The last few decades have seen a flourishing of interest in Renaissance and Reformation Scotland, but so far an overview, bringing together the fruits of this new research, has been lacking. This volume, the latest to be published in the ten-volume New Edinburgh History of Scotland series, fills this gap admirably. Jane Dawson's account of this sometimes rather complex and inaccessible period is as comprehensive as one could reasonably ask for in a volume of this length, and it is well-balanced. The book is divided into four parts, with the first two dealing with the reigns of James iv and v respectively, both monarchs receiving a mainly positive evaluation. There is some chronological overlap in the third and fourth parts: the third deals with the coming of the Reformation and its aftermath, while the fourth concentrates on political developments in this later period. Within these sections the structure is broadly chronological, but not inflexibly so. Thus, although the focus is on narrative, broader social and cultural developments are not neglected, and the diverse geographical experiences of sixteenth-century Scots are given particular attention. The highland experience is fully integrated into the book, rather than appearing as an additional extra, and here the author's previous research background, which straddles the highland/lowland divide, is a distinct advantage. The central theme of the book, the re-formation of Scotland, inevitably appears more explicitly in the second half of the book. This concept involves not just the religious changes resulting from the Reformation, but also reconfigurations in the governance of Scotland, and an increasing sense of nation developing alongside the traditional Scottish emphasis on place and locality. Nevertheless, Dawson is keen to acknowledge the continuities as well as changes encountered in this period, and concludes the book with an intriguing look at Timothy Pont's maps from the 1580s, which reflect both what had changed in Scotland between 1488 and 1587, and what had remained. The choice of these dates for the book is sensible: although the closing date may seem unusual at first, it is well enough justified by the watershed of Mary's execution and the onset of James vi's mature rule, as well as by the more prosaic need to treat James's adult rule as a whole in a subsequent volume. This lively book should be particularly useful for newcomers to the subject: the writing is consistently clear, and avoids descending into historiographical controversy, while retaining an eye for detail. One particularly valuable feature is the inclusion of text boxes alongside the main text, giving an insight into a variety of themes emerging from the main narrative, such as diet, the printing press, piracy and Gaelic poetry. The confident handling of such a diverse range of material is impressive. The remaining volumes in the series are keenly awaited.