Scotland stands on the brink of an historic independence referendum, a vote that may bring an end to the union between England and Scotland that has lasted since 1707. Over the summer, as the debate intensified, two experienced Newsweek Europe correspondents and friends - one Scottish, one English - travelled the length of the United Kingdom together. They tried to get to the bottom of the independence debate, interviewing politicians, writers, artists, activists, and "ordinary" citizens en route.

In their searching, sometimes intense, sometimes humorous conversations they examined class, inequality, nationhood, politics, philosophy and economics, recording their impressions in a sequence of video diaries and a magazine article. This book is a much longer, more detailed account of the highs and lows of their journey. They discovered that when looking at national identity with such intensity, the political became the personal, with surprising consequences.

Scotsman Englishman entwines two quite different views of the complex relationship between two nations. As a result of remarkable candour from both writers, it's also the story of a friendship under pressure. An apt, and sometimes poignant metaphor for the Scottish independence debate itself.

• Scotland's Decision: 16 Questions to think about for the referendum on 18 September
• The Hunt for Boko Haram: Investigating the terror tearing Nigeria apart
• Scottish Independence: Yes or No (The Great Debate)
• Scottish Independence: Weighing up the Economics
• Scotland's Future: Your Guide to an Independent Scotland