The first published history of the Scottish National Party, this highly acclaimed study reveals the inside story of the SNP's political, philosophical and electoral development from its foundation in 1934, to governing Scotland from 2007 and leading the country into the 2014 independence referendum.

Comprehensively researched using internal party documents, newspaper archives, the private papers of key figures and extensive interviews with party insiders, SNP - The History of the Scottish National Party is essential reading for all with an interest in the political history of Scotland.

"There is scholarship on every page ... the definitive reference work on the nationalist strand of Scottish politics and Scottish history ... the early days in particular are extremely well done, with close attention to original sources ... impressive and has never been so well set out before."

Kenny Farquharson, Scottish Affairs

"Highly recommended ... an exhaustive account of the twists and turns of the party's history since its foundation in 1934"

Paul Warwick, Simon Fraser University

"lucid, comprehensive and balanced - an invaluable guide to the SNP"

David Torrance

"essential reading"
James Halliday, Scots Independent

"highly recommended ... Peter Lynch is to be congratulated on providing a fair telling of the story of the National Party, through good times and bad ... a readable, fair, factual account of a story that needs to be told "

A Flag in the Wind

Dr Peter Lynch was a Senior Lecturer in the History & Politics Department at the University of Stirling and also Director of the Scottish Political Archive.

The author of: Scottish Political Parties and 2014 Referendum (2014); IndyRef to ScotRef (2017); Aye or Nae The Scottish Referendum Experience 1979-2014 (2019); (all Welsh Academic Press); and Scottish Government and Politics (Edinburgh Univ. Press, 2001), Peter Lynch is now retired and living in Edinburgh.