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The Fire People
This novel seeks to capture the essence of the Welsh spirit and was inspired by the inglorious Merthyr Tydfil riots of 1831 and the hanging of Dic Penderyn, the first Welsh martyr of the working class.
381 pages, Library Binding
First published January 1, 1972
8 people are currently reading
55 people want to read
About the author
Alexander Cordell
44 books9 followersAnglo-Welsh writer born to an army family in what was then Ceylon.
After retiring from the army he adopted Wales as home and began to write of the country and its history. His first, and best-known novel, the Rape of the Fair Country (first in the Mortymer Trilogy) was a million selling best-seller in its day.
After retiring from the army he adopted Wales as home and began to write of the country and its history. His first, and best-known novel, the Rape of the Fair Country (first in the Mortymer Trilogy) was a million selling best-seller in its day.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 23, 2021
It started out slow - I remained unimpressed for the first 100 pages - but the remaining 260 pages were absolutely phenomenal. It is definitely one of my favorite novels.
March 24, 2013
I enjoyed reading this in the aftermath of 'Les Miserables' because the poverty and violence of the Merthyr riots seemed to make the French Revolutionary spirit more Welsh! The book was not easy to follow and there were too many characters to really involve me, but the story was so interesting and the author's heart for the awful injustice of Dic Penderyn's death was quite moving at the end. Poverty and injustice amongst my ancestors! I enjoyed it.
March 24, 2020
A moving account of the life and living conditions of the Welsh working class that led to the Merthyr Tydfil uprising of 1831
By 1831, the southern borough of Merthyr, Glamorgan County, Wales, had become the center of the iron industry and was attracting workers from Ireland and both northern and western Wales. It was home to 40,000 people--7,000 families who lived around 44 iron furnaces that were controlled by seven families. As the parish of Merthyr Tydfil began to take shape as a community with government, laws, a social structure, churches, and membership groups, conflict between those who worked in the iron furnaces and those who owned the furnaces grew — and Dic Penderyn, also known as Richard Lewis, became a martyr for the Welsh working class.
This novel, first published in 1972, is difficult to follow if you're unfamiliar with the Merthyr Rising of 1831. Cordell introduces a large number of characters and while each draw attention to a specific aspect of daily life, none are given the attention of an entire chapter. Instead the characters enter and exit each chapter in an unstructured way that can be confusing.
BUT this novel is important for family historians, like me, who trace their ancestry to Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan County, Wales. Cordell paints a picture of the living and working conditions in vivid and colorful language that surpasses words like "unsanitary" and "destitute" and adds a finer point of understanding to "truck" and how that system worked.
I encourage readers to familiarize themselves with the historical accounts of this time period before reading The Fire People. (I read The Merthyr Rising by Gwyn A Wiliams before reading Cordell's work.) In Wales, many of Cordell's novels were viewed as controversial but his obituary (1997, https://www.independent.co.uk/incomin... ) notes that many Welsh historians who "tended to scorn the historical authenticity of Cordell's novels had to pause for reflection with the appearance of The Fire People. . . . the author earned the warm regard of Gwyn A. Williams, the leading historian of South Wales in its revolutionary heyday. Another historian of the same period, Dai Smith, has compared him with Howard Fast, author of the novel Spartacus (1951), in the painstaking detail and swashbuckling sweep of his narratives."
By 1831, the southern borough of Merthyr, Glamorgan County, Wales, had become the center of the iron industry and was attracting workers from Ireland and both northern and western Wales. It was home to 40,000 people--7,000 families who lived around 44 iron furnaces that were controlled by seven families. As the parish of Merthyr Tydfil began to take shape as a community with government, laws, a social structure, churches, and membership groups, conflict between those who worked in the iron furnaces and those who owned the furnaces grew — and Dic Penderyn, also known as Richard Lewis, became a martyr for the Welsh working class.
This novel, first published in 1972, is difficult to follow if you're unfamiliar with the Merthyr Rising of 1831. Cordell introduces a large number of characters and while each draw attention to a specific aspect of daily life, none are given the attention of an entire chapter. Instead the characters enter and exit each chapter in an unstructured way that can be confusing.
BUT this novel is important for family historians, like me, who trace their ancestry to Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan County, Wales. Cordell paints a picture of the living and working conditions in vivid and colorful language that surpasses words like "unsanitary" and "destitute" and adds a finer point of understanding to "truck" and how that system worked.
I encourage readers to familiarize themselves with the historical accounts of this time period before reading The Fire People. (I read The Merthyr Rising by Gwyn A Wiliams before reading Cordell's work.) In Wales, many of Cordell's novels were viewed as controversial but his obituary (1997, https://www.independent.co.uk/incomin... ) notes that many Welsh historians who "tended to scorn the historical authenticity of Cordell's novels had to pause for reflection with the appearance of The Fire People. . . . the author earned the warm regard of Gwyn A. Williams, the leading historian of South Wales in its revolutionary heyday. Another historian of the same period, Dai Smith, has compared him with Howard Fast, author of the novel Spartacus (1951), in the painstaking detail and swashbuckling sweep of his narratives."
January 25, 2019
I don't remember others books by him being so difficult to get into!
Much of the writing is in venacular and it jumps between characters without warning or paragraph change in places. Some of it reminds me of Under Milkwood.
However, once I did get into it, it was worth it. The dreadful living conditions and poverty, while the ironmasters lived in luxury is well portrayed. I believe the conclusion that Dic Penderyn was innocent has been proved correct and it shows a remarkable historical insight. It also shows how little the iron masters, churchmen and politicians knew or cared about the ordinary people of the country. They seem them almost as animals or even aliens to be used and abused at will, then disgarded.
Much of the writing is in venacular and it jumps between characters without warning or paragraph change in places. Some of it reminds me of Under Milkwood.
However, once I did get into it, it was worth it. The dreadful living conditions and poverty, while the ironmasters lived in luxury is well portrayed. I believe the conclusion that Dic Penderyn was innocent has been proved correct and it shows a remarkable historical insight. It also shows how little the iron masters, churchmen and politicians knew or cared about the ordinary people of the country. They seem them almost as animals or even aliens to be used and abused at will, then disgarded.
February 8, 2022
Not an easy read, in any meaning of the word. Based on true events in Wales in the early 1800s. Published in 1972 but as relevant now.
January 8, 2013
This is a stand alone novel from Alexander Cordell, set during the Merthyr Riots of 1831 when the Welsh working class joined together to achieve reform within their industries culminating in the first flying of the red flag of reform in the world. Cordell captures the feelins of injustice and unrest that were prevelent at the time but also the human side of the protesters showing the lead up to the riots from the love of their families and a desire to see their children lead better lives to the loss of loved ones at the coal-face, including those incidents where women give birth at the face in an effort to earn a liveable wage. This book is obviously well researched and this is shown by the inclusion of new evidence that shows Dic Penderyn to be innocent of the murder of which he was accused. In the epic finale of the story Cordell brings to life the anger and injustice felt on both sides and shows how heavy handed the authorities became against a group of men demanding to be treated fairly to the chants of Caws a bara (cheese and bread). A brilliantly told story that reflects the sentiment and the injustice of the authorities and coal/iron masters of the time.
November 16, 2012
Enjoyed this novel, although at first I found the book quite a challenging read and difficult to get into. Thought about putting it down at page 50, but very glad I persisted.
The story was based around the time of the 'Merthyr Riots' which took place in 1831 and is an absorbing account of the daily deprivations of the everyday life of the working class and their struggle to try to improve their squalid living conditions.
Will definately be reading another Alexander Cordell novel in the near future.
November 20, 2011
Poorly written could have been a good story lots of historical elements to work with.
September 4, 2014
I just love the language, and the people, another masterpiece I'm going to read all his books,
can't wait to get stuck in.
can't wait to get stuck in.
January 14, 2016
Great story of the Merthyr Rising, 1831. See my review on my blog: http://www.moderatebutpassionate.com/...
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews