Focuses on the years leading up to the Union of 1707, setting the political history of Scotland and England against the backdrop of war in Europe and the emergence of imperialism. The book rejects the long-held assumption that the economy was of overwhelming importance in the Scots' acceptance of the terms of the Treaty of Union. Instead, it shows how the Scots were able to exploit English ignorance of and indifference to Scotland to steer the settlement in their own favor. The implications of this have influenced the dynamics of the Union ever since, and are only being fully worked out today.