The compelling story of over 5,000 years of Scottish art, told by Lachlan Goudie, renowned contemporary Scottish artist, broadcaster and presenter of BBC Four's 'The Story of Scottish Art'. This is the story of how Scotland has defined itself through its art over the past 5000 years, from the earliest enigmatic Neolithic symbols etched onto the landscape of Kilmartin Glen to Glasgow's fame as a centre of artistic innovation today. Lachlan Goudie brings his perspective and passion as a practising artist and broadcaster to narrate the joys and struggles of artists across the millennia striving to fulfil their vision and the dramatic transformations of Scottish society reflected in their art. The Story of Scottish Art is beautifully illustrated with the diverse artworks that form Scotland's long tradition of bold creativity: Pictish carved stones and Celtic metalwork; Renaissance palaces and chapels; paintings of Scottish life and landscapes by Horatio McCulloch, David Wilkie and Joan Eardley; designs by master architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh; and collage and sculpture by Pop Art pioneer Eduardo Paolozzi. Lachlan tells the compelling story of how and why these and many other Scottish masterpieces were created, and the impact they have had on the world.

Anna Coatalen (nee Hook) was born in Clifton, Bristol, studied at the Byam Shaw School of Art London, and then worked as a book illustrator before WW2. It was as a WRNS in Plymouth, that she met her Anglo/French husband Herve, an RNVR engineer officer, which resulted in her spending her life in France. Anna painted prolifically throughout her life, continuing right up to her death aged 95, but never sought to publicise her work. Amongst friends who appreciated and admired her, were the artists Mary Fedden and Alexander Goudie, whose son, Lachlan, has written a very perceptive introduction to this book. Her eldest daughter Annik, with help from her family, has gathered together a selection of her most compelling works, ranging from early woodcuts and paintings to the three stained-glass windows in the Ile Tudy church, Brittany. Anna's gift enabled her to encapsulate the spirit of her life and surroundings, and they are presented here as a tribute to permit a wider audience to appreciate her skill. 'The world seen through Anna's eyes, is a happy place to be and her paintings are a fitting testament to the kind and talented person that she was in life.' - Lachlan Goudie