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4 Best Books About Wales for All-Night Reading
These four best books about Wales are all distinctly different, yet each one is a rich and immersive journey in its own way. After choosing from The Mabinogion, Pigeon, A History of Wales, and Owen, prop up the pillows and make yourself comfy because you might be up past your bedtime.
Each of the four best books about Wales listed below will give you a deeper look at this fascinating country and make you feel closer to it. Why is Wales so important? Cymru (Wales) is important for retaining its unique Welsh culture and traditions. Some customs are more modern, while others trace back to the Celts and even earlier to the Beaker folk (like cawl!). Wales also boasts breathtakingly beautiful castle ruins and wilderness.
In addition to all of that, Welsh is the oldest language in the British Isles that has been spoken continuously since its inception. It’s a Celtic language that began as Insular Celtic, then became Brythonic, and eventually, with many changes, became Cymraeg (Welsh) as we know it today. Wales has also kept certain mystical elements from its folklore, some richly preserved in The Mabinogion.
What is the most famous thing about Wales? Wales is famous for many things, but some of the most notable are its beautiful flag with the red dragon on a green field, having the most castles per square mile anywhere in the world, and the Welsh language, which is the oldest in the UK. You might be interested in learning that Cymraeg (Welsh) traces back to its Brythonic beginnings around 4,000 years ago.
What Welsh town is famous for books?
Hay-on-Wye (known as Hay or “Y Gelli” in Welsh) is also called “Town of Books.” Located in Powys, which is situated in Mid Wales and borders England, it dates back to the Middle Ages.
Here are the four best books about Wales in no particular order. They are all completely different, and each is excellent for a unique reason.
Best Books About Wales: A History of Wales by John Davis
Undoubtedly, it is one of the best Welsh history books in existence. While it isn’t a concise history of Wales and is not for the casual reader, it’s well worth the time spent immersed in its pages for the author’s expert knowledge and detailed descriptions.
A History of Wales takes the reader on a colorful journey that begins in Wales’ distant past in the Ice Age. From there, Davis takes you forward from a time when woolly mammoths roamed the frozen plains through the Beaker culture to the days of the Celts and their hill forts. He explores the Roman Occupation, the Reformation, and the Industrial Revolution. You’ll learn how mining, with its hardships and toil, became a part of Welsh culture. The book shows how the Welsh people have been able to endure and keep their spirit no matter the changes that come their way.
Davis’ incredible book also explains how the English conquered and subjugated the Welsh in several stages after the Normans had already partially conquered Wales. The first occurred when Edward I defeated Llywelyn ap Gruffudd (“Llywelyn the Last”) in 1282. Two hundred and fifty years later, Henry VIII’s Act of Union incorporated Wales into England and made English its official language. The Glorious Revolution of 1688 saw the Catholic King James II overthrown and changed England from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy. New commercial opportunities opened that would eventually lead to the Industrial Revolution. This more modern era brought good and bad changes for Wales, especially regarding mining. However, for a time, the country became a leading producer of coal, copper, slate, and iron.
What makes A History of Wales one of the best books about Wales?
Davis isn’t overly sentimental but tells it like it is. Yet, he still succeeds in portraying the Cymry (Welsh people) as the proud, strong folks they are. He also goes into more recent politics, including Plaid Cymru, a nationalist party. One of their main goals is to make Wales an independent state within the European Union. In A History of Wales , you’ll also find many little-known facts and a few interesting rumors. For example, America may have been discovered by a Welshman, Prince Madog, in the 15th century.
Novels About Wales: Pigeon by Alys Conran
Pigeon is a heartbreaking and beautifully written story about hardship. While not a young adult novel due to some of the mature issues it deals with, it’s definitely a coming-of-age story. The story is set in a small Welsh town near Snowdonia National Park in North Wales. The main character, Pigeon (not a nickname but his real one), loves storytelling and words in general. The story centers around him and his best friend, Iola. They live in their own make-believe world to try to escape the realities of growing up in broken homes. Iola was raised by her older sister after her mother and grandmother died. Pigeon has it even worse. He’s been living in the garden shed ever since his abusive stepfather began making life at home unbearable.
What makes Pigeon one of the best books about Wales?
Although a fiction novel, Pigeon paints a picture of the challenging dynamic between the Welsh and the English. Despite Welsh being Pigeon’s first language, we learn how he sometimes has a complex relationship with his native tongue and his identity. The story also shows us some of the challenges in modern Wales.
Another aspect of the book that stands out to me is how it shows the power of our words and what they can do, both good and bad. Stories and imagination can heal and inspire; sometimes, our tales can have devastating consequences.
This poignant novel won the Wales Book of the Year award in 2017 and has even been made into a play. Not many have heard of it outside of Wales, making it an underrated book—another gem waiting for you to read it and discover a brilliant author! The book is also available in Welsh on Amazon UK .
Books on Welsh Mythology
The Mabinogion (Oxford World’s Classics) Illustrated Edition by Sioned Davies
If you want to learn about Welsh mythology, reading The Mabinogion is the best way to start. If you’ve never heard of this and don’t know what the title means or what it is, I’ll explain. The book is a famous collection of eleven mythology stories from Wales’ past. Although compiled in the Middle Ages, the tales of gods, goddesses, and folklore pre-date Christianity.
The book’s title is from the word “Mabinogi,” which comes from the word “mab.” In earlier days, it meant “youth” or “boyhood.” However, over time, it evolved to mean “tale of a hero’s boyhood” and eventually was shortened to simply “a tale.” Lady Charlotte Guest, the first to translate the tales into English in the mid-nineteenth century, incorrectly called the entire body of work “The Mabinogion,” thinking that “Mabinogion” was the plural of “Mabinogi.”
We still don’t know who the original authors of The Mabinogion were. These anonymous writers gave us 11 tales comprising the book’s four branches. The four branches are Pwyll, Branwen, Manawydan, and Math. These are the names of the “main characters,” if you will, the people whose lives form the foundation of the world depicted within. You’ll learn of Gwydion, the shape-shifter who brings a maiden named Blodeuwedd to life from flowers; of dragons, witches, and giants; of Arthurian romance, kings and heroes, quests to the Otherworld and back again; stories of love, revenge, and royalty. Through these tales of Celtic mythology, we also see the Welsh people fighting to keep their independence as a nation.
What makes The Mabinogion one of the best books about Wales?
Davies’ translation is lively and engaging, and she formatted the book in shorter paragraphs. She’s also included notes in the back that explain specific phrases and give the reader context. A lot has changed in the many centuries since the stories were first told by the ancient Welsh. Davies ensures that modern readers can understand and enjoy the tales just as they did. The Mabinogion also preserves the pagan mythology of ancient Wales. It’s raw, powerful, and connected to all of nature, giving us a glimpse of how the Celts viewed life. While it may not be precise to classify it among books about Wales’ history, it still shows us aspects of it. The stories let us travel back in time, giving us a connection to the past we can feel.
Owen – Book One of the Tudor Trilogy by Tony Riches
One last book in case you’re looking for a fiction novel with romance! Welsh servant Owen Tudor falls in love with the English queen in 1422. The stunning Catherine of Valois, the warrior king Henry V’s widow, is lonely, and her son Henry VI, the future king, exhibits symptoms of the family’s insanity. Owen has to decide if he’s willing to sacrifice everything to keep her safe as the nation teeters on the verge of civil war. In Owen by Tony Riches, we find out how the Tudors created a dynasty and altered British history.
Why is Owen one of the best books about Wales?
It’s a great way to learn about some of the true history of the Tudor dynasty through fiction. The story is told from Owen’s perspective. He’s fallen in status after losing his rights as a Welsh nobleman’s son. Owen develops a strong romantic attachment to the Queen despite having an affair with Juliette, the Queen’s maid. After the young Prince Henry departs the household to begin training for the throne, Catherine notices the loyal Owen and starts showing him affection. They have a covert wedding and settle in the sleepy village of Much Hadham (about forty miles north of London). While filled with turmoil and complicated matters of state, the book also shows the romance between the couple and Owen’s early life. Definitely worth a read!
Oh well....I've read two of them.
Will check out 'Pigeon' and 'Owen'. Diolch for posting.