Reviews

This book takes as its subject the campaign of militant activity in Wales and bordering towns between 1963 and 1969. It examines the thesis that this period of unprecedented violence was largely fuelled by the contentious and undemocratic flooding of Cwm Tryweryn, and the consequential frustration felt by many nationalists that Plaid Cymru, as a constitutional force, was completely ineffective in its non-violent methods of opposing the scheme and in its largely official neutral stance on the vexed question of the Investiture of 1969. The timeline appended to the book includes a detailed chronology of all significant events in this campaign and, although many will be familiar with the Tryweryn incident, the Clywedog bomb, the Temple of Peace explosion, and the tragic events at Abergele (where two activists lost their lives when planting a bomb on the eve of the Investiture), it will come as a surprise to readers of this book that so many other incidents of militant activity involving explosives were executed during this decade. The period was, of course, one of universal protest in many countries, involving a variety of different causes, and the author rightly identifies this global climate as an important contributory factor to the events that took place in Wales. However, as this is a controversial and somewhat uncomfortable subject, the author is probably right in his assessment that modern historians have largely chosen to ignore it, or failed to assess its true impact. The author has drawn widely from primary and secondary sources, and his research methodology, as befits what originated as a doctoral thesis, is impressive. He has succeeded, where other historians have failed, in obtaining useful additional new evidence because of his extensive efforts to acquire oral information from the prime protagonists who were members of the FWA (Free Wales Army) or the more shadowy MAC (Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru). In addition, many other key players, including political figures, Tryweryn residents, the police and others, have also contributed a considerable core of oral evidence to the narrative. This evidence is, of course, offered with the benefit of hindsight and must at times be treated with caution. One person's version, even from the same political camp, often contradicts anothers, but that is what makes this book such a fascinating read. Although many major issues are addressed in a lengthy and scholarly manner, we are in the end still not really sure of the true significance of the period or how these incidents have influenced the course of Welsh history. Many rhetorical questions are asked, and readers are largely encouraged to draw their own conclusions from the evidence as presented. This book will almost certainly encourage further research and, with the passage of time, it may be easier to assess the real impact of this campaign of serious disorder on the growth of Welsh nationhood and consciousness. It is inevitable in such a lengthy and detailed narrative that some typographical or factual errors have crept into the text, but they are very few and far between. The book is well-illustrated and adequately served by appendices which include, as already mentioned, a chronological timeline, together with a detailed bibliography, a useful biographical register of key personnel, and an index. The index is somewhat selective in its choice of personal names, and several figures of secondary importance in the text have been excluded. The book, with its extensive footnotes and extraordinarily detailed narrative, is incredibly readable and absorbing. In parts, it reads like a fiction thriller. It also has its humorous content. It is also very balanced, and serves to remind us pretty graphically that many families, from the perpetrators to their unintentional and accidental victims, have been left deeply scarred by the events of this decade. Richard E. Huws It is possible to use this review for promotional purposes, but the following acknowledgment should be included: A review from www.gwales.com, with the permission of the Welsh Books Council. Gellir defnyddio'r adolygiad hwn at bwrpas hybu, ond gofynnir i chi gynnwys y gydnabyddiaeth ganlynol: Adolygiad oddi ar www.gwales.com, trwy ganiatd Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru. -- Welsh Books Council