Welsh Journals

like the English conquest of Wales, the Glyndwr rebellion and to judge how far Wales and Britain had changed by 1300 and again by 1500. This book must not be regarded as an end in itself but as a starting point for further study in depth. It should be used in conjunction with other resources, both school-produced and published material. This is not lost on the author who in some instances borrows heavily from a number of related textbooks published in the last few years. At a time when books have to compete with videos, computers and other technological attractions, publishers must take care to ensure that their publication is lively, engaging and pupil- friendly. In this instance, the publisher's imaginative design and full colour do just that. The double-page spreads enable the pupils to consolidate their knowledge and understanding acquired through investigative work. For the most part, the sources are short and accessible and the evidence is presented in ways which allow for a just and balanced verdict to be reached on part events. Revising and re-writing history are the primary tasks of historians even at secondary school level and nowhere is this more essential than in the largely neglected area of Welsh history. Mr Mathias is to be congratulated for a book which should restore the history of medieval Wales to its proper place in the curriculum. What A New History of Wales has done for the academic and general reader, 'Focus on Welsh History' is attempting to do for a younger generation of secondary-school historians. I have no doubt that the series, and this book, will be warmly welcomed by history teachers in Wales who have long suffered the indignity of being ignored by the major Anglocentric publishing houses. It is to the credit of Hodder and Stoughton that they have invested their time and effort so heavily to produce a bilingual series of core textbooks that go a long way to meeting the needs of Welsh history teachers; no longer will the latter have to 'make do' with inferior materials, adaptations and in-house resources. R. K. TURVEY Ammanford LAUGHARNE CASTLE. By Richard Avent. Cadw, Cardiff, 1995. Pp. 48, £ 2.50: Valle CRUCIS ABBEY. By D. H. Evans. Cadw, Cardiff, 1995. Pp. 52, £ 2.50: Flint Castle/Ewloe CASTLE. By Derek Renn and Richard Avent. Cadw, Cardiff, 1995. Pp. 36, £ 2.50: TINTERN Abbey. By David Robinson. Cadw, Cardiff, 1995. Pp. 68, £ 2.25. In addition to providing helpful ready references for visitors, Cadw site