Owain Glyn Dŵr: Prince of Wales

by R.R. Davies

Owain's revolt was a war on behalf of justice and independence. It was not personal ambition which drove him, but a great vision, a dream which was shared by many Welsh people. This is a masterful study of the life and legacy of Owain Glyn Dwr, whose revolt against the English rule of Wales in the early 15th century ensured his status as a national hero. The concise and lively account will appeal to students of Welsh history as well as the general reader. Author Rees Davies was Chichele Professor of Medieval History at All Souls College, Oxford until his death in 2005. He was one of the most respected experts on medieval history and was the main authority on Glyn Dwr's uprising.

Genres: Nonfiction

154 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2002

About the author

Sir Robert Rees Davies was a Welsh historian received a First in his degree from University College, London, where he later returned as a lecturer. In 1975, he was appointed Professor of History, University College of Wales, Aberystwyth. In 1995, he was appointed the Chichele Professor of Medieval History at the University of Oxford and made a fellow of All Souls College. From 1995 to 2005 he served as Chairman of the Ancient Monuments Board for Wales. Davies was appointed a Knight Bachelor for services to history in the Queen's 2005 New Year's Honours.

Reviews

[Fin Dullaghan]

Owain Glyndwr is widely regarded as one of the greatest Welshmen in history and in this book, RR Davies vividly brings his tale to life. He covers the glory, the sacrifice, the tragedy and-most pertinently- the legacy.

[Sophie (RedheadReading)]

A very accessible introduction to Glyn Dŵr's rebellion! I would really recommend this as a great start for people interested in this era of history, as it is very clearly explained and would serve as an excellent jumping-off point for further reading. I particularly enjoyed the exploration of aspects of the rebellion that I was previously unfamiliar with, including Glyn Dŵr's alliance with the Percys, the analysis of documents like the Papal Letter and what this showed us about Glyn Dŵr's vision for Wales' future, the way prophecy influenced him, and finally the discussion of how he came to be viewed as a national hero for Wales.

[Mark Dickson]

Bit of a struggle to get through given its size and length.

Dryly written and somehow manages to be too detailed and not detailed enough: too many proper nouns, but also skimmed over lots of details.

[Daniel]

Well researched little booklet into the enigmatic man who attempted to unite Wales during a very turbulent time in Britain.

[OAS]

This was very interesting, what a legend (literally).

[Dei Mur]

Man cychwyn da i'r hanes heb fynd yn rhy dyfn i'r pwnc. Haws i'w ddarllen ac yn ddifyr dros ben.

An excellent introduction to the history without being too heavy. An easy and interesting read.

[D.H. Hanni]

This is a history book that is written in a way to make non-history buffs sit up and get involved. I love history and majored it in college so this was a really good, quick, but complete read for me. I'm doing research for a novel I'm setting in Wales during this time period and I found it really helpful. The author's style is conversational making it quite enjoyable. I would have appreciated some more maps and some more biographical background on Owain Glyn Dwr himself.

[Jenny Macdonald]

An excellent and informative books of this amazing character. Seen by many as a thief and destroyer and by others as a saviour of the Welsh people, his effect on a united Wales can't be ignored. It seem sad that he died in obscurity and his burial place it still unknown today