our failings is the first step... We warmly encourage readers - be they policymakers or otherwise - to engage in these issues. In this complex modern world there are no easy answers. But we have to keep asking the questions. - TOM BROWN and HENRY McLEISH

The future of Scotland is at a crossroads as Brexit creates more complexity and confusion. The SNP has lost momentum and a window of opportunity has emerged for a wider and deeper debate about the current political situation both in Scotland and the UK. What's the matter with democracy in Britain and how can we make citizenship meaningful in such turbulent times? How is populism changing how we view politics, political parties and democracy? Europe is our future - how can we stay in the EU? How can we address the anger, mistrust and fear currently dominating the public discourse and bitterly dividing Britain? What is Scotland's future role within the UK? How do we develop a more inspired politics where the citizen is valued and taken seriously? This book examines the most pressing issues facing us today in the context of the political and constitutional upheaval that is coursing throughout Western democracies. The shock politics of Trump and Brexit demonstrate that the political landscape has changed and we face an uncertain future. Henry McLeish offers a new approach to get us out of the mess we're in.

Did I only dream about Archie Gemmill scoring one of the greatest goals ever in beating Holland 3-2 in the 1978 World Cup? Did Jim Baxter really play 'keepie uppie' and torment the life out of the weary World Cup winners England in 1967? Were Celtic really the first British team to win the European Cup? Have we obsessives become untethered from reality? Are we hanging on to a world real or imaginary, where football dominated our lives to such an extent that it 'was more than a game', indeed 'more important than life itself'? Has my natural childhood football environment and each of its overlapping parts - cultural, religious, identity, class, political, intellectual, psychological, sociological, philosophical and, sadly, tribal - created the conditions for distorted and highly selective lapses of memory and reality? I don't think so. In this personal and thought-provoking book, former footballer and First Minister Henry McLeish examines his own and his country's dysfunctional relationship with football. Read this book and rethink your own relationship with the beautiful game in the country that took it to the world.

As the Scotland electorate wakes up in the day after the referendum, everything has changed and nothing has changed. Scottish and UK politics is broken, it desperately needs fixed. The future of Scotland will be centre stage, but so will our democracy and the future of a Union in decline. Our politics once again needs to inspire, enthuse, educate and be relevant to the needs and aspirations of the public and reconnect with the values that underpin our society. There are urgent issues that we need to deal with now - the most important of which being rampant inequality. We have to move away from the mindless tribalism and partisanship that too often dominates much of what passes as political debate. Over the past year it has become clear that regardless of their stance on the referendum debate, the Scottish people are united on one front, the yearning for change for the betterment of their nation, their institutions and their politics. For McLeish, the referendum debate is merely the beginning. It is a symptom of the need for a more fundamental shift in the way we engage with politics in the UK and Scotland today. Former First Minister of Scotland, Henry McLeish is well placed to diagnose the crisis at the heart of Scotland and UK politics. In Rethinking Our Politics McLeish looks critically at the conditions which have created an increasingly divided and alienated public and forged Scotland's yearning for radical change. He rails against the stagnation of the union and makes a rousing and persuasive case for a complete overhaul of our political thinking, demanding that instead of making decisions on the basis of fear and insecurity, we rediscover the founding moral purpose of government. This is a must read for those who care about the future of our nation.