Spanning four politically and socially tumultuous decades, Stephen Maxwells writings explore the origins and development of the modern Scottish Nationalist movement. As an instrumental member of the SNP and a life-long socialist, Maxwells work provides an engaging contemporary insight into the debate over Scottish independence, setting out a clear ideological and practical arguments for a socially just Scotland.The Case for Left Wing Nationalism Maxwells seminal 1981 pamphlet considers the historical and cultural roots of Scottish national identity and stresses the importance of a realistic understanding of the past as the basis of a more prosperous, independent future. It concludes with Hugh MacDiarmids prescription for a Scottish renaissance: Not Traditions Precedents.