The Little Book of Wales is an intriguing, fast-paced, fact-packed compendium of places, people and history in Wales. Here we find out about the country’s most unusual crimes and punishments, eccentric inhabitants, famous sons and daughters and literally hundreds of wacky facts (plus some authentically bizarre bits of historic trivia). A reference book and a quirky guide, this can be dipped in to time and time again to reveal something new about the people, the heritage, the secrets and the enduring fascination of Wales. A wonderful package and essential reading for visitors and residents alike.
Did you know? Richard Burton claimed that he would rather have played rugby for Wales at Cardiff Arms Park than Hamlet at the Old Vic. Local rivalries between choirs in the 'land of song' used to be so fierce that fights would break out following singing competitions. Roald Dahl was an RAF fighter pilot during the Second World War, and a near-death crash landing inspired his first published work. The Little Book of Welsh Culture is a fast-paced, fact-filled journey through the cultural heritage of Wales, crammed full of myths, traditions and personalities. Experience the country's immense artistic legacy as never before, from the medieval legends surrounding King Arthur and The Mabinogion to its modern-day transformation into a thriving filming location for big-screen blockbusters. Discover the truth behind the ancient druidic rituals of the National Eisteddfod, separate the facts from the fiction that surround Dylan Thomas' infamous lifestyle, and learn how Wales successfully regenerated the Doctor Who franchise – and unearth some fascinating secrets and hidden gems along the way.
The Little Book of Wales is an intriguing, fast-paced, fact-packed compendium of places, people and history in Wales. Here we find out about the country's most unusual crimes and punishments, eccentric inhabitants, famous sons and daughters and literally hundreds of wacky facts (plus some authentically bizarre bits of historic trivia). A reference book and a quirky guide, this can be dipped in to time and time again to reveal something new about the people, the heritage, the secrets and the enduring fascination of Wales. A wonderful package and essential reading for visitors and residents alike.
Did you know? Richard Burton claimed that he would rather have played rugby for Wales at Cardiff Arms Park than Hamlet at the Old Vic. Local rivalries between choirs in the ‘land of song’ used to be so fierce that fights would break out following singing competitions. Roald Dahl was an RAF fighter pilot during the Second World War, and a near-death crash landing inspired his first published work. The Little Book of Welsh Culture is a fast-paced, fact-filled journey through the cultural heritage of Wales, crammed full of myths, traditions and personalities. Experience the country’s immense artistic legacy as never before, from the medieval legends surrounding King Arthur and The Mabinogion to its modern-day transformation into a thriving filming location for big-screen blockbusters. Discover the truth behind the ancient druidic rituals of the National Eisteddfod, separate the facts from the fiction that surround Dylan Thomas’ infamous lifestyle, and learn how Wales successfully regenerated the Doctor Who franchise – and unearth some fascinating secrets and hidden gems along the way.
From the snowy peaks of Snowdonia to the glorious Wales Coastal Path, this compelling compendium is a fact-filled journey through Wales' most iconic landmarks and popular tourist attractions. Experience the country's immense history, from the breathtaking World Heritage Sites to the UK's first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and the countless castles, secluded beaches, mystical rivers and hidden gems which can be found across the land. This handy book can be dipped into time and time again to reveal something new about the people, the heritage and the secrets of Cymru.
American tourist: Say buddy, what's the name of this place?Local man: Rhosllanerchrugog.American tourist: Gee, how do you spell that?Local man: Just the way it sounds. Packed with good-natured clean jokes about Wales and the Welsh, this little book will have you in stitches with gags about Welsh culture and customs: male voice choirs, confused English tourists, eisteddfods and odd place names.Whether you're Welsh or just visiting, you'll have loads of fun with this little book of wonderful Welsh wit.
For readers of H Is for Hawk, an intimate memoir of belonging and loss and a mesmerizing travelogue through the landscapes and language of Wales Hiraeth is a Welsh word that's famously hard to translate. Literally, it can mean "long field" but generally translates into English, inadequately, as "homesickness." At heart, hiraeth suggests something like a bone-deep longing for an irretrievable place, person, or time—an acute awareness of the presence of absence. In The Long Field, Pamela Petro braids essential hiraeth stories of Wales with tales from her own life—as an American who found an ancient home in Wales, as a gay woman, as the survivor of a terrible AMTRAK train crash, and as the daughter of a parent with dementia. Through the pull and tangle of these stories and her travels throughout Wales, hiraeth takes on radical new meanings. There is traditional hiraeth of place and home, but also queer hiraeth; and hiraeth triggered by technology, immigration, ecological crises, and our new divisive politics. On this journey, the notion begins to morph from a uniquely Welsh experience to a universal human condition, from deep longing to the creative responses to loss that Petro sees as the genius of Welsh culture. It becomes a tool to understand ourselves in our time. A finalist for the Wales Book of the Year Award and named to the Telegraph's and Financial Times's Top 10 lists for travel writing, The Long Field is an unforgettable exploration of “the hidden contours of the human heart.”
A Little Gay History of Wales is the first book-length historical examination of LGBT activism in Wales laying out the campaign for equality in the twentieth century, the campaigns against Section 28, student and community activism, and recent developments such as Stonewall Cymru. It is an example of pioneering archival research, drawing on never-before studied records which charts the lives of ordinary LGBT men and women across Wales. It also features wide-ranging historical analysis stretching from the medieval period through to the modern-day, providing guides to changing language, places where LGBT people met and socialised, and their day-to-day experiences of coming out, threats of persecution, and acceptance.
Authors David and Gareth take a trip through the places, peculiarities and past practices of Cardiff, stopping off to sample the culinary (and alcoholic) delights of the city along the way. From Clark's Pies and a heaped helping of 'Half and Half' to the oddities of the 'Kaairdiff' accent, this fact-packed compendium reveals the contributions Cardiff has made to the history of the nation and recalls some of its famous faces – Shirley Bassey, Charlotte Church and Frank Hennessy amongst them – and popular attractions. This book is guaranteed to entertain, amuse and surprise everyone who picks it up.
