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100 GREAT WELSHMEN (NEW EDITION)

Glyndŵr Pub

432pp

PB

2006

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100 GREAT WELSHMEN (NEW EDITION) 2006

Glyndŵr Publishing 432 pages paperback illustrated ‘a veritable goldmine of a book’; ’a massive treasure chest of facts and figures which no collector of books on Wales can overlook’

A review from www.gwales.com, with the permission of the Welsh Books Council: ‘A re-edition of a celebration of the world-wide contribution of one hundred Welsh men and women in fields of literature and the arts, politics and religion, philosophy and industry, pioneering and education, sport and entertainment. First published in 2001.The idea of piecing together a collection of 100 short biographies depicting the men of Wales who over the years have become the country's most celebrated sons, to me seems an inordinately difficult task. However, Breverton seems to have succeeded in 100 Great Welshmen. He has managed to select men from all backgrounds, skills and eras, from Howel Davis, the notorious pirate, who plagued the West coast of Africa during the early 18th century, to David Lloyd George, who was highly instrumental in bringing the First World War to its close. From men of the church, saints and poets to architects, artists to sportsmen, they are all to be found in this volume amounting to over 400 pages.

The amount of research that Breverton must have done is mind-blowing – and we, the readers, are the lucky ones, who have only to look at the list of contents to have this information at our fingertips. Breverton is unashamedly and proudly nationalistic. In his introduction he writes, ‘This book is not meant as an academic tome, as its purpose is to show tourists the type of people the Welsh are, and also to tell the Welsh themselves what they are not taught in schools.' He then goes on to lament, ‘the utter ineptitude of Welsh political organisations, placemen quangos and a remote, uncaring London government, over the last five decades, has depressingly failed to secure a reasonable future for Wales.'

He is justly proud of his Welsh heritage and, as with many an enthusiast, he wishes to share his passion with others. He has undoubtedly succeeded with this and put patriotism back into the reader's spirit and maybe envy into the tourist's heart. It is important to keep this form of passive nationalism alive in order to keep the culture and language of Wales flourishing." Norma Penfold

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