A marvelous companion to the fascinating Orkney islands, "Orkney: A Historical Guide" offers a broad overview of their history. Starting with the prehistoric period, from which survives the famous settlement of Skara Brae, it goes on to discuss the flowering of the Celtic Church in the sixth and seventh centuries and the subsequent invasion by the Vikings, who settled there in large numbers and established a powerful Norse earldom. Sites and remains to be explored include settlements from the stone age, stone circles and burials from the bronze age, iron-age brochs, Viking castles, the...