Most of the books listed below are in print and in
paperback - those that are out of print (o/p) should be easy to track down in
second-hand bookshops. Publishers follow each title; first the UK publisher,
then the US. Only one publisher is listed if the UK and US publishers are the
same. Where books are published in only one of these countries, UK or US
precedes the publisher's name.
Here you'll find more:
Niall Griffiths's favourite Welsh books
Travel and impressions
History, society and culture
Art, architecture and archeology
Literature
Poetry
Food and drink
Other guides
Wildlife and the environment
Outdoor pursuits
(Century Hutchinson).
Abse's prose, more accessible than his poetry, succeeds in being wry, serious
and provocative at the same time. Much of this volume deals with journeys in
his native Wales, which he describes with verve and tongue-in-cheek humour.
(Century). Highly entertaining
easy-to-read account of the author's walking tour of Wales in 1854, which says
as much about Borrow and his ego as it does about Wales and the Welsh, who he
treats with benign condescension.
Two witty and frank books in one
volume, written in Latin by the quarter-Welsh clergyman after his 1188 tour
around Wales recruiting for the third Crusade with Archbishop Baldwin of
Canterbury. Both superb vehicles for Gerald of Wales' learned ruminations and
unreserved opinions, The Journey breaks up the seven-week tour "through
our rough, remote and inaccessible countryside" with anecdotes and
ecclesiastical point scoring, while The Description covers rural life
and the finer and less praiseworthy aspects of the Welsh character, summing up
with "you may never find anyone worse then a bad Welshman, but you will
certainly never find anyone better than a good one".
(Poetry Wales
Press). A wonderfully varied selection of essays and wry poetry on a great
diversity of topics, including writers such as R. S. Thomas and Dylan Thomas,
together with the representation of Plaid Cymru in Welsh and British media,
Wales in the movies, images of Welsh women and the country's indigenous
theatre. Learned, often funny, and extremely rich.
(Penguin). Classic travelogue opening a window onto Britain in the 1720s.
Twenty pages on Wales.
Both rather dated now, but
often found in secondhand stores. Vivacious outsider's guides to living in
Wales from the ex-Welsh correspondent of the London. Times newspaper.
Both books touch on folklore, humour and politics and paint an engaging picture
of a nation perennially trying to define itself.
(Penguin). Prolific half-Welsh
travel writer Jan Morris immerses herself in the country that she evidently
loves. Highly partisan and fiercely nationalistic, the book combs over the
origins of the Welsh character and describes the people and places of Wales
with precision and affection. A magnificent introduction to a diverse, and
occasionally perverse, nation.
(o/p). Snapshots of Welsh life in
the 1930s. A companion volume to his In Search of England.
(Bridge Books). First published
in 1773, the stories from Pennant's horseback tour helped foster the Romantic
enthusiasm for Wales' rugged landscapes.
(Pallas). Not so much a travel guide as a 400-page
celebratory essay on Wales and especially its people by a German convert to the
cause of all things Welsh. A passionate and fabulously detailed book.
(Oxford University Press). Classic 1905
book, in constant reprint. Lyrical and literary ponderings on the Welsh and
harsh put-downs on the English. Thomas' grandolinquent opinions, wrapped and
couched in his assured and poetical English, are often maddening, but never
dull.
(Century). Glossy, ponderous coffee-table tome with selections of other
writings and the musings of the ex-House of Commons Speaker as well. Fabulous
photographs are the main attraction in a book that`s better as a souvenir than
as a guide.
(Penguin). Info laden assemblage
of all archeological and written evidence on the shadowy centuries after the
Roman occupation of Britain.
(University of Wales Press). The
most up-to-date history and assessment of Europe's oldest living language is
packed full of readable information, together with plans and maps showing the
demographic and geographic spread of Welsh over the ages.
(Allen Lane). Exhaustive run
through Welsh history and culture from the earliest inhabitants to the late
1980s reassessing numerous oft-quoted "facts" along the way. Translated from
the original 1990 Welsh edition, it is clearly written and very readable but,
at 700 pages, is hardly concise.
(Gomer). Plaid Cymru's elder
statesman first produced this massive tome in Welsh, translating it into
English for publication over twenty years ago. As a thorough and impassioned
history, it is hard to beat, although the political viewpoint of the author is
always apparent.
(Penguin).
First published in 1136 this is the basis of almost all Arthurian legend.
Writers throughout Europe and beyond used Geoffrey's unreliable history as the
basis of a complex corpus of myth.
(The Old
Orchard). Excellent, slim and low-cost, if rambling, introduction to Welsh
mythology.
(Longman).
Magnificently thorough book, placing Welsh history in its British and European
contexts. Unbiased and rational appraisal of events and the struggle to
preserve Welsh consciousness, with enough detail to make it of valuable
academic interest and sufficient good humour to make it easily readable.
(University of Wales). The
best step forward from our own entry-level history section, this concise,
easy-paced overview of Welsh life comes with a welcome bias towards social
history.
(Aquarian). Selections of original
texts, scholarly articles and stories on Celtic legend and scholarship.
Sections on the Druids, Celtic Britain and The Mabinogion. Assumes a deep
interest.
(Penguin). The best of
the books on Wales' most notorious and celebrated lesbian couple. This volume
traces the ladies' inauspicious beginnings in Ireland, their spectacular
elopement and the way that their Llangollen home, Plas Newydd, became a place
of pilgrimage for dozens of influential eighteenth-century visitors. A
fascinating story lovingly told.
(University
of Wales). Pocket guide to everything from outdoor prayer meetings to the
curious Mari Lwyd when men dress as grey mares and snap at all the young girls.
Easy to read and fun to dip into.
(Century). The autobiography of
Rhondda-born George Thomas, rich toned ex-Speaker of the House of Commons and
now sitting in the Lords as Lord Tonypandy. From his humble beginnings,
including the forceful discouragement of speaking Welsh at school, Thomas
charts his fascinating career and is particularly interesting for his
shattering recollections of the Aberfan disaster and, when Secretary of State
for Wales, the 1969 investiture of the Prince of Wales at Caernarfon.
(Penguin). Wonderfully
whimsical reminiscences of growing up in north Wales. Welsh legends and folk
tales form a large part of the backdrop, fermenting excitedly in the young
imagination of the popular novelist.
(Michael Joseph). One
of the country's most missed broadcasters and writers, Vaughan-Thomas'
masterpiece is this warm and spirited history of Wales. Working chronologically
through from the pre-Celtic dawn to the aftermath of the 1979 devolution vote,
the book offers perhaps the clearest explanation of the evolution of Welsh
culture, with the author's patriotic slant evident throughout.
(UK
Grafton). Highly readable volume on the development of myth in literature.
(British
Museum/University of California). Generously illustrated account of Roman
occupation written by the British Museum's own curators.
(WTD/CADW). General chat and
rich colour photos of the major CADW sites around the country.
(Picador). This entertaining and
finely wrought novel follows the Jones twins' eighty-year tenure of a farm on
the Radnorshire border with England. Chatwin casts his sharp eye for detail
over both the minutiae of nature and the universal human condition providing a
wonderfully gentle angle on Welsh-English antipathy.
Dramatic historical trilogy
in the best-seller tradition partly set in the cottages on the site of the
Blaenavon ironworks during the lead up to the Chartist Riots. This Sweet and
Bitter Earth (Coronet) immortalizes Blaenau Ffestiniog in a lusty slate
epic.
(Seren).
Absorbing selection of 25 short stories from a broad spectrum of Welsh authors
writing in English during the twentieth century, including Dylan Thomas.
(Hodder). One of the few
popular books set in north Wales in which Anglo-Canadian Firbank spins an
autobiographical yarn of his purchase of most of the Glyder range and
subsequent life as a Snowdonian sheep farmer during the 1930s. Generous but
patronizing observations about his neighbours and his wife mar an otherwise
enjoyable, easy read.
(University of Wales). Set in
south Wales and Carmarthen in the early years of the twentieth century, Jones
artfully portrays a sensitive valley youth's enthrallment in the glamour of the
district's new arrival.
(Lawrence and Wishart). Longtime favourite
socialist novel, written in 1937 and portraying life in a Rhondda valley mining
community in the early years of the twentieth century. Followed by its sequel,
We Live.
(Picador). Tale of a
soldier who deserts from Northern Ireland, kidnaps his five-year-old son and
embarks on a voyage of self-discovery which takes him back to the Welsh mining
community.
Vital tetralogy in eloquent and
passionate prose following the life of Huw Morgan from his youth in a south
Wales mining valley through emigration to the Welsh community in Patagonia and
back to 1970s Wales. A best-seller during World War II and still the best
introduction to the vast canon of "valleys novels", How Green was my
Valley? captured a longing for a simple, if tough, life steering clear of
cloying sentimentality.
(Everyman's).
Welsh mythology's classic, these eleven orally developed heroic tales were
finally transcribed into the Book of Rhydderch (around 1300-25) and the Red
Book of Hergest (1375-1425). Originally translated by Lady Charlotte Guest
between 1838-49 at the beginning of the Celtic revival.
(Hutchinson). A partly autobiographical,
partly anecdotal view of how it feels to grow up in a small Rhondda town full
of arcane and idiosyncratic wit and much more.
(Dent Everyman). Far better than
buying any of the single editions, this book contains all of Thomas' classic
prose pieces: Quite Early One Morning, which metamorphosed into Under
Milk Wood, the magical A Child's Christmas in Wales and the
compulsive, crackling autobiography of Portrait of the Artist as a Young
Dog. The language still burns bright in a uniquely robust way.
(Dent Everyman). His most popular
play, telling the story of a microcosmic Welsh seaside town over a 24-hour
period. Reading it does little justice - far better, instead, to get a tape or
record version of the play, and luxuriate in its rich poetry, or, as Thomas
himself described it, "prose with blood pressure".
(Fontana). A
beautiful book, combining poetry, folklore and prose stories rooted in places
throughout Wales. All subjects, from rugby and mountain climbing to
contemporary descriptions of major events, are included in an enjoyably
eclectic mixture of styles. Possibly the best introduction to Welsh writing.
(Gomer Press).
One of Wales' best contemporary writers, notable mainly for his mixing of
styles from poetry to prose, narration and description. Evocative tales of
wartime childhood and stifling parenting, leading to a poignant search for
love.
(Poetry Wales Press). Light,
elegiac verse inspired by the Welsh landscape. Her interweaving of climate,
scenery and emotion is delicately handled, producing fine, and deceptively
robust, pieces that stand up as physical description, spiritual discussion or
both.
(Duckworth). Breathtakingly
cool and descriptive poetry, much of which is set in the Berwyn Mountains in
Clwyd and the hills of north Wales. Her gently probing technique uses
discoveries of random objects or sights to spark off musings about their
history and derivation.
(Penguin). The religious
poetry of this late nineteenth-century Anglo-Catholic still bears scrutiny
today. Much of his best work was inspired by Wales - "the loveable west" - and
the metre and rhythm of the Welsh language that he strove to learn. Heartfelt
and often profoundly sad, with an exquisite ability to marry the grandeur of
the landscape with the intensity of his feelings.
(Faber). Once ranked with Ezra
Pound and T.S. Eliot (who once declared him to be the finest poet then working
in the English language), Jones has now been relegated to the footnotes of
literary Modernism. A pity, because this long poem - a meditation on the
history and mythology of Celtic-Christian Britain - is one of the most
ambitious and intelligent pieces of writing to come out of Wales. A refreshing
change from the emotive lushness of Dylan Thomas.
(Gomer Press). Jones is one of
Wales' most prolific twentieth- century writers, pumping out work firmly rooted
in his native country. His passion and nationalism seems occasionally naive,
although the hiraeth for Wales and its rootedness cannot fail to
impress.
(Dent Everyman). Thomas' poetry has
always proved less populist than his prose and play writing, largely due to its
density and difficulty. Many of his lighter poems resound with perfect metre
and precise structure, including classics such as Do not go gentle into that
good night, a passionate yet calm elegy to his dying father.
(Bloodaxe). A fierce,
reclusive Welsh nationalist, Thomas' poetry tugs at issues such as God (he was
an Anglican priest) Wales ("brittle with relices") and the family. His passion
shines throughout this book, probably the best overview available of his
prolific work.
(Appletree). Slim
hardback neatly covering the traditional Welsh staples: bara brith,
cawl, glamorgan sausages and laver bread.
(Ravette). Despite
leaving out some of the traditional dishes this bargain book makes amends with
its broad scope of more ambitious Welsh recipes.
(CAMRA). A hundred or so top
pubs with the emphasis on good beer, produced by the Campaign for Real Ale.
(David & Charles). A personal
guided tour around the Snowdonia National Park dipping into geology, natural
history and industrial heritage. The best detailed approach to the region.
(Gomer). As for Snowdonia, but covering the
whole country.
(D. Brown & Sons). Essential companion for anyone
searching out Welsh and Celtic roots in North America. Commentary on regions
from Quebec to San Diego along with accounts of a hundred individual sites of
Welsh or Celtic interest.
(Anthony Nelson).
Wide-ranging though not terribly detailed look at life in the stretch of Wales
from southern and eastern Snowdonia down to the Brecon Beacons. The town guides
are perfunctory, and it is better for the examination of history (from
transport to art), landscape influences and industry.
(Hamlyn).
Superb full-colour identification guide divided by
flower colour and sub-divided by flower form and habitat. Over 900 species
covered but not Wales or even UK specific.
(Sheldrake).
Not much use for species identification but plenty of information on access to
the best sites and what to expect when you get there. Excellent photos.
(Gomer). Over three hundred
brief insights into the intricacies of Welsh country life - from the names of
rivers to grass snakes in the garden - seen through the eyes of the longest
serving contributor to The Guardian's Country Diary column.
(Chatto &
Windus). Beautifully photographed coffeetable delvings into the least visible
natural sights of Snowdonia from feral goats to the Snowdon lily and a close-up
of a raven in its nest.
(o/p).
Eco-tourism Cambrian style. A now-dated pocket guide to how to get around Wales
with the least damage to the environment and its people. Solid background
section on green tourism and good for co-operative and community initiative
contacts.
(Helm). Enthusiasts
guide to Wales' prime birding locations along with a bird spotting calender and
a list of English-Welsh-Scientific bird names. Not an identification guide.
(Crowood). Colour-coded sections based on birds' plumage, and 700 beautiful
photos back up detailed discussion of behaviour and habitat.
(Webb & Bower). Superb book, going into huge detail on the
beginnings and building of the Beacons, as well as the wildlife and flora that
you can expect to see there today. Well-written and hugely informative, whilst
remaining essentially personal and enthusiastic.
(Crowood, £14). One of the best amateur books on the
flora and fauna of the British Isles, with a few full-colour pages to aid
identification, and region-by-region site guide. Twenty pages specifically on
Wales covering South Stack, Newborough Warren, Bardsey, Cadair Idris, Devils
Bridge, St David's Head, Skomer island and more.
(Collins). Series of thorough pocket-sized
identification guides. Topics include insects, butterflies, wildflowers,
mushrooms and toadstools, birds, mammals, reptiles, and fossils.
(Michael Joseph, hardback
£15). Inspirational and superbly photographed guide to the hundred
best walks, from easy strolls to hard scrambles, in and around the Snowdonia
National Park. Well-drawn maps, faultless instructions and a star rating for
each walk help you select your route. An essential guide, perfect but for its
weight.
(Ernest).
Easy-to-follow pocket guide to a score of biking routes with hand-drawn maps.
Due to be followed by a north Wales edition.
(A. J.
Drake). Thorough and detailed lightweight guide to Wales' most demanding
long-distance footpath by one of the original proposers of this
three-week-long, 274-mile Conwy-Cardiff route along Wales backbone.
(Hodder & Staughton). A
walker's guide to all 183 600-metre peaks in Wales, giving step-by-step
descriptions of one or more routes up them all with additional historical
references and local knowledge.
(Jarrold). Softcover editions
for large pockets covering Pembrokeshire and Gower Walks, Snowdonia, Anglesey
and the Lleyn Peninsula Walks and Snowdonia Walks with 28 routes in each
embellished with useful, if plodding, accounts of sights along the way.
(Jarrold). More large,
paperback editions full of instructive step-by-step descriptions and additional
side walks from Offa's Dyke North, Offa's Dyke South and Pembrokeshire Coastal
Path.
(Constable, hardback
£9). The classic book on Welsh hill- walking, it is fairly dated now
and it is initially awkward to find your way around the 56 routes.
(Whittet, £10) and The Drovers' Roads of Wales II: Pembrokeshire and
The South with Caroline Forbes (Whittet, £9). A pair of
complementary books giving background material along with instructions on how
to trace the routes along which Wales' characteristic black cattle were driven
to market in England in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The first book
covers the northern two-thirds of Wales with superb shots in black-and-white by
photography star Fay Godwin, the much more recent second book covers south
Wales with more high-quality photos.
(Michael Joseph; hardback £15). A very readable guide broken into 30
walks following the route around Wales taken by the twelfth-century clergyman
Giraldus Cambrensis and enlivened by his own quirky accounts.