Acknowledgements
Foreword
Introduction
1. An idyllic childhood
2. Oh, you’re a Welshman!
3. If you want the revolution to be successful, you must bide your
time
4. Heavy is the head that wears the crown
5. They got me for anything
Conclusion
Bibliography
Notes
Index
Dr Wyn Thomas was the author of Hands Off Wales (Gomer, 2013), a
study based on his doctoral thesis. This previous volume analysed
the nationalist militancy which characterized the heady 1960s,
culminating in the violent protests which took place during the
period just before the Investiture at Caernarfon Castle on 1 July
1969. Several government institutions in the various parts of Wales
and Welsh water pipe lines were targeted and, sadly, there were to
be a number of casualties as a result. The view expressed by Wyn
Thomas in the study is that the militant Welsh nationalism of the
1960s is now an integral part of our history as a nation and should
certainly not be emulated in the 21st century. What, however, is
clear to Dr Thomas is that the record of Welsh militancy in the
1960s tended to be airbrushed from history on the grounds that it
was not wholly academically respectable and might well prevent the
career progression of our Welsh historians. In a sense the present
volume is a natural offshoot from the earlier study for it examines
the extraordinary life and quite unique career of John Barnard
Jenkins who, at 86, still remains fully convinced of the justice of
his cause to this very day. Jenkins spent his early career as an
officer within the British Army and later assumed the position of
the leading light within the nationalist paramilitary organisation
Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru. It was he who was primarily responsible for
organising the daring bombing campaigns of the late 1960s and was
sentenced to a prison term of ten years. He was eventually released
from Albany Prison in July 1976. John Jenkins is one of the most
alluring but hitherto understudied figures in modern Welsh
political history. As is revealed in this book, it was his
heartfelt conviction that the Welsh voice received no hearing in
the corridors of power at Westminster which were ever ready to
exploit the exploitation of the natural resources of Wales. The
campaigns did undoubtedly achieve a measure of success, as they
drew attention to the desperate need for a measure of
administrative devolution for Wales and the holding of the first
abortive referendum on 1 March 1979. We are told by the author,
'After fifteen years of interviews and 2½ years of write-up, I am
happy and relieved to state that I have completed John Jenkins: the
Reluctant Revolutionary?' The backbone of the research is a long
series of interviews (conducted between 2004 and 2019) with John
Jenkins who has clearly been outstandingly candid, if defiantly
outspoken, throughout, and with a number of former police officers
who worked (usually as low-key plain clothes officers) to counter
the machinations of Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru, other active supporters
of the movement and various members of their families. Much
previously long-buried information has come to light and the dark
world of the MAC, with its distinctive political and social
background, has been probed as a result. Throughout the author's
tone and approach is highly sympathetic, a feature which may well
jar with some of the book's readers. Full attention is given in
these pages to John Jenkins's childhood and upbringing, his
relationship with his mother Minerva and her own background, his
early spirituality and Christian beliefs, his evolving political
awareness, in part as a result of the horrific Aber-fan disaster of
October 1966, and his personal life, including his marriage to his
wife Thelma and their subsequent divorce in June 1972, and his role
as a father to their two sons Vaughan and Rhodri. Later sections of
the book analyse Jenkins's gradual 'conversion' to the ideals
embraced by the MAC, and, eventually, his comparative 'rejection'
by much of Welsh society. The immediate and long-term outcomes of
the MAC campaigns are then discussed. It was Jenkins's proud
assertion only this year, 'Never again will Whitehall take us
[Wales] for granted'. The vigilant reader must judge for himself
the veracity of this bold assertion. The MAC is compared with other
contemporary protest movements, and the volume ends with a
compelling, astute pen-portrait of the unrepentant John Jenkins as
he is today. The volume discusses his 'legacy' and his so-called
'mortality'. Finally, brief attention is given to history's verdict
on Jenkins and his contribution. Throughout, one is struck by the
completeness of the underlying research and the validity of the
shrewd historical analysis. The author also informs us: 'I am
working on another title which addresses (primarily, although not
entirely) the judicial process of the Tryweryn Reservoir Bill.' It
will certainly be eagerly awaited.
*J. Graham Jones @ www.gwales.com*
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