A History of Wales

Even in the great 'Celtic revival' of the past generation, where the cultures of the Celtic fringes of Britain and continental Europe have re-exerted themselves in various political and non-political ways, the Welsh revival has been late in coming, and a little less forceful in affect and event.Perhaps history is to blame here -- the Welsh have been only marginally protected by geography; the mountainous area was difficult terrain to conquer, but the supply lines to those mountains were relatively easy to maintain and sustain, unlike the trek to the northern reaches of Scotland or crossing the sea into Ireland, areas that (however much English history might want to contradict this statement) never were completely conquered and subdued, remaining under the hegemony but outside the total control of Londinium/London from Roman times to the recent past. Wales was never so fortunate. Indeed, it is a miracle that the Welsh survive. The Scots lost land, language and independence, but retained administrative and legal systems separations that preserved many aspects of nationhood. The Irish never completely lost independence. The Welsh, however, lost everything of nationhood, and barely sustained an independent culture. Thus, when the 'nations' of the British Isles began to re-exert their independent interpretations of history, the Welsh were among the last.However, sometimes the last shall be first. In terms of quality of writing and interpretation, the volume by John Davies, `A History of Wales', is indeed in a class of its own in terms of Welsh history. Dafydd Elis Thomas read into the `Hansard' (the British Parliamentary equivalent of the `Congressional Record') that this is 'the greatest of book of Welsh history ever written'.It was, in fact, originally published in Welsh, under the title of `Haynes Cymru' in 1990. From the Ice Age to the 1980s miners strikes and efforts to reassert a national identity, Davies traces in some detail a history of Wales from a Welsh perspective, inextricably tangled with English and continental history, but nonetheless deserving of its own perspective as one of the last major surviving Celtic groups. `A number of factors, the increasing prominence of the European dimension in particular, have caused the devolution issue to return to the political agenda.... From 1911 to 1981 the number of Welsh speakers declined census by census. In 1991, however, those claiming a knowledge of the language were marginally more numerous than had been the case in 1981, and the increase among the younger age groups was especially remarkable.' Davies confesses that he contemplated writing a different book in English, as this was meant to be a Welsh book, and he would have envisioned a different book had his first thought been in English. However, given the demand of non-Welsh readers to read the same history treatment as those who do read Welsh, Davies consented to a translation rather than a re-write. The time frames are not the same as th

While Scotland and the medieval periods is my area of history, I often have need to know what is going on in England, Ireland and Wales, to fully understand what is going on in the 'big picture'. The history of Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland did not happen individual vacuums, you so need to know all their histories to fully comprehend external pressures as well as the inner problems of each nation. So I have found this a wonderful work for reference on Wales.It covers the history of the country from the dawn of time to 20th Century. So if you wish to know about Ffynnon Beuno or the Rebecca Wars, this is your book.Excellent reference for Historical writers.

IF YOU WANT AN IN DEPTH HISTORY OF WALES THIS IS IT. YOU REALLY HAVE TO WADE THROUGH ALOT OF THE OLD LANGUAGE TO UNDERSTAND IT, BUT IT IS STILL A WONDERFUL BOOK. IT IS VERY THROUGH AND INTERESTING IF YOU STAY WITH IT. I RECOMMEND IT FOR THOSE TRULYINTERESTED IN THE HISTORY OF WALES.........

Over the years, several English kings and numerous politicans had a disliking for the Welsh and refused to allow any representation of Wales on the British "Union Flag". Instead of disappearing, Wales has survived and is now fighting for recognition, both as the first nation of Britain and as a modern European region.To understand Welsh history takes time and nobody acts a better personal guide than John Davies. This insightful book goes a long way to explain the curious juxtapostion of Welsh sympathy and antipathy to its domineering neighbours in England and the reasons for the demise of its language and culture, particularly during the last century. Although his writing is factual and unsentimental the book enables the reader to get a real flavour for Wales. 'A History of Wales' addresses the failure over many centuries to allow Wales its rightful place within British history. The text is thorough and comprehensive, yet never difficult to digest. As Wales revives its national identity and political future, it's culture will gain increasing recognition worldwide over the next ten years, much as Ireland did in the eighties and nineties. Those who wish to know more about this fascinating nation should read this book.

The back of this book's cover has quotes from several authorities who praise the book and its author, and I found no reason to take issue with their evaluations. This book seems to be a definitive work on the history of Wales and has clear value to people who are interested in understanding their heritage, although it was written for the serious historian (which I am not) as well. Perhaps in keeping with this audience, the book is not an easy read -- it is packed with facts, interpretations, and ideas that really need careful study to appreciate and understand fully. It has many maps, but I found myself wanting better ones, and sometimes thinking that the author assumed the reader would be more familiar with Britain's geography and history than myself. The author writes well and the book is often engaging, reflecting Davies's concern with his own cultural affiliations. Roughly 700 pages in a typical Penguin paperback make for a considerable time investment.