The Welsh Illusion

Updated to include the first term of the Welsh Assembly, this wry and incisive examination looks at the disparity between the public, media-driven romanticizing of Wales and the reality of contemporary Welsh society. Through specific examples, this work explores how in the last century this disjunction arose as the public perception of Wales departed dramatically from Welsh reality. The folklore surrounding stories such as Sir Anthony Hopkins’s grim school days, the belated arrival of the 20th century in Aberystwyth, and Sir Winston Churchill’s involvement in Welsh politics is illustrative of this discussion of Welsh identity.