Books published by University of Wales Press

From the notable emergence of orphan figures in late eighteenth-century literature, through early- and middle-period Victorian fiction and, as this book argues, well into the fin de siecle, this potent literary type is remarkable for its consistent recurrence and its metamorphosis as a register of cultural conditions. The striking ubiquity of orphans in the literature of these periods encourages inquiry into their metaphoric implications and the manner in which they function as barometers of burgeoning social concerns. The overwhelming majority of criticism focusing on orphans centres particularly on the form as an early- to middle-century convention, primarily found in social and domestic works; in effect, the non-traditional, aberrant, at times Gothic orphan of the fin de siecle has been largely overlooked, if not denied outright. This oversight has given rise to the need for a study of this potent cultural figure as it pertains to preoccupations characteristic of more recent instances. This book examines the noticeable difference between orphans of genre fiction of the fin de siecle and their predecessors in works including first-wave Gothic and the majority of Victorian fiction, and the variance of their symbolic references and cultural implications.

The inventor of the equals sign (=), Robert Recorde (1510?-1558) was the first English-writing mathematics educator: this book celebrates his work

In the present era of warring and debate relating to Britain's intervention in Afghanistan and Iraq, this volume highlights how contemporary are the arguments of Henry Richard in the 19th century, and how progressive were his efforts for Wales, for education and for the Welsh language.

Golygiad newydd o anterliwt Gymraeg sy'n dangos cefnogaeth gref i'r Chwyldro Ffrengig, ac na chafodd sylw er diwedd y ddeunawfed ganrif.

One of three romances originating in the mists of Arthurian legend.

With over 5000 entries ranging from 50 to over 5000 words, this work covers various aspects of Wales' past, the people, the places, the arts, industries, environment and traditions. It also features the biographies of Welsh men and women who have excelled in natural history, medicine and architecture.

Provides an account of the way changes introduced by devolved governance are transforming the role of women in contemporary Welsh politics. This work is based on interviews with participants and other sources, and uses research in Scotland and Northern Ireland to place the events reported on within the context of devolution in the UK.

This volume examines Brazilian films released between 1995 and 2010, with special attention to issues of race, ethnicity and national identity. Focusing on the idea of the nation as an 'imagined community', the author discuss the various ways in which dominant ideas about brasilidade (Brazilian national consciousness) are dramatised, supported or attacked in contemporary fiction and documentary films.

Presents the works of Kant, Bentham and Rousseau together in a single volume. This work provides the 'compilation' of the eighteenth century's 'perpetual peace' proposals together with an introduction providing an overview of the perpetual peace ideal and its links to contemporary notions of global governance and cosmopolitan democracy.

This volume is broadly divided into two main sections. The first part comprises a detailed introduction to the background of "e;The Dialogue"e;, written in 1594 by George Owen of Henllys, north Pembrokeshire, followed by an updated version of the text with explanatory notes. George Owen was the most observant Welsh historians of the late sixteenth century, and in the "e;Dialogue"e; he discusses the main functions of legal institutions of government in Tudor Wales following the Acts of Union (1536-43). The discourse is not merely a description of those institutions but rather, in the form of a dialogue, it provides an analysis of the good and bad aspects of the Tudor legal structure. Emphasis is placed on the administration of the Acts of Union, and comparisons are drawn with the harsh penal legislation which had previously been imposed by Henry IV. Owen reveals the strengths and weaknesses of the Henrician settlement, but heartily praises the Tudor regime, regarding Henry VII and Henry VIII as liberators of the Welsh nation which the author, in the 'prophetic tradition', associated with the nation's historic destiny. In this 'Dialogue' Demetus is described as a native Welsh gentleman and Barthol as the German lawyer from Frankfort travelling through Europe and observing legal practices. The Socratic method applied reveals the Renaissance style of conducting debates, a framework which gives the work much of its appeal. The "e;Dialogue"e; is an invaluable Tudor source which places Welsh Tudor government and administration in a broader historical perspective.

Offers guidance to the French vocabulary as it is found in the contemporary press and media. This book provides short examples for each word or phrase in context with English-translations of head-words. It includes words relating to semi-specialised areas such as the legal sphere, banking and finance, administration, commerce and politics.

Focuses on religious matters in their contemporary context. This book offers an analysis of areas such as religion and the cinema and the global increase in fundamentalist religions. It contains chapters such as What is theology? What is the contemporary role of theology? Semper Reformanda - The nature and purpose of the church today; and others.

The Llyn Cerrig Bach assemblage is one of the most important collections of La Tene metalwork discovered in the British Isles. Presenting a typological study of this collection of Iron Age metalwork, this volume includes discussions of metalwork and insular La Tene art chronology, fieldwork at the site and metallurgical analysis of the assemblage.

"Lazamon's Brut" is a twelfth-century historical poem that includes the first account of King Arthur in English, as an alternative to Norman accounts of English history. This is the study of the period to put Anglo-Norman and Angevin historiography in the context of colonialist and post-colonialist translation theory.

A volume which sets out to deepen our understanding of the main leaders of Plaid Cymru, and the ideology of the movement in general. It discusses the history of the party from its foundation to the present day, in a thorough and detailed way. It deals with quite complex ideas, but the writing style is accessible and clear.

'Consuming Narratives' is a collection of essays dealing with the relevance of the concept and metaphor of appetite for understanding writing, politics, race, nation and gender in the medieval and modern periods.

A collection of five scholarly essays presenting a thorough study of the nature of a Welsh identity as reflected in the literature of the Tudor period, with special reference to the chronicle of Elis Gruffydd and the strict metre cywyddau of Dafydd Llwyd of Mathafarn.

Anchoritism in the Middle Ages explores the relationships between anchoritism (the life of a solitary religious recluse) and other forms of solitude and sanctity, addressing the different ways in which anchoritism can be interpreted, the relationships between anchoritism and other forms of medieval devotion, and the evolving audience for vernacul

A collection of essays exploring the impact on Welsh culture of one of the most exciting periods in history, the decades surrounding the French Revolution of 1789.

Women's Writing in Twenty-First Century France is the first book-length publication on women-authored literature of this period, and comprises a collection of challenging critical essays that engage with the themes, trends and issues, and with the writers and their texts, of the first decade of the twenty-first century.

This pioneering volume is the first ever to investigate in depth the myriad interconnected influences on the phenomenal growth of Welsh-medium schools over the last half century and probe the foreseeable challenges that they will have to face.

This is the first feminist and postcolonial analysis of Galician cultural nationalism and its relation to the Spanish state and Spanish centralism.

This book maps the remarkable story of Austria's transition from Empire to modern Republic, and the language that reflects that violent history within Europe's own turbulent past.

This iconoclastic book challenges and changes accepted opinions about the Gothic novel, and will introduce the British and American Reader to works hitherto unknown to them, but rivals in quality to the works of writers like Radcliffe, Lewis and Stoker.

This book narrates the history of Owain Myfyr (Owen Jones) - from his birth in Llanfihangel Glyn Myfyr in 1741 through to his death in London in 1814.