Rebirth of a Nation: Wales 1880-1980

Rebirth of a Nation traces Wales' transformation from 1880 to 1980, documenting the political, social, and cultural changes that reshaped Welsh society. The narrative covers one hundred years of industrial development, linguistic shifts, and evolving national identity. Morgan examines key historical events including the rise of trade unions, religious movements, and educational reforms that marked this period. The book details Wales' relationship with the rest of Britain while highlighting distinctly Welsh institutions and movements that emerged. The work draws on political documents, social records, and cultural artifacts to reconstruct this era of Welsh history. Statistical data and personal accounts combine to present both macro-level changes and individual experiences. This historical analysis reveals themes of cultural preservation, industrial modernization, and the ongoing tension between regional autonomy and integration with Britain. The book raises questions about the nature of national identity and the role of language and tradition in defining a modern nation.

Readers note Morgan's thorough research and comprehensive coverage of Welsh political and social developments during this period. Several reviews highlight the detailed analysis of the Liberal Party's rise and the growth of Labour movement in Wales. Liked: - Clear chronological structure - Coverage of language/cultural topics alongside political history - Inclusion of economic data and social changes - Quality of academic citations and references Disliked: - Dense academic writing style that some found difficult to follow - Limited coverage of cultural/arts topics compared to political focus - Minimal discussion of ordinary Welsh lives and experiences - Some sections rely heavily on statistics Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (14 ratings) Amazon UK: 4.2/5 (6 reviews) "Excellent scholarly history but requires concentration" - Amazon reviewer "Strong on facts but sometimes dry in presentation" - Goodreads user "The definitive account of modern Wales, if you can get through the academic prose" - History forum comment

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🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Kenneth O. Morgan served as Vice Chancellor of the University of Wales from 1989 to 1995, bringing unique insider perspective to his historical writings about Wales. 📚 The book covers a transformative century that saw Wales shift from a predominantly rural, religious society to an industrialized, secular nation - documenting perhaps the most dramatic period of change in Welsh history. 🎓 Morgan pioneered a new approach to Welsh historiography by examining social and cultural changes alongside political developments, rather than focusing solely on political history as many previous scholars had done. ⚒️ The period covered includes the peak and decline of Welsh coal mining, which saw employment in the industry drop from 271,000 in 1920 to just 57,000 by 1960. 🗳️ The book details the rise of the Labour Party in Wales, transforming from having no MPs in 1900 to becoming the dominant political force in Welsh politics by the 1940s.