A Time of Tyrants by Trevor Royle
In this book acclaimed military historian Trevor Royle examines Scotland's role in the second world war from a wide range of perspectives.
The country's geographical position gave it great strategic importance for importing war material and reinforcements, for conducting naval and aerial operations and for training regular and specialist forces. The role played by women was also essential to the war effort: for the first time they were conscripted and worked on the land, in forestry and in munitions factories.
In addition to the importance military aspects - the exploits of the army's renowned 15th Scottish, 51st Highland and Lowland Divisions in Europe and North Africa and the role played by the RAF and the Royal Navy from Scottish bases - Scotland was also vital as an industrial powerhouse and acted as the nation's larder.
Based on previously unseen archives in the National Records of Scotland, A Time of Tyrants is the first comprehensive history of the unique part played by Scotland and the Scots in the global war to defeat Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan.