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Wales: Epic Views Of A Small Country
Jan Morris shows clearly the manners of thought of the Welsh people, as well as their art, their landscapes and their folklore, their ways of earning a living, their character, their meaning and their historical destiny. Half Welsh, half English herself, Morris is a historian, a travel writer, and an essayist. All three disciplines she brings to this work - a vivid tribute to a country not just on the map or in the mind but also in the heart. "All of us," Morris writes, "have some small country there."
480 pages, Paperback
First published November 15, 1984
38 people are currently reading
570 people want to read
About the author
Jan Morris
166 books483 followersJan Morris was a British historian, author and travel writer. Morris was educated at Lancing College, West Sussex, and Christ Church, Oxford, but is Welsh by heritage and adoption. Before 1970 Morris published under her assigned birth name, "James ", and is known particularly for the Pax Britannica trilogy, a history of the British Empire, and for portraits of cities, notably Oxford, Venice, Trieste, Hong Kong, and New York City, and also wrote about Wales, Spanish history, and culture.
In 1949 Jan Morris married Elizabeth Tuckniss, the daughter of a tea planter. Morris and Tuckniss had five children together, including the poet and musician Twm Morys. One of their children died in infancy. As Morris documented in her memoir Conundrum, she began taking oestrogens to feminise her body in 1964. In 1972, she had sex reassignment surgery in Morocco. Sex reassignment surgeon Georges Burou did the surgery, since doctors in Britain refused to allow the procedure unless Morris and Tuckniss divorced, something Morris was not prepared to do at the time. They divorced later, but remained together and later got a civil union. On May, 14th, 2008, Morris and Tuckniss remarried each other. Morris lived mostly in Wales, where her parents were from.
In 1949 Jan Morris married Elizabeth Tuckniss, the daughter of a tea planter. Morris and Tuckniss had five children together, including the poet and musician Twm Morys. One of their children died in infancy. As Morris documented in her memoir Conundrum, she began taking oestrogens to feminise her body in 1964. In 1972, she had sex reassignment surgery in Morocco. Sex reassignment surgeon Georges Burou did the surgery, since doctors in Britain refused to allow the procedure unless Morris and Tuckniss divorced, something Morris was not prepared to do at the time. They divorced later, but remained together and later got a civil union. On May, 14th, 2008, Morris and Tuckniss remarried each other. Morris lived mostly in Wales, where her parents were from.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
July 11, 2010
Jan Morris is one of the preeminent historians of the British Empire, and so it was with a little bemusement that I learned that she is actually half Welsh, and in many ways, seems more attached to her Welsh ancestry than her English. Her book, The Matter of Wales is a sweeping history covering just about everything you could want to know about the country: religion, politics, artistry, geology, animal husbandry . . . you name it, its in there.
I purchased the book some time ago,"For I am Welsh, you know," as Shakespeare had Henry the Fifth proclaim after the Battle of Agincourt. My grandfather emigrated from Wales, as a young boy, alone on an ocean liner, after his parents passed. My unending interest in Wales stems from my enduring affection for him. Ironically, he dived into the history of his adopted country with total zeal. He loved to read about the American Civil War, and the Old West. It was on his lap that I developed my own love of history. He used to read me the old Time Life books on World War II. I found the photos endlessly fascinating.
But of course, I was always fascinated by the history of Europe and the United Kingdom in particular. Like most Americans, I suppose, I found the distinction between the different parts of the UK a little hazy. Their dedication to separate "nationalities" always seemed a bit arcane and fussy on this side of the pond. Slowly, I developed an appreciation for the Celtic peoples and why they resist total assimilation by the Anglo-Saxons to this day.
But ironically, I had never gotten around to a full book on Wales, and so here it is. An imminently readable history that covers virtually everything Welsh. The central gimmick of the book is that you are traveling through Wales with Owen Glendower -- the last truly Welsh "Prince of Wales" and my son's namesake. So each chapter begins with some semi-mystic dialog with the great Welsh hero, and serves as sort of an introduction to the topic.
The book had an enormously important impact on my understanding of Welsh history. Sadly, my grandfather died before I was sufficiently knowledgeable to really delve into Welsh history with him. But my grandmother (also of Welsh extraction, but born in Ohio) passed along what she knew of Welsh history. One bit that always stuck with me was that the Welsh were never conquered by the Romans. There may be elements of truth in this statement. It may be true that the Romans never fully pacified Wales (has anyone?). However, that misses the point. The Romans did settle into Wales, so much so, the legions intermarried and Roman culture flourished amongst the Welsh. Some attribute the relatively swarthy coloring of the Welsh to the fact that Iberian Legionaries were dispatched to conquer the country, and later settled in.
But the magnificent thing about Welsh in the Romans was not that they resisted, but rather, while the rest of Europe descended into the Dark Ages, it was Wales that kept the fires of civilization ablaze. Arthur, of ye olde sword and the stone, is the product of this hybrid Welsh-Roman culture. The Arthurian legends, in fact, reflect the light that Wales was shining in the Western world during very bleak times.
Interestingly, this hearkening back to some golden age, somewhat lost in the Celtic mists, is apparently a very Welsh characteristic. Whether it is Owen Glendower and his ill-fated kingdom, or Camelot, or the Druids, the Welsh have a romantic melancholy for a past long remembered. Yet Morris also notes that this is not some sort of revanchement. There is no greater Wales, the Welsh have no desire to command all of the sceptered isle. Rather, the Welsh have largely sought to be left alone: sovereign within their borders, which have been understood for millennia.
Morris is a bit more dogmatic about the relationship between the Welsh language and its people. Clearly, Welsh is a font of culture, and that the language survives at all is a bit of a miracle. However, she seems to take rather a dim view of Welshmen who do not speak Welsh, and for probably two hundred years, that means a majority of the Welsh. She seems to feel that to be disconnected from the Welsh language is to be disconnected from Welsh culture -- and ultimately, to have been assimilated by the great beast to the East.
I think that may be a little unfair. Heaven knows the English do not view the Welsh as an assimilated province. Even with the vast use of English as the idiom of Wales, the distinctions in the cultures, politics, religions and history persist between the two peoples. Its probably fair to say that the Welsh have been the most collusive with the English on Britain's journey to greatness. The Scots and Irish held to their notions of independence much longer. But, like many subject peoples, the Welsh faced the prospect of accommodation or destruction. I think they were wise to make the choices they did.
Nevertheless, if you are looking for a good general history of Wales. It would be hard to find something more readable and complete. I certainly enjoyed this jaunt around a small country. If you have interest in the subject, I suggest you check it out too.
I purchased the book some time ago,"For I am Welsh, you know," as Shakespeare had Henry the Fifth proclaim after the Battle of Agincourt. My grandfather emigrated from Wales, as a young boy, alone on an ocean liner, after his parents passed. My unending interest in Wales stems from my enduring affection for him. Ironically, he dived into the history of his adopted country with total zeal. He loved to read about the American Civil War, and the Old West. It was on his lap that I developed my own love of history. He used to read me the old Time Life books on World War II. I found the photos endlessly fascinating.
But of course, I was always fascinated by the history of Europe and the United Kingdom in particular. Like most Americans, I suppose, I found the distinction between the different parts of the UK a little hazy. Their dedication to separate "nationalities" always seemed a bit arcane and fussy on this side of the pond. Slowly, I developed an appreciation for the Celtic peoples and why they resist total assimilation by the Anglo-Saxons to this day.
But ironically, I had never gotten around to a full book on Wales, and so here it is. An imminently readable history that covers virtually everything Welsh. The central gimmick of the book is that you are traveling through Wales with Owen Glendower -- the last truly Welsh "Prince of Wales" and my son's namesake. So each chapter begins with some semi-mystic dialog with the great Welsh hero, and serves as sort of an introduction to the topic.
The book had an enormously important impact on my understanding of Welsh history. Sadly, my grandfather died before I was sufficiently knowledgeable to really delve into Welsh history with him. But my grandmother (also of Welsh extraction, but born in Ohio) passed along what she knew of Welsh history. One bit that always stuck with me was that the Welsh were never conquered by the Romans. There may be elements of truth in this statement. It may be true that the Romans never fully pacified Wales (has anyone?). However, that misses the point. The Romans did settle into Wales, so much so, the legions intermarried and Roman culture flourished amongst the Welsh. Some attribute the relatively swarthy coloring of the Welsh to the fact that Iberian Legionaries were dispatched to conquer the country, and later settled in.
But the magnificent thing about Welsh in the Romans was not that they resisted, but rather, while the rest of Europe descended into the Dark Ages, it was Wales that kept the fires of civilization ablaze. Arthur, of ye olde sword and the stone, is the product of this hybrid Welsh-Roman culture. The Arthurian legends, in fact, reflect the light that Wales was shining in the Western world during very bleak times.
Interestingly, this hearkening back to some golden age, somewhat lost in the Celtic mists, is apparently a very Welsh characteristic. Whether it is Owen Glendower and his ill-fated kingdom, or Camelot, or the Druids, the Welsh have a romantic melancholy for a past long remembered. Yet Morris also notes that this is not some sort of revanchement. There is no greater Wales, the Welsh have no desire to command all of the sceptered isle. Rather, the Welsh have largely sought to be left alone: sovereign within their borders, which have been understood for millennia.
Morris is a bit more dogmatic about the relationship between the Welsh language and its people. Clearly, Welsh is a font of culture, and that the language survives at all is a bit of a miracle. However, she seems to take rather a dim view of Welshmen who do not speak Welsh, and for probably two hundred years, that means a majority of the Welsh. She seems to feel that to be disconnected from the Welsh language is to be disconnected from Welsh culture -- and ultimately, to have been assimilated by the great beast to the East.
I think that may be a little unfair. Heaven knows the English do not view the Welsh as an assimilated province. Even with the vast use of English as the idiom of Wales, the distinctions in the cultures, politics, religions and history persist between the two peoples. Its probably fair to say that the Welsh have been the most collusive with the English on Britain's journey to greatness. The Scots and Irish held to their notions of independence much longer. But, like many subject peoples, the Welsh faced the prospect of accommodation or destruction. I think they were wise to make the choices they did.
Nevertheless, if you are looking for a good general history of Wales. It would be hard to find something more readable and complete. I certainly enjoyed this jaunt around a small country. If you have interest in the subject, I suggest you check it out too.
June 7, 2018
If you’re Welsh, live or have lived in Wales, have a Welsh person in your life that you’d like to understand better, or just have an interest in the country, then you should read Jan Morris’ Wales (originally published as The Matter of Wales).
It’s so evocatively written that you feel as if you’re standing in a wet, green field in some lonely cwm as you browse the pages. It’s basically the best book I’ve read to explain us as a nation and a people and is more informative that John Davies’ A History of Wales (large parts of which I drifted off whilst reading).
It’s so evocatively written that you feel as if you’re standing in a wet, green field in some lonely cwm as you browse the pages. It’s basically the best book I’ve read to explain us as a nation and a people and is more informative that John Davies’ A History of Wales (large parts of which I drifted off whilst reading).
December 10, 2018
A beautifully conceived and finely crafted book. Morris uses language with consummate skill. Her book kept me absorbed for several weeks. Whether you have only a passing interest interest in Wales and Welsh life, or simply love the place (warts and all) like I do, this book makes delightful reading. A great pleasure to read.
April 11, 2022
2.5 stars, but I'll bump up to 3. This reads like an info dump and could have used a lot of editing. Not much about 20th century history. Organized thematically instead of chronologically, so it is a bit repetitive and difficult to get through.
November 21, 2016
Brilliant, fascinating. I've been going to Wales since I met my husband over 40 years ago, and this book now has lots of notes in the back so that I can reference them and go and see some of the amazing things Jan Morris has written about. Highly recommended!
January 8, 2026
A stunning and beautifully crafted ode to Wales and the Welsh.
Morris’ writing is both effortless and beautiful here.
Morris’ writing is both effortless and beautiful here.
April 9, 2015
A wonderful, rich an enthusiastic tale of Wales and Welshness. At times, the hyperbole is a bit much, but in the end I forgive Ms. Morris! She loves Wales truly and deeply and that IS the joy that comes through in her stories.
If you're looking for something about Wales that is more accessible, highly recommend A Writers House In Wales - also by Jan Morris, but a much quicker read.
If you're looking for something about Wales that is more accessible, highly recommend A Writers House In Wales - also by Jan Morris, but a much quicker read.
January 17, 2021
Jan Morris died near the end of this past November and her obit was interesting enough to cause me to check out several of her books. For this one, I cheated a little, using the index to find what she said about places and people I knew and reading only one whole chapter (but 50 pages), "Holy Country" which ran from Celtic beginnings (plenty of myth, saints, and holy places) up to the 1980s. The standout sentence in the chapter was "but the Methodist Revival, Y Diwygiad, hurled everything topsy-turvy, demolishing the social structure, transforming the culture, shifting the self-image and the reputation of the people, and eventually giving rise to a great convulsion that was truly a revolution" (110). It was a people-centered revival, rather than ordained clergy-centered, spurred lots of publishing in the Welsh language, and produced two great hymnwriters--William Williams (known as Pantycelyn) and Anne Griffiths (131-132).
September 16, 2024
A five-star rating with one complaint: Morris is a travel writer who has, according to the bio blurb, "has traveled to every corner of the earth," and yet she is scathing in her opinions about tourism and those who engage in either side of the activity. Excerpts from one of several tirades: "Here as everywhere, tourism is a corrosion, or a corruption . . . . Tourism feeds upon parody, on self-mockery even . . . . It is an unworthy way to make a living." In truth, the only reason that I read her book is in educational preparation for an upcoming hiking trip in Wales, so she too profits from the tourism industry that she clearly despises. While recognizing that tourism has its drawbacks, it seems her rants are a tad hypocritical as she is, after all, a tourist herself. Because she writes about her travels hardly gives her a free pass.
February 12, 2025
Over the years, I have really enjoyed Jan Morris' writings on various places around the world, but this update of a book that she originally wrote in 1984 about her adopted home country wore me out. I enjoyed the first chapters, but eventually I found that most chapters flitted all over the place with only a sentence or paragraph about specific places. By the end of this 458 page book, I was worn out.
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March 20, 2021Epic writings on a small country. Comparing Wales with Swaziland endeared me from the start but I really needed to know more of the country, places and people, to be able to assimilate the mass of detailed information. Unfortunately, it's also too weighty to carry with me as I trek round the Welsh coastline and along Offa's Dyke.
July 25, 2023
When I was a teenager, I remember seeing an earlier edition of this on my mother’s bookshelf. I don’t thiiiink she ever read it. She missed out. It’s a bit of a history and social anthropology and all a love letter to Cymru. The language is ornate and flowery. It drive me nuts when I started but I got used to it by the end.
December 23, 2020
Fairly interesting overall, but there is a lot of outdated language, very problematic language in fact. Jan Morris was very enamored with her subject and certainly pulled out all the stops for this large tome.
October 11, 2022
I loved the detail, the epic research and exploration that went into writing this book. I moved to Wales 5 years ago and this book provides an insight into the history, geography, sociology, anthropology and soul of my adopted country. I learnt so much.
June 25, 2018
I enjoyed the book, however not as much as many of the other generic Welsh history books I’ve read. A big part was that I was not a huge fan of the writing style.
March 11, 2020
A very interesting and well written book. Jan Morris blends well history, religion and politics into her book.
September 14, 2020
Dense. Nicely organized. A bit of a slow read but interesting. Fun to consult online as you go to see images or maps of the features, people, buildings, and locations referenced.
March 4, 2021
Dw i'n mwynhau y llyfr 'ma.
July 16, 2021
Took me three years to read
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July 23, 2023A great writer about a magical place.
June 2, 2015
As the subtitle says, this is indeed an epic book with sweeping views of a small yet utterly fascinating country. With absorbing passion, Morris describes the landscapes, history and people of Wales I found myself easily captivated by her passion as I have been fascinated by Wales for a long time. This one book taught me more about Wales and the Welsh than I had picked up in the last decade or so on my own.
I did not find it a fast or easy book to read. It has taken me months to get through and I think that stems from two things: First that Morris has such passion for her topic herself, that sometimes her book arrangements are more passionate than well edited. The first chapter is a case in point, we start with the landscape of Wales (which sounds stunning) but is often compared to places in Europe, or other places where (whether I have been there or not) I am not especially interested in reading about at present. The passion as it were, overcomes the need to present a linear landscape assessable to someone who is NOT already familiar with the country.
That is the second thing, and I believe the reason a lot of the book is difficult to read, it seems to be written for someone already very familiar with Wales and those of us who are not must struggle along best we can. Morris explains she will name things in Welsh whenever possible and that is totally understandable and also sounds lovely but it is hard to read and it meant that for most of the chapter I had no idea where in Wales I was. I had to keep referring back to the small map at the front of the book and even so was mostly lost.
Nevertheless, it was a very interesting book, it has explained many things about the Welsh that I did not understand, it presents the country delightfully and now, even more than before, I am dying to go visit it! I have a long list of places and things I really want to see though still, for many of them I have no idea where in Wales they may be found. It has also reignited my enthusiasm for learning the language, and online lessons may mean that when time and finances finally allow me to visit Wales I may be able to say more than just Boreda.
I did not find it a fast or easy book to read. It has taken me months to get through and I think that stems from two things: First that Morris has such passion for her topic herself, that sometimes her book arrangements are more passionate than well edited. The first chapter is a case in point, we start with the landscape of Wales (which sounds stunning) but is often compared to places in Europe, or other places where (whether I have been there or not) I am not especially interested in reading about at present. The passion as it were, overcomes the need to present a linear landscape assessable to someone who is NOT already familiar with the country.
That is the second thing, and I believe the reason a lot of the book is difficult to read, it seems to be written for someone already very familiar with Wales and those of us who are not must struggle along best we can. Morris explains she will name things in Welsh whenever possible and that is totally understandable and also sounds lovely but it is hard to read and it meant that for most of the chapter I had no idea where in Wales I was. I had to keep referring back to the small map at the front of the book and even so was mostly lost.
Nevertheless, it was a very interesting book, it has explained many things about the Welsh that I did not understand, it presents the country delightfully and now, even more than before, I am dying to go visit it! I have a long list of places and things I really want to see though still, for many of them I have no idea where in Wales they may be found. It has also reignited my enthusiasm for learning the language, and online lessons may mean that when time and finances finally allow me to visit Wales I may be able to say more than just Boreda.
September 25, 2014
I was thinking 4.5 stars but I can't give that...I learned a lot about Wales, Welsh history and Welsh people...I think it also helped explain a lot about myself and my mother...it also makes me proud to be of Welsh descent, continue learning the Welsh language and working to preserve the Welsh culture. The reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that it wasn't necessarily "easy reading" and it was a bit heavy, nonetheless worth the read for me at least!
October 26, 2015
History, culture, natural history and animals, music, writing, national character - Morris covers it all in this evocation of Wales. One of my grandmothers, Helen Lambdin, was of Welsh extraction and I've always been interested in that mystical kingdom. Morris is also Welsh and passionate about Wales. Very entertaining and interesting, especially the chapter about being a tiny neighbor of England and how it's shaped the Welsh.
May 29, 2012
This is a wonderful book to learn more about Wales. Jan Morris explains the topography geography history and so forth. it's very comprehensive and a welcome bring visiting the country. It is over 450 pages and a bit long for those wanting me a glimpse of the country. But I must say it is comprehensive!
September 17, 2008
I learned a lot from this book. It was quite interesting in parts although I did feel that Morris was biased. I felt she portrayed the Welsh as a bit too 'hard done to'.
It made me want to get out there and explore though.
It made me want to get out there and explore though.
September 24, 2013
Not quite as magical as her book on Venice, but similarly filled with bits and bobs of history, grouped by theme and giving a real sense of the people, the history, and the landscape. Almost better to read after you've been there than as an introduction beforehand.
January 19, 2012
got bored with this after a hundred pages or so....
November 25, 2014
A fine book which gets to the heart of what Wales and being Welsh mean.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews