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Cargando... When Was Wales?: A History of the Welshpor Gwyn A. Williams
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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. No se han encontrado descripciones de biblioteca. |
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Google Books — Cargando... GénerosSistema Decimal Melvil (DDC)942.9History and Geography Europe England and Wales WalesClasificación de la Biblioteca del CongresoValoraciónPromedio:
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At this point, this book is somewhat dated with regard to recent history, but remains well worth reading because of the questions that it raises, as exemplified by the title. They are worth pondering, not just with regard to the Welsh, but in relation to nationality, nation and nationalism in general.
Williams points out that at many points in history, not everyone that we think of as Welsh would have been considered as such. In the pre-Norman days, only gentry were considered to be true Welshmen and women, the many serfs and slaves were not, just as so much of the population of ancient Athens were considered to be foreigners. This would apparently include one of my favorite fictional sleuths, Brother Cadfael. Williams is concerned that in the present, this includes people who do not speak Welsh. He notes that, at the time of writing at least, there was little English-language programming on Welsh subjects, even though that excluded a large percentage of the population.
Williams also recounts the regional differences in Wales, which sometimes persist over a long period of time.
The history is never romanticized, and Williams seems rather pessimistic about the future. He has me rooting for Welsh, none the less. ( )