Displays

Ers degawdau, clywyd cyhuddiadau cyson o du Cymry uchel eu parch fod cenedlaetholwyr Cymreig wedi cydymdeimlo â Ffasgaeth yn ystod dyddiau tywyll y 1930au a'r Ail Ryfel Byd - cyhuddiad a fyddai'n pardduo enw unrhyw elyn gwleidyddol. Yn y gyfrol hon, mae Jones yn pwyso a mesur gwirionedd y cyhuddiadau.

This is the first major study of the fine arts in Wales during the modern period; a pioneering expedition into territory that has been neglected by the wider world of scholarship. It is, therefore, presented as a broad survey, rather than a detailed history; bringing together hitherto unrelated individuals and events, to give a coherent account of the evolution of modern art in Wales. Using a wealth of illustrations, the author argues that there is no case for an autonomous `School of Wales'. His theme is that, from a stagnant back-water, Welsh art has developed into a vigorous tributary to the mainstream of Western art. This luxuriously produced volume tells the story of those outstanding artists working in Wales and outside Wales who, by their collective efforts, have made modern Welsh art a subject in its own right.

Brenda Chamberlain was born in Bangor in 1912. She studied at the Royal Academy, but gave up painting temporarily for poetry during the Second World War, while she was living at Llanllechid, near Bethesda in Caernarfonshire. It was during this period that The Caseg Broadsheets was produced; the venture is described in Alun Lewis and the Making of the Caseg Broadsheets (1969). The Green Heart (1958) reflects both her time in Llanllechid and her experiences in Germany, which she visited in 1946. In 1962 she published her most important prose work, Tide-Race, an evocation of life on the island of Barsdsey. Her only novel, The Water Castle (1964), again draws on her experiences in post-war Germany. In 1961 Chamberlain moved to the Greek island of Ydra, where she remained until the colonels' coup overthrew democracy in Greece. A Rope of Vines (1965) describes her life there. Poems with Drawings (1969) was published after her return to Bangor. This work offers a lively account of Brenda Chamberlain's life together with a detailed analysis of her poems and prose. It draws on the strong recollections of many friends to sketch a portrait of this complex, sensitive and imaginative Welsh writer and artist.

The twin cultures of Welsh and English in Wales have caused a great deal of discussion and comment. Wynn Thomas explores the relationship between the two cultures in Wales from the 17th century to the present day. He focuses primarily on the linguistic aspects, using examples from Welsh and Anglo-Welsh Literature.

Informed by newly available diaries and correspondence, here is the first comprehensive biographical and critical study of this enigmatic writer whose tragic suicide at the age of thirty-one served to plunge her fascinating body of work into obscurity.

First published in 1968, The Dragon has Two Tongues was the first book-length study of the English-language literature of Wales. Written by one of Wales's major English-language writers of fiction and poetry, it includes chapters dealing with the work of Dylan Thomas, Caradoc Evans, Jack Jones, Gwyn Thomas and Idris Davies, all of whom Glyn Jones knew personally. This first-hand knowledge of the writers, coupled with the shrewdness of Glyn Jones's critical comments, established The Dragon Has Two Tongues as an invaluable study of this generation of Welsh writers. At the same time, it contains Glyn Jones's own autobiographical reflections on his life and literary career, his loss and rediscovery of the Welsh language, and the cultural shifts which resulted in the emergence of a distinctive English-language literature in Wales in the early decades of the twentieth century. Although a classic study, The Dragon Has Two Tongues has long been out-of-print. Tony Brown had the opportunity to discuss the book with Glyn Jones before his death in 1995 and has had access to Glyn Jones's own proposed revisions and to manuscript drafts. This first paperback edition therefore includes some updating of the text and a new bibliography.

This book explores the neglected history of women who were active in Liberal politics, campaigning for women's rights, the vote, and a full role for women in Welsh public life, at the end of the nineteenth century, and before the First World War.

The Reverend R.S. Thomas, enemy of the ephemeral, is our greatest poet of universals, without peer as an observer of Nature, of God's presence and absence, and of the stormy, inscrutable relationship of Man to each. He is a perpetual, jarring reminder to British literature that it so often loses sight of last things. Thomas is famously reticent, reclusive even, and disdains publicity. But steadily, slowly, by the pull of his potent poetry, publicity has come to him, most recently through his nomination for the Nobel Prize for Literature. Not that Thomas is never moved to meet the world: he has tangled with it noisily and controversially, in outspoken defence of the Welsh language, of rural Wales and of ardent nationalism; and in his memoir, Neb (Nobody), he gave up morsels from his life, albeit in the third person." "Furious Interiors is the first book to scrutinize Thomas' patriotism and his prose, his predecessors and his pacifism to see how they reflect on and are reflected in his poetry - and to taste how they illuminate the relationship between English and Welsh. In pursuit of Thomas, Justin Wintle, a commentator and critic of acuity and style, gravitates towards the heart of Welsh Wales, where politics and poetry mingle, where Thomas' poems so conspicuously matter, where poetry has, simply, always mattered.

A History of Wales, 1906-2000 is the fourth volume in a series beginning in 1485. This invaluable survey examines the main economic, social, political and cultural developments of hte last century in Wales.   Wales has undergone sweeping changes during the twentieth century, with the decline of those powerful forces which once shaped Welsh life--agriculture, industry and religion--and the emergence of a Europeanized, devolved Wales towards the beginning of the new millennium. A History of Wales, 1906-2000 presents a chronological overview of this century of change in terms not only of economic, social and political activity but also of religion, education and culture in Wales.   As the first book to analyse the whole of the twentieth century in Wales, this pioneering study will appeal to students and academics as well as to non-specialists who want a clear, concise and comprehensive history of twentieth-century Wales.

In this new edition the authors present new sets of language data both for individuals and for households in Wales and examine the impact of migration on the language, the relationship between social class and ability to speak Welsh, and the bases for the reproduction and maintenance of the language within the context of the family. The final chapter considers the prospects for the language in the light of new political and institutional developments (including the National Assembly for Wales), recent planning issues (most notably housing) and developments in the critically important field of education. This book is an essential reference source for those concerned with the changing status and vitality of the Welsh language and of other minority languages in Europe. It provides a framework and a factual context in which to set such issues as language planning and policy formulation at local and national levels.

The sixth volume of an authoritative series presenting a penetrating analysis of the social history of the Welsh language during the 20th century, comprising 21 essays by renowned scholars based on thorough research exploring the negative and affirmative aspects of the Welsh language in literary and religious, political and legal, educational and cultural fields.

Drawing on myth, folklore and history, the stories of the Mabinogion passed from generations of storytellers before they were written down in the thirteenth century in the form we know. Set in dual realms of the forests and valleys of Wales and the shadowy otherworld, the tales are permeated by a dreamlike atmosphere. In 'Math Son of Mathonwy' two brothers plot to carry off the virginal Goewin, while in 'Manawydan Son of Ll^yr' a chieftain roams throughout Britain after a spell is cast over his land. And King Arthur's court provides the backdrop to tales such as 'How Culhwch Won Olwen', in which a young man must complete many tasks before he can marry a giant's daughter.

"In this book, the first general history of the literature of medieval Wales, Andrew Breeze surveys the development of this subject over the course of a millennium, including the heroic poems of Aneirin and Taliesin, tales of magic and romance in 'The Mabinogion', and the comic genius of the fourteenth-century bard Dafydd ap Gwilym. Dr Breeze discloses the authorship of the centrepiece of medieval Welsh literature, The Four Branches of the Mabinogi, revealing it to have been written by a woman, Gwenllian, the wife of Gruffydd ap Rhys, prince of Dyfed. She emerges from this study as the greatest of Welsh prose writers, and among the first rank of medieval women writers. Written for the general reader in an accessible style, Medieval Welsh Literature incorporates the latest research in the field."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

The role of women in the recent history of Wales is an area that has received scant attention from social scientists and historians. This book will seek to fill that gap by drawing upon the family stories told about women's roles in education, the chapel and the family to address some of the important gaps in the knowledge base relating to women and Welsh culture.

A novel exploring the tensions between the Welsh and the English. It's a passionate defence of cultural and political identity, and a plea for tolerance. It's also a sustained attack on the forces of small-town bigotry and corruption. But, above all, it's an acknowledgement of the subtleties and ambiguities that exist in even the most entrenched attitudes. Reprint; first published 2010.

This is a new edition of a book that was originally published in 1991 as the first of its kind, written when women's history in Wales was in its infancy. Written in a lively and accessible style, these studies help to redefine Wales as much more than 'the land of our fathers'.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Postcolonialism Revisited examines the ways in which postcolonial theory may be usefully adopted and adapted in order to provide an illuminating reading of Welsh writing in English, and how the Anglophone literature of Wales raises questions about the assumptions and dogmas of postcolonial theory. In addition to dealing with a range of theorists in the field, including Frantz Fanon, Bill Ashcroft and Homi Bhabha, the book looks at how Wales has been constructed as a colonized nation in late-nineteenth- and twentieth-century writing. Authors considered include R. S. Thomas, Margiad Evans, Christopher Meredith, Peter Finch and Rhys Davies.

A new edition of a scholarly and popular work aiming to describe Welsh life and customs from prehistoric times to the present day. Over 100 black-and-white photographs, illustrations and maps. First published March 1998.

"Speak It in Welsh": Wales and the Welsh Language in Shakespeare examines the marginalized Welsh voice in Shakespeare's plays and seeks to understand why Shakespeare may have included Wales and the Welsh in his plays as he reacts to, reflects, and contributes to the formation of early modern Britain. Today, contemporary English playwrights seldom turn to Wales as a subject or setting for their works, and infrequently do they include Welsh characters in their plays. Yet during the English Renaissance, we find a great many plays about Wales, set in Wales, or with Welsh characters on stage entertaining English-speaking audiences. From the quarrelling captains in Henry V to the linguistically challenged lovers in I Henry IV, to the monoglot vocalist Lady Mortimer, to the proud Sir High Evans, Shakespeare creates Welsh characters whose voices, language use, and presence help reflect one aspect of British identity. Beginning with Tudor Welsh language policy and its impact on Welsh identity and Britishness, with attention paid to foreign language usage in the Henriad and the characterization of Wales and the Welsh in Shakespeare's plays,"Speak It in Welsh" illustrates how Shakespeare offers a dramatic portrayal of a newly evolving Britain and how he constructs a model for English and Welsh coexistence for a newly forming British identity.

Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Fourteen essays dealing with various aspects of the social and economic experience of Wales since the mid to late nineteenth century.

From prehistoric times to the Middle Ages, the Welsh Borders were the scene of continual strife, as can be seen from the Iron Age and Roman forts, Offa's Dyke and the wealth of medieval castles to be found here. For a short time the Marches formed in the north-western boundary of the Roman Empire. In the Middle Ages there was bitter fighting between the Norman conquerors and the Welth, and in-fighting among feuding barons. Later the dissolution of the monasteries, the imposistion of enclosures, the creation of parkland, the mining of the Shropshire coalfield and the coming of the Industrial Revolution all made their impact on the landscape. Today the Marches are under threat from various forces which are discussed in the final chapter. The distinguished landscape archaeologist Trevor Rowley (who was born and educated in Shrewsbury) looks at the countryside, villages and towns of this area, and reveals the clues that they provide to the history of its people over the centuries. Under the author's condident guidance, there are many hidden treasures to be found in this relatively unknown region of Britain - whether forgotten Saxon churches or lost medieval boroughs. With its numerous illustrations, this is a book that will inform and delight both local residents and visitors to the border counties.AUTHOR: Trevor Rowley was Director of Studies in the Department for Continuing Education, Oxford University and is a Fellopw of Kellogg College, Oxford. He is the author of many books including The Shropshire Landscape, Villages in the Landscape and The English Landscape in the Twentieth Century.

When has Wales been able to describe itself as an independent nation and will it ever be able to do so in the future? The question of national identity has affected the Welsh throughout their history. Drawing on myth, legend and poetry and on the talents and ambitions of soldiers, labourers, politicians and churchmen the author tells the story of the Welsh with an understanding of his fellow countrymen.