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.

Based on historical research and debates about Wales and Welshness, this volume offers an authoritative and accessible account of the period from Neanderthal times to the opening of the Senedd, the 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.

The existence of the Welsh-language can come as a surprise to those who assume that English is the foundation language of Britain. However, J. R. R. Tolkien described Welsh as the 'senior language of the men of Britain'. Visitors from outside Wales may be intrigued by the existence of Welsh and will want to find out how a language which has, for at least fifteen hundred years, been the closest neighbour of English, enjoys such vibrancy, bearing in mind that English has obliterated languages thousands of miles from the coasts of England. This book offers a broad historical survey of Welsh-language culture from sixth-century heroic poetry to television and pop culture in the early twenty-first century. The public status of the language is considered and the role of Welsh is compared with the roles of other of the non-state languages of Europe. This new edition of The Welsh Language offers a full assessment of the implications of the linguistic statistics produced by the 2011 Census. The volume contains maps and plans showing the demographic and geographic spread of Welsh over the ages, charts examining the links between words in Welsh and those in other Indo-European languages, and illustrations of key publications and figures in the history of the language. It concludes with brief guides to the pronunciation, the dialects and the grammar of Welsh.

First published in 1984, this second edition of a highly-regarded survey of the history of Wales in modern times contains fully updated reference material and a new final chapter. "A clear, crisp and thoroughly sensible narrative which will prove a real boon to students and general readers."--The Times Literary Supplement

A history of America's nation-building project told through the voices of its peoples, from the early settlers to its multicultural citizens of the twenty-first century.

This highly successful, illustrated Pocket Guide has been revised and expanded. the Celts to the invasion by Romans and Normans, the conquest by Edward I of England, the passage of the Acts of Union, the impact of the Reformation, Puritanism and Methodism, the effects of the Agrarian and Industrial Revolutions and the changes in political, social and economic life in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. historical sites, a glossary of terms and a list of important dates are included, making this an ideal introductory study for the general reader.

A compelling account of Caribbean history from colonization to slavery and revolution, through the tumult of hurricanes and climate change.

The Breton language and culture has been in long and gradual decline since Brittany's incorporation into France in 1532--notwithstanding Brittany's successful reassertion of its linguistic and political identity over the past thirty years. Brittany: A Concise History is the ideal introduction for students of French and Breton history to this remarkable region, as well as an ideal travel companion for any inquisitive globetrotter who enjoys doing her homework. Within the pages of this book, the reader will discover the rich and varied history of this complex and fascinating region--a world of Franks and Romans, dukes and peasants, Celtic nationhood, and enduring legend.

Accessible to students, tourists and general readers alike, this book provides a broad overview of Russian history since the ninth century. Paul Bushkovitch emphasizes the enormous changes in the understanding of Russian history resulting from the end of the Soviet Union in 1991. Since then, new material has come to light on the history of the Soviet era, providing new conceptions of Russia's pre-revolutionary past. The book traces not only the political history of Russia, but also developments in its literature, art and science. Bushkovitch describes well-known cultural figures, such as Chekhov, Tolstoy and Mendeleev, in their institutional and historical contexts. Though the 1917 revolution, the resulting Soviet system and the Cold War were a crucial part of Russian and world history, Bushkovitch presents earlier developments as more than just a prelude to Bolshevik power.

An elegantly written and comprehensive survey of the history of Carmarthenshire from prehistoric times to the present day. The formative changes and developments in all aspects of life and activity are examined and placed within a broader historical context.