A Concise History Of Wales

Description

Based on the most recent historical research and current debates about Wales and Welshness, this volume offers the most up-to-date, authoritative and accessible account of the period from Neanderthal times to the opening of the Senedd, the new home of the National Assembly for Wales, in 2006. Within a remarkably brief and stimulating compass, Geraint H. Jenkins explores the emergence of Wales as a nation, its changing identities and values, and the transformations its people experienced and survived throughout the centuries. In the face of seemingly overwhelming odds, the Welsh never reconciled themselves to political, social and cultural subordination, and developed ingenious ways of maintaining a distinctive sense of their otherness. The book ends with the coming of political devolution and the emergence of a greater measure of cultural pluralism. Professor Jenkins's lavishly illustrated volume provides enthralling material for scholars, students, general readers, and travellers to Wales.

Reviews

'A Concise History of Wales has the potential to reach a readership well beyond the academic community.' H-Albion

Author description

Geraint H. Jenkins is Director of the UNIVERSITY of WALES CENTRE for ADVANCED WELSH and CELTIC STUDIEs. His recent publications include The Illustrated History of the University of Wales 1893-1993 (1993), and, as editor, The Visual Culture of Wales (6 vols., 1998-2003).

Table of contents

Preface; 1. The Earliest Inhabitants; 2. The Heroic Age 383-1063; 3. The Anglo-Norman Conquerors c. 1063-1282; 4. Pestilence, Rebellion and Renewal c. 1283-1536; 5. Early Modern Wales, 1536-1776; 6. A Crucible of the Modern World 1776-1900; 7. Wales Awakening? 1901-2006; 8. Whither Wales?; Sources of quotations; Guide to further reading; Index.