Twenty-one Welsh Princes: The Rulers and Ruling Families of Medieval Wales

by Roger Turvey

From the publisher:

"The early history of Wales is full of blood and intrigue as the princes of the nation, often closely related, fought jealously and determinedly for control of their area, or indeed for Wales herself, against English kings and Marcher lords. Roger Turvey has provided accessible biographies of these men and three women - set in the context of their time.

With photographs and family trees, this intelligent book goes a long way to clarifying ‘the Age of Princes,’ which ended in 1337 AD with the death of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd’s daughter and heir, Gwenllian.

But there was one prince who, though not part of that ‘Age,’ made a supreme contribution to the history of Wales. And so the legendary Owain Glyndŵr – who, some say, never died – has been included."

Genres: History

123 pages, Paperback

First published April 29, 2010

About the author

Roger Turvey, PhD, FRHS, FSA

Graduate of University of Wales, Swansea and a historian of medieval and modern Wales.

Reviews

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good accessible history of 21 Welsh rulers given the title of prince as well as two famous Gwenllians and Siwan, so it is not just male rulers. The book contains a number of colour photographic plates. Turvey is a good historian, and the material is reliable, albeit it is not a book to name its sources. A good solid introduction to the subject.

[BB Elsin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It does what it says on the cover, giving short biographies of the warlords claiming prince-ship in Wales in the early medieval period. It was obviously a very turbulent period, with each winning some temporary advantage over neighbours, only for successors to lose it. An interesting source of information.