Snapshots of Welsh History


Book Description

A fascinating collection of stories from Welsh history collected from Phil Carradice's popular BBC Wales blog, gathered together for the first time in a book. Among the incredible stories are... The man from Clydach who invented a Death Ray The Welsh aristocrat whose parrot once bit Herman Goering on the nose The witch who cursed the launch of a warship at Pembroke Dockyard The battle that was won by a herd of cows These stories are part and parcel of Welsh heritage and make history interesting. Snapshots of Welsh History - Without the Boring Bits covers a wide range of Welsh history topics. Written in Phil's unique easy-to-read yet elegant style, these stories are funny, tragic, sad and hilarious. Yet the one thing they all have in common is that they make compelling reading.




Snapshots of Welsh History


Book Description

A fascinating collection of stories from Welsh history collected from Phil Carradice's popular BBC Wales blog, gathered together for the first time in a book. Among the incredible stories are... The man from Clydach who invented a Death Ray The Welsh aristocrat whose parrot once bit Herman Goering on the nose The witch who cursed the launch of a warship at Pembroke Dockyard The battle that was won by a herd of cows These stories are part and parcel of Welsh heritage and make history interesting. Snapshots of Welsh History - Without the Boring Bits covers a wide range of Welsh history topics. Written in Phil's unique easy-to-read yet elegant style, these stories are funny, tragic, sad and hilarious. Yet the one thing they all have in common is that they make compelling reading.




Welsh History: Strange but True


Book Description

Sir John Pryce of Newtown Hall died in 1761. He kept the embalmed bodies of his first two wives on either side of his bed – until his third wife insisted that they were removed. In 1856 Ronald Rhys from the Vale of Neath disappeared for a week after seeing a strange light in a field and hearing a loud noise. He remembered being examined by small creatures who took a sample of his blood. Oh yes, and America is named after a Welshman and the Holy Grail is kept in a bank vault in West Wales... This book contains hundreds of 'strange but true' facts and anecdotes about Welsh history. Arranged into a miniature history of Wales, and with bizarre and hilarious true tales for every era, it will interest and delight readers everywhere.




The History of Wales in Twelve Poems


Book Description

Down the centuries, poets have provided Wales with a window onto its own distinctive world. This book gives a sense of the view seen through that special window in twelve illustrated poems, each bringing very different periods and aspects of the Welsh past into focus. Together, they give the flavour of a poetic tradition, both ancient and modern, in the Welsh language and in English, that is internationally renowned for its distinction and continuing vibrancy.




New South Wales and the ACT (Rough Guides Snapshot Australia)


Book Description

The Rough Guide Snapshot to New South Wales and the ACT is the ultimate travel guide to this area of Australia. It leads you through the region with reliable information and comprehensive coverage of all the sights and attractions, from the Snowy Mountains to Byron Bay and the Bellinger Valley to Canberra. Detailed maps and up-to-date listings pinpoint the best cafés, restaurants, hotels, shops, bars and nightlife, ensuring you make the most of your trip, whether passing through, staying for the weekend or longer. Also included is the Basics section from The Rough Guide to Australia, with all the practical information you need for travelling in and around the country, including transport, food, drink, costs, health, sports and outdoor activities and festivals. Also published as part of The Rough Guide to Australia. Now available in ePub format.




Coastal New South Wales and the ACT Rough Guides Snapshot Australia (includes Canberra, the Snowy Mountains, Byron Bay, plus Lord Howe and the Norfolk Islands)


Book Description

The Rough Guide Snapshot to Coastal New South Wales and the ACT is the ultimate travel guide to this varied part of Australia. It guides you through the region with reliable information and comprehensive coverage of all the sights and attractions, whether you're exploring historic Canberra or kicking back in stylish Byron Bay, skiing in the Snowy Mountains or wildlife-spotting on Lord Howe Island. Detailed maps and up-to-date listings pinpoint the best cafés, restaurants, hotels, shops, bars and nightlife, ensuring you have the best trip possible, whether passing through, staying for the weekend or longer. Also included is the Basics section from the Rough Guide to Australia, with all the practical information you need for travelling in and around Australia, including transport, food, drink, costs, health, entry requirements and outdoor activities. Also published as part of the Rough Guide to Australia. Full coverage: the ACT, Canberra, the south coast, the Snowy Mountains, Myall Lakes National Park, Barrington Tops, Port Macquarie, the Bellinger Region, Coffs Harbour, Grafton, Ballina, Byron Bay, and Lord Howe and Norfolk islands. (Equivalent printed page extent 112 pages).




The History and Topography of Ireland


Book Description

Gerald of Wales was among the most dynamic and fascinating churchmen of the twelfth century. A member of one of the leading Norman families involved in the invasion of Ireland, he first visited there in 1183 and later returned in the entourage of Henry II. The resulting Topographia Hiberniae is an extraordinary account of his travels. Here he describes landscapes, fish, birds and animals; recounts the history of Ireland's rulers; and tells fantastical stories of magic wells and deadly whirlpools, strange creatures and evil spirits. Written from the point of view of an invader and reformer, this work has been rightly criticized for its portrait of a primitive land, yet it is also one of the most important sources for what is known of Ireland during the Middle Ages.




The Cambridge History of Welsh Literature


Book Description

This book is a comprehensive single-volume history of literature in the two major languages of Wales from post-Roman to post-devolution Britain.




Do Not Go Gentle


Book Description

It's November 1953 and Dylan Thomas, Britain's finest poet, is dying in a hospital bed in New York. What brought him to this end is not clear. But he is a man tormented by fear - fear of failing as a writer, fear of a marriage doomed to end in disaster, even fear of death itself - all of which have led him to find comfort in alcohol, outrageous behaviour and the arms of other women. Now, as Dylan lies waiting for the end, he thinks back over his life, from his childhood in Swansea to his days as a wild young poet in London, from his tempestuous marriage to Caitlin MacNamara to his final weeks in New York. Dylan Thomas may not have wanted to die but he had little desire to live. An interesting and attractive figure, who was doomed. Do Not Go Gentle paints a picture of a man who has clearly reached the end of his tether.




The Rough Guide to Wales


Book Description

This guide covers everything, from Wales' pumping nightlife and rural cosmopolitanism to its crags and castles. Critical reviews are given on accommodation and restaurants suiting all pockets, from budget to luxury. There are detailed descriptions of numerous walks, from gentle lakeside strolls to serious mountain scrambles, and water sports, including surfing and the locally pioneered sport of coasteering.