Anne-Marie Kilday is Professor of Criminal History and Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean at Oxford Brookes University, UK

The Violent North - Fact or Fiction: Introduction and Context, 1. The Violent North? Fatal Violence, 1660-1960, 2. The Violent North? Sexual Violence, 1660-1960, 3. The Violent North? Violent Assault: Public and Private, 1660-1960, 4. The Violent North? Communal Violence, 1660-1960, 5. The Violent North? Violence for Gain, 1660-1960, 6. The Violent North or The Enterprising Scot, 1660-1960?, The Violent North: Conclusion, Bibliography, Index

Scotland has often been regarded throughout history as "the violent north", but how true is this statement? Does Scotland deserve to be defined thus, and upon what foundations is this definition based? This book examines the history of crime in Scotland, questioning the labelling of Scotland as home to a violent culture and examining changes in violent behaviour over time, the role of religion on violence, how gender impacted on violence and how the level of Scottish violence fares when compared to incidents of violence throughout the rest of the UK.
This book offers a ground-breaking contribution to the historiography of Scottish crime. Not only does the piece illuminate for the first time, the nature and incidence of Scottish criminality over the course of some three hundred years, but it also employs a more integrated analysis of gender than has hitherto been evident. This book sheds light on whether the stereotypical label given to Scotland as 'the violent north' is appropriate or in any way accurate, and it further contributes to our understanding of not only Scottish society, but of the history of crime and punishment in the British Isles and beyond.