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The Last King of Wales: Gruffudd ap Llywelyn, c. 1013-1063
Gruffudd ap Llywelyn was Wales’ greatest king. Ambitious and battle-sure, he succeeded in doing what no Welsh king before him was capable of: he ruled all Wales as a united and independent state. He went further by turning the Viking threat to his realm into a powerful weapon and conquering border land that had been in English hands for centuries.
Having emerged as a war leader, Gruffudd also proved to be much more: a patron of the arts and church, with the trappings of a king who was respected and feared on the European stage. His eventual murder at the hands of his own men narrowed the country’s political ambitions and left Wales in chaos on the eve of the arrival of the Normans.
Those who betrayed Gruffudd were the forebears of the famous princes who would dominate Wales until the Edwardian Conquest, meaning that the former king left no one to tell of his glory. As a result, 1,000 years after his birth, the would-be nation builder is all but forgotten.
Here, Sean and Michael Davies reveal the king in all his glory, telling for the first time the story of one of Wales’ greatest figures and exploring the full implications of Gruffudd’s rule. For, without Gruffudd, the fate of King Harold and the outcome of the Battle of Hastings would have been very different …
Having emerged as a war leader, Gruffudd also proved to be much more: a patron of the arts and church, with the trappings of a king who was respected and feared on the European stage. His eventual murder at the hands of his own men narrowed the country’s political ambitions and left Wales in chaos on the eve of the arrival of the Normans.
Those who betrayed Gruffudd were the forebears of the famous princes who would dominate Wales until the Edwardian Conquest, meaning that the former king left no one to tell of his glory. As a result, 1,000 years after his birth, the would-be nation builder is all but forgotten.
Here, Sean and Michael Davies reveal the king in all his glory, telling for the first time the story of one of Wales’ greatest figures and exploring the full implications of Gruffudd’s rule. For, without Gruffudd, the fate of King Harold and the outcome of the Battle of Hastings would have been very different …
160 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2012
11 people are currently reading
158 people want to read
About the author
Michael Davies
2 books2 followersMichael Davies holds a PhD in mediaeval history. He has published books and articles on Welsh history and runs a company which gives historical tours of Wales.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 5, 2023
there was "no heed paid to the Wesh" after the death of Gruffudd.
Probably a "Me" issue but I found this really hard to read. It's a bit dense and dry: however, this smallish work is probably the definitive book on Gruffudd ap Llywelyn and further does a marvelous job of highlighting the backstabbing nature of Welsh Politics.
The deaths of both AElfgar and Burgheard opened a window of opportunity for Harald to break the welsh-Mercian alliance, avenge his previous humiliations in his dealings with Gruffrudd, and win the glory that would further bolster his claims to succeed Edward on the throne of England. (chapter 5)
I also give Davies credit for his theory [Which I disagree with I want to be clear about that!] that after the death of AEfgar of Mercia (Gruffudd's major English ally) Harald Godwinson jumped on the chance to upend Gruffudd's peace treaty with King Edward to destroy Gruffud in 1063, thus weakening Mercia specifically so that He (Harald) could eventually become King. Davis goes into great detail and does support his theory well. I ended up pulling out my other reference works (Specifically Edward the Confessor, Last of the Royal Blood) to check if Harald was truly acting without the King's authority.
Davis states: Had Harald been facing the unbroken powerbloc of Mercia and Wales when Edward the confessor died at the beginning of 1066, it seems inconceivable that he would have been allowed to claim the Crown ... Harald had achieved dominance in England while shattering the political harmony of the land
Anyway, the fact that I disagree does not change that this is a well researched work and gave me all the details I wanted about Wales and Gruffudd (and also the Welsh bloodletting that occurred after his death.)
Probably a "Me" issue but I found this really hard to read. It's a bit dense and dry: however, this smallish work is probably the definitive book on Gruffudd ap Llywelyn and further does a marvelous job of highlighting the backstabbing nature of Welsh Politics.
The deaths of both AElfgar and Burgheard opened a window of opportunity for Harald to break the welsh-Mercian alliance, avenge his previous humiliations in his dealings with Gruffrudd, and win the glory that would further bolster his claims to succeed Edward on the throne of England. (chapter 5)
I also give Davies credit for his theory [Which I disagree with I want to be clear about that!] that after the death of AEfgar of Mercia (Gruffudd's major English ally) Harald Godwinson jumped on the chance to upend Gruffudd's peace treaty with King Edward to destroy Gruffud in 1063, thus weakening Mercia specifically so that He (Harald) could eventually become King. Davis goes into great detail and does support his theory well. I ended up pulling out my other reference works (Specifically Edward the Confessor, Last of the Royal Blood) to check if Harald was truly acting without the King's authority.
Davis states: Had Harald been facing the unbroken powerbloc of Mercia and Wales when Edward the confessor died at the beginning of 1066, it seems inconceivable that he would have been allowed to claim the Crown ... Harald had achieved dominance in England while shattering the political harmony of the land
Anyway, the fact that I disagree does not change that this is a well researched work and gave me all the details I wanted about Wales and Gruffudd (and also the Welsh bloodletting that occurred after his death.)
February 17, 2025
Interesting book about an unknown figure and period to me. The book is well researched but I miss some more views on the dead of Gruffudd, that feels rushed in the book and leave it unsolved to me.
August 18, 2017
It's easy to find material on certain historical persons--Arthur, William of Normandy, Alfred the Great, Edward I, Henry VIII, William Shakespeare, for example--and not so easy to find it on others. Gruffudd ap Llewelyn falls into the latter category. While I'm ill-equipped to say whether this book contains everything you'll want to know about Gruffudd, it probably comes close.
There's an awful lot of material in here, especially for its length. It's presented in a clear, organized way. It's also not terribly dry, which is something that seems to plague history books in general, and biographies in particular. Davies' bibliography is extensive, leaving the reader with a plethora of sources for further reading. Which, depending on one's interest, might wind up being somewhat redundant, as Davies does an excellent job of bringing it all together and sorting out the relevant material from his sources.
I was left with a much better understanding of Gruffudd's role in Welsh history, and particularly how Wales came to be subjugated by England. There's still an awful lot that I think I'll have to re-read later, because some of the presented material is kind of dense. I'd consider this a must-read for anyone interested in Welsh history.
The one thing I really wish had been included would be more maps! I suppose this can be forgiven, given an apparently British target audience. Which would be like putting a map of the eastern U.S. in a book about the Civil War, on the premise that most readers will know where, say, West Virginia and Kentucky are. But for the rest of us, maybe we don't know where Herefordshire and Mercia are, let alone how the geopolitical borders have changed over the centuries.
There's an awful lot of material in here, especially for its length. It's presented in a clear, organized way. It's also not terribly dry, which is something that seems to plague history books in general, and biographies in particular. Davies' bibliography is extensive, leaving the reader with a plethora of sources for further reading. Which, depending on one's interest, might wind up being somewhat redundant, as Davies does an excellent job of bringing it all together and sorting out the relevant material from his sources.
I was left with a much better understanding of Gruffudd's role in Welsh history, and particularly how Wales came to be subjugated by England. There's still an awful lot that I think I'll have to re-read later, because some of the presented material is kind of dense. I'd consider this a must-read for anyone interested in Welsh history.
The one thing I really wish had been included would be more maps! I suppose this can be forgiven, given an apparently British target audience. Which would be like putting a map of the eastern U.S. in a book about the Civil War, on the premise that most readers will know where, say, West Virginia and Kentucky are. But for the rest of us, maybe we don't know where Herefordshire and Mercia are, let alone how the geopolitical borders have changed over the centuries.
May 23, 2020
I found The Last King of Wales well researched, well written and very much an enjoyable read, despite my lack of background knowledge of the history of Wales.
One major surprise for me is that, in a thousand years, Wales produced only one king who could be acknowledged as ‘King of all Wales’. The Anglo-Norman chronicler Geoffrey Gaimar summarised well what came next: there was ‘no heed paid to the Welsh’ after the death of Gruffudd.
The connections between King Gruffudd, King Harold and his much-depleted army, and the arrival of the Normans under Duke William, are brief but invaluable, helping to plug gaps and open fresh directions to pursue.
While the details are sometimes overwhelming, they are never superfluous to the text or its story; they help to open doors for more serious scholars, and the quotes from scribes and others from the period are usually sharp, brief and helpful.
A very good and informative read. Thank you!
One major surprise for me is that, in a thousand years, Wales produced only one king who could be acknowledged as ‘King of all Wales’. The Anglo-Norman chronicler Geoffrey Gaimar summarised well what came next: there was ‘no heed paid to the Welsh’ after the death of Gruffudd.
The connections between King Gruffudd, King Harold and his much-depleted army, and the arrival of the Normans under Duke William, are brief but invaluable, helping to plug gaps and open fresh directions to pursue.
While the details are sometimes overwhelming, they are never superfluous to the text or its story; they help to open doors for more serious scholars, and the quotes from scribes and others from the period are usually sharp, brief and helpful.
A very good and informative read. Thank you!
March 3, 2022
I wanted some knowledge before a trip to Wales and this little book served that purpose. Quick read on an interesting leader during a small part of Welsh history. The names and locations in Wales are hard to keep straight but the authors try to keep the story as clear as possible. Welsh history is filled with infighting and foreign invasion and Gruffudd’s story of unifying Wales by force to forging alliances with Mercia to fighting off the Saxons and Normans is interesting to say the least.
January 4, 2026
Story of the violent tyrant Gruffudd ap Llewelyn whose only aim in life appears to have been the acquisition of wealth and territory. Thank heavens he WAS the last King of Wales. Some may try and rewrite history - even the authors here attempt to upend all the evidence they provide, in the chapter on his legacy, but, for any reasonably intelligent reader, his murder by someone in his inner ring, comes as a well deserved come-uppance!
November 7, 2025
This book was the basis for the basis for my masters dissertation and all I can do is give it praise. Amazingly written, methodical and detailed about one of the most important figures in Welsh history. Had Gruffudd been alive when William cane, they would have faced a very different foe.
May 21, 2017
"The Last King of Wales: Gruffudd ap Llywelyn, c. 1013-1063" by Michael and Sean Davies is a very well-written, meticulously researched, and engaging life of its titular subject.
The biography has a total of six chapters (each with sub-chapters): 1) The Early Years, 2) The Battle for Deheubarth, 3) The Years of Glory, 4) King of Wales, 5) The Killing of a King, and 6) Gruffudd's Legacy. It includes a selection of color photos of places associated with Gruffudd.
The authors clearly devoured the primary sources for as many facts (and reasonable deductions) about Gruffudd that were recorded during his lifetime and shortly afterward. Each chapter's end-notes are very helpful and the extensive bibliography is outstanding. The biography is accessible for general readers and specialists.
Only two shortcomings, in this reviewer's opinion, prevented the biography from rating 5/5 stars. First, the book contains only two genealogical charts. Better charts would have made the task of keeping the important individuals in Gruffudd's life far easier to differentiate and determine where, exactly, those individuals fit into his lifespan. The second shortcoming is the authors' oversight of not accommodating non-Welsh speakers by including phonetic pronunciations of place-names.
Previous published studies of Gruffudd have been limited to brief biographical sketches and papers on specific elements of his life and reign. This full-length biography of Gruffudd ap Llywelyn, arguably the most important figure in Welsh history on the eve of the Norman conquest of Britain, therefore ought to be regarded as the best biography yet written about "the last King of Wales."
The biography has a total of six chapters (each with sub-chapters): 1) The Early Years, 2) The Battle for Deheubarth, 3) The Years of Glory, 4) King of Wales, 5) The Killing of a King, and 6) Gruffudd's Legacy. It includes a selection of color photos of places associated with Gruffudd.
The authors clearly devoured the primary sources for as many facts (and reasonable deductions) about Gruffudd that were recorded during his lifetime and shortly afterward. Each chapter's end-notes are very helpful and the extensive bibliography is outstanding. The biography is accessible for general readers and specialists.
Only two shortcomings, in this reviewer's opinion, prevented the biography from rating 5/5 stars. First, the book contains only two genealogical charts. Better charts would have made the task of keeping the important individuals in Gruffudd's life far easier to differentiate and determine where, exactly, those individuals fit into his lifespan. The second shortcoming is the authors' oversight of not accommodating non-Welsh speakers by including phonetic pronunciations of place-names.
Previous published studies of Gruffudd have been limited to brief biographical sketches and papers on specific elements of his life and reign. This full-length biography of Gruffudd ap Llywelyn, arguably the most important figure in Welsh history on the eve of the Norman conquest of Britain, therefore ought to be regarded as the best biography yet written about "the last King of Wales."
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews