The Bagpipes: A Cultural History [Hardcover]

A diverse history of the pipes--from inspiring terror on battlefields to enriching cultures worldwide.History's first named bagpiper is a man playing a pipe with a bag tucked under his armpit in the first century CE. He was the Roman Emperor Nero. Since then, this improbable conflation of bag and sticks has become the world's most beloved and contested instrument. Another piping emperor, Tsar Peter the Great, decided that his departed pet bear would live on--as a bagpipe.This vivid history tells the long story of an instrument boasting over 130 varieties, yet commonly associated with just one, from one country: Scotland's Great Highland Bagpipe. In fact, the pipes are played across the globe, illuminating societies in remarkable, unexpected ways. Richard McLauchlan charts the rise of women pipers; investigates class, privilege and capitalism in the piping world; and explores how a national instrument can shift in meaning amidst the currents of identity.The vibrancy and inventiveness of today's pipers showcase the allure of this fabled, fascinating instrument, to which McLauchlan is our surefooted guide.Richard McLauchlanis a Scottish writer, educated at the Universities of St Andrews and Cambridge. He is the author of the widely-praised group biography of the Haldane family,Serious Minds, and John Campbell's collaborator onHaldane,aSunday TimesandDaily Telegraph Book of the Year (both published by Hurst). He is also a former pipe major, taught by the renowned piper Colin MacLellan. Historically insightful and full of character. Richard has captured the essence and beauty of piping's vibrant culture with historical, musical and characterful insight. -- Finlay MacDonald, world-renowned piper and composer

With infectious enthusiasm for his subject, Richard McLauchlan traces the cultural significance of the bagpipes across the globe and over many centuries. His multi-storied and learned account reveals the ló¿