Gwent County History

Here Chris Williams and Andy Croll, two distinguished historians of twentieth-century Britain, particularly Wales, marshal seventeen fellow historians to describe the momentous twentieth-century history of southeast Wales. The book is the fifth and last volume in a comprehensive history of Gwent/Monmouthshire from prehistoric times to the present day. Chapters detail the two world wars and deep depression that tested the resilience of the county’s people, as well as how the decline of mining and heavy industry shifted the balance of the county’s economy. Others analyze the life and leisure of ordinary people; their cultural, intellectual, and sporting interests; their religion, which formerly bulked so large in their lives; and the changes in the landscape of town and country.

Ralph A. Griffiths is professor emeritus of medieval history at Swansea University in Wales, and an honorary vice president of the Royal Historical Society.

Andy Croll is principal lecturer in history at the University of South Wales.