Cold War Scotland, Edinburgh: National Museums Scotland, 2024. 128 pages, paperback, £14.99. ISBN: 9781910682524. Reviewed by Ken Hamilton FSAScot, November 2024.

Cold War Scotland has been produced as an accompanying volume to an exhibition currently running at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh (until January 2025). Rather than being an exhibition catalogue, the book serves as a standalone narrative of the impact of the Cold War on Scotland physically, politically and personally.

The book is split into four chapters, each covering a different aspect of the Cold War:

Nuclear Nation discusses the coming of nuclear power and weaponry, starting with the development of nuclear weapons in the United States and space flight in the Soviet Union. It also covers the Scottish reactors, arrival of US submarines and later Royal Navy submarines.

Mobilising Scotland discusses the armed forces and UK Warning and Monitoring Organisation (which included the Royal Observer Corps) before going on to discuss the anti-war and anti-nuclear movements in Scotland, from the Edinburgh Council for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons Tests in 1957 through to the end of the Cold War.

Cold War Connections discusses the cultural connections made between Scottish institutions, as well as individuals to institutions and individuals in other nations, particularly in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. This aspect of Cold War history is particularly valuable, as it is less well covered in other studies of the Cold War, especially those more focussed on military installations and infrastructure. In addition to covering the Scotland USSR Society, it also discusses the impact of the US Navy on places like Dunoon.

The final chapter, Material Memories, discusses the physical remains of the Cold War, from aircraft to infrastructure, and the speed with which it was incorporated into military museums (in some cases, before the end of the Cold War). This chapter emphasises the military nature of Cold War collections, making an interesting counterpoint to the non-military material illustrated elsewhere in the book.

Throughout the book, several individuals are highlighted together with their collections of material relevant to the Cold War. This is unusual in Cold War literature, especially because the individuals concerned are not military personnel, nor connected with the armed forces. It serves as a useful reminder (emphasised throughout the book) that the Cold War had an impact on the people of Scotland regardless of whether they were in the armed forces or not.

It is in this concentration on the people of Scotland where the book really shines. Natural comparators would be Cocroft et al (2005) and Schofield & Cocroft (2007). Neither particularly cover the impact on everyday people and, while both cover the archaeology of protest, they do not tackle the portable heritage of protest, which is well covered in the current volume. Nor do they cover the connections made between people of different nations because of (or possibly despite) the politics of the Cold War, which is, again, a real strength of this book.

The book is well illustrated throughout, with historic and recent photography of places, people, historic maps, artefacts, and events. Each section is well referenced.

If I were to find a criticism for this book, it would be that it is too short. It addresses a wide spectrum of topics covering a complex area, and each of these topics would make a book in itself. However, that would be to miss the point of the book. It is an accompaniment to a museum exhibition, rather than an in-depth academic study. It is a great introduction to the history of the Cold War, illustrating its complexity and breadth and inviting the reader to dive deeper into the aspects that capture their attention.

Ken Hamilton FSAScot

Senior Project Officer, MSDS Marine

References

Cocroft, W, Thomas, R C & Barnwell, P S 2005 Cold War: Building for Nuclear Confrontation 1946-1989. London: Historic England.

Schofield, J & Cocroft, W (eds) 2007 A Fearsome Heritage: Diverse Legacies of the Cold War. Oxford: Routledge.