A Brief History of Wales

by Gerald Morgan

From the Romans onward, via Vikings, Saxons, Normans and Flemings, the Welsh have both resisted and absorbed invasion after invasion. Princes, papists, protestants, politicians, patriots, prophets and proletarians pass swiftly before us in this gripping narrative of conquest, resistance and survival. Both legend and fact play their part in this story, from the Night of the Long Knives to the 1905 victory over the All Blacks, from Welsh Indians to the 1904 Revival. Whether Welsh or not, you will find this book easy to pick up and hard to put down. A superb introduction to the background to contemporary Wales, this book is also for anyone wishing to brush up on their history.

Genres: History, Travel, Nonfiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 2008

Reviews

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting read and offered a quick, comprehensive overview of Welsh history (a topic that I had zero experience with and would now like to explore more). It was, however, dependent in part on a familiarity with British history that this ignorant American lacks 😂 It took me a ridiculous amount of time to read this tiny book because I kept having to look up events referenced, which led to internet rabbit holes (but, as the point of reading this was to learn more about history, perhaps that is a good thing!)

[Camilla · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was just plain dull. I love history and I was very keen on getting some Welsh history. I thought that from such a short book, I'd read only highlights and the most exciting bits of history. Instead I read truly the dullest, least interesting facts about a country rife with intrigue. It seemed that the author--a genuine historian, by the way--was not interested in making the book thrilling but more interesting in keeping the names of the Welsh kings and lords accurate as he wrote his way across centuries of conflict. It was a disappointing book.

[Ash Spedding · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book as someone who has only recently developed much of an interest in history, and Welsh history even more recently. Each chapter was just about the right length to read and take a few notes from each time I popped out for a coffee. The amount of history feels right for "brief" - not too short, not too long, a good first read. My only criticism would be that it would have been useful to have more dates included. A lot of events are referred to only as "then" or something equally rather vague, and with a book covering hundreds of years I wasn't sure if this meant the event happened the same year, within the same decade or 50+ years later. I don't really like having to search for things online as I read so that I can reorientate myself time wise (especially as everything isn't super strictly chronological, although it roughly). I will be re-reading this in the future as and when I visit different places to refresh my memory of anything culturally/historically significant there. It's short enough that you could re-read it a few times to help you really absorb it all.

[Toby · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. The topic is beautifully interesting. Unfortunately, it comes across more dry than it really needs to. I had to really force myself to finish it and it's only a little book! The final chapter was interesting.

A few non-British nationals have mentioned that they found the need for regular referencing to understand some of the historical events in the book. Well I'm semi-history conscious of the UK and a British native - and I had to look quite a few things up to. To that end, I'm not sure who this book is aimed at. It feels like the bar for genuine comprehension from the public layperson is too high but the book will probably be too light for history students.

I did also detect at times perhaps a vague hint of Anglophobia in the book? Maybe?

A valiant attempt from a clearly intellectually sound author - but unfortunately not a book I would recommend.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

As described, a rather brief history of Wales. Condensing 1500 years of history is obviously a herculean task but it's admirably attempted! I think Y Lolfa publications must be limited to 150 or so pages as I have other translated works from that publisher which are a similar size, which in some cases works (a biography of Owain Glyn Dŵr, for instance) and some cases struggles (this book).

Great attempt though!

[Richard Hann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welsh History in brief.

The ideal book to read if you want to learn about the history of Wales (especially if you are on holiday there).

It is written so as not to be too 'in depth' so that ordinary people can read it and gain some factual knowledge about Wales.

[Jaime M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Concise and helpful. Interesting to find a connection between Crees of Manitoba in Canada & Colwyn Bay in Wales with Isaiah Brookes Jones.

[Ben Franks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review:

In this trim volume, Gerald Morgan sets out to give readers, as the back cover puts it, “A superb introduction to the background to contemporary Wales, this book is also for anyone wishing to brush up on their history.” Morgan sets out to accomplish this two-fold goal of both introducing and reviewing the history of Wales by offering brief chapters on Welsh history beginning with the writings of Caesar in 55 B.C. and ending with contemporary issues in Welsh political life well into the early 2000’s. After a brief forward there are eight chapters (around 10-20 pages) followed by a fairly extensive list for further reading. The chapters cover a range of topics but largely move forward chronologically with each chapter covering various figures and events in a given period of Welsh life.

Reflection:

I have to admit, I was disappointed in this book. I picked it up on my last trip to Wales in the gift shop at Conwy Castle expecting to find a quick and fun intro to, and overview of, Welsh history. I’ve studied quite a bit about England, Scotland, and Ireland, but knew substantially less about the history of Wales. I’m sad to say that that’s largely still the case. The biggest problem with this book is that it’s honestly a bit boring. As a student of history I wasn’t naive enough to expect an action-adventure novel, but this book falls far short of its potential. Rather than stepping back from the story to give us the big picture and the grand events, Morgan seems to get lost among the details. I found myself skimming this volume as it seemed that the chapters became endless lists of names and dates. Events which sounded like they were probably fascinating stories were duly mentioned but rarely expounded. Characters that were undoubtedly memorable were quickly passed over in the rush to include the next name or date. This is exactly what history shouldn’t be. The odd exception to this rule was in chapter 7, “Riot and Respectability” which focused on the history of Wales during the Industrial Revolution. It was as if Morgan came to life and suddenly found a remarkable knack for capturing and communicating the big picture. We actually got a glimpse of the Welsh people as people, and it made all the difference. It made me wonder if this period of history isn’t perhaps his true area of interest and the other chapters were simply symptomatic of his lack of familiarity with the material. If someone already had a good grasp of Welsh history this little book might serve as a decent review, but for someone looking to learn for the first time, I suggest they keep looking.

You can see my original review here: https://befranksblog.wordpress.com/20...

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comprehesive history of Wales from the time of the Romans to present day. This is easy to read and a very good starting point for people with little knowledge of Wales and her great history. Morgan has managed to capture the spirit of defiance which has dominated Wales and her people and still dominates the country today. All sides of Welsh life are captured from the brave and honourable triumphs to the lowly and disgraceful acts of deceit and treachory (by the Welsh as well as the English). The influence of Wales on a national and international level is discussed along with the spread of Welsh language and culture throughout the world. Morgan finishes upbeat and optimistic about the future of Wales, her language and her culture saying 'Wales has gone through many reinventions, but there seems no end yet to its ingenuity'. This optimism seems well placed as the Assembly gains more and more powers and starts gaining legislative power of her nation and is able to influence her future more and more.

A very good introduction to Wales and her long and complicated history and a good text for quick reference for specific people, dates and places.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good short book on the history of Wales (from earliest history to ca. 2007) - very concise but still manages to fit in some facts even people well versed in Welsh history might not know. Uses the same technique of short paragraphs on specific subjects in shaded boxes which you find in the University of Wales Press pocket series - really good for a short summary although they sometimes seem to break up the text in odd places. This comes under the heading of learning lightly imparted, wittily done, a great introduction for anyone who has never learned much about the history of Wales(which is probably most people, as even in Britain British history is taught in a very Anglo-centric way in schools). Highly recommended
**note: I may be biased, having been a student of the author's in an adult education class!**

[Dave Hodgkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ragged but filled in a lot of gaps. Like why the Welsh don't hate us quite as much as the Scots!

[Alfred Smith · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very dry. I wasn't soaked in which is a shame.