This archivally based book on the 388 Scottish professors 1690-1806 adds much to what is known about how they got their jobs, about the universities of Scotland, and about Scottish politics in that period.

This book considers the ways in which 388 men secured posts in the Scottish universities 1690-1806, from the purge following the Revolution of 1688 to the end of Henry Dundas's political career. Most professors were political appointees vetted and supported by political factions and their leaders. This study considers the politics of patronage appointments at the universities in Glasgow, Edinburgh and St Andrews. The improving agenda of political patrons and of those they served is considered and its relation to the Scottish Enlightenment is explored.

Emerson argues that what was happening in Scotland was also occurring in other parts of Europe where, in relatively autonomous localities, elite patrons also shaped things as they wished them to be. In considering the origins and support for the Enlightenment, the roles of patrons should be considered. This work is based on much archival study and adds substantially to what is known about the Scottish professoriat during the period.

For some its arguments will be of importance; for others it will serve as a useful reference work on the universities, one which adds much to what is known about them.