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Owain Glyndŵr: A Casebook
The legacy of medieval Welsh ruler Owain Glyndwr is a contested one, his history and its importance constantly under debate. In this book an international collection of scholars offer a comprehensive set of source texts that chronicle Glyndwr’s life and works.
Presenting medieval and post-medieval records, documents, poems, and chronicles in their original Latin, Welsh, Anglo-Norman, Old French, and Middle English—opposite modern English translations of them—this diverse range of texts provides an informed assessment of just who Owain Glyndwr was and what he meant for European history.
Presenting medieval and post-medieval records, documents, poems, and chronicles in their original Latin, Welsh, Anglo-Norman, Old French, and Middle English—opposite modern English translations of them—this diverse range of texts provides an informed assessment of just who Owain Glyndwr was and what he meant for European history.
- GenresHistory
640 pages, Paperback
First published August 15, 2013
70 people want to read
About the author
Michael Livingston
57 books239 followersA native of Colorado, Michael Livingston holds degrees in History, Medieval Studies, and English. He lives today in Charleston, South Carolina, where he teaches at The Citadel.
In his author life, he is a winner of the prestigious international Writers of the Future Contest (in 2005), and his novel SHARDS OF HEAVEN, the first in a trilogy of historical fantasies, will be published by Tor Books in November 2015. He has also published in a variety of other genres and venues, from a historical retelling of BEOWULF to a brief story about quantum physics in the world-renowned journal of science, NATURE.
In his academic life, he has published more than a dozen articles on subjects as varied as early Christianity, BEOWULF, Chaucer, James Joyce, J.R.R. Tolkien, and digital and practical pedagogies (though never all of them at once!). He has investigated European maps of America that pre-date Columbus, found unrecorded Anasazi ruins and artifacts, and written about the handwriting of fourteenth-century scribes. He is the general editor of the Liverpool Historical Casebooks Series, for which he has edited casebooks on the Battle of Brunanburh (Exeter, 2011), the Welsh rebel hero Owain Glyndwr (co-edited with John Bollard; Liverpool, 2013), and, coming soon, the Battle of Crécy (co-edited with Kelly DeVries; 2015).
In his author life, he is a winner of the prestigious international Writers of the Future Contest (in 2005), and his novel SHARDS OF HEAVEN, the first in a trilogy of historical fantasies, will be published by Tor Books in November 2015. He has also published in a variety of other genres and venues, from a historical retelling of BEOWULF to a brief story about quantum physics in the world-renowned journal of science, NATURE.
In his academic life, he has published more than a dozen articles on subjects as varied as early Christianity, BEOWULF, Chaucer, James Joyce, J.R.R. Tolkien, and digital and practical pedagogies (though never all of them at once!). He has investigated European maps of America that pre-date Columbus, found unrecorded Anasazi ruins and artifacts, and written about the handwriting of fourteenth-century scribes. He is the general editor of the Liverpool Historical Casebooks Series, for which he has edited casebooks on the Battle of Brunanburh (Exeter, 2011), the Welsh rebel hero Owain Glyndwr (co-edited with John Bollard; Liverpool, 2013), and, coming soon, the Battle of Crécy (co-edited with Kelly DeVries; 2015).
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 5, 2022
An exhilarating read filled with interesting details and information, all well documented. This work provides enough historicity to keep any historian, professional or armchair, thoroughly busy. Amazing letters, prose, the King's Proclamation against Owain, and other writings, flood the pages with an ocean of information that, in the featured sections, reveals original language on the left page with the English translation directly facing on the right page. Notes to the texts follow and are abundant. After the notes section the reader will arrive at the 'Essays on Owain Glyndwr' section, which delivers additional fascinating insights. The last Prince of Wales. I found this work inspiring and a good resource for the researcher and enthusiast.
This work also comments concerning modern revisionists, who always seem to know more than any original source document or reliable witnesses as this work also attests to: "Historians looking back, now more than 600 years, are too cynical to accept what was written contemporaneously, even when both sides in this conflict seem to agree."
History is written by the victors or rewritten by the revisionist with an agenda.
As we see with Owain, those resisting annexation of their lands and country are labeled as 'Rebels' and subsequently vilified (keep in mind the struggles of Ireland), whereas today, it appears, those being annexed are no longer considered the Rebels but the victims.
- Excerpts:
"Owain raised his standard, a golden dragon on a white field...."
"It is the duty of an astute leader to stir up disagreements among his enemies. Not even a very small nation can be wholly destroyed by its adversaries unless it is devoured by its own internal dissensions; for nothing works more powerfully towards the ruin of enemies than civil hatred." Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus (4th century), from: 'De re militari' Ch 10
"Friars are hanged. The prior of Launde and Sir Roger Clareendon, a knight, the natural brother of King Richard, along with eleven friars of the Franciscan Order who were doctors of theology, were betrayed to the king by their fellows as being in alliance with the aforesaid Owain, and were drawn to Tyburn in London and cruelly hanged at the gallows there; and many lords and ladies, even countesses, were sent to prison for the same reason."
This work also comments concerning modern revisionists, who always seem to know more than any original source document or reliable witnesses as this work also attests to: "Historians looking back, now more than 600 years, are too cynical to accept what was written contemporaneously, even when both sides in this conflict seem to agree."
History is written by the victors or rewritten by the revisionist with an agenda.
As we see with Owain, those resisting annexation of their lands and country are labeled as 'Rebels' and subsequently vilified (keep in mind the struggles of Ireland), whereas today, it appears, those being annexed are no longer considered the Rebels but the victims.
- Excerpts:
"Owain raised his standard, a golden dragon on a white field...."
"It is the duty of an astute leader to stir up disagreements among his enemies. Not even a very small nation can be wholly destroyed by its adversaries unless it is devoured by its own internal dissensions; for nothing works more powerfully towards the ruin of enemies than civil hatred." Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus (4th century), from: 'De re militari' Ch 10
"Friars are hanged. The prior of Launde and Sir Roger Clareendon, a knight, the natural brother of King Richard, along with eleven friars of the Franciscan Order who were doctors of theology, were betrayed to the king by their fellows as being in alliance with the aforesaid Owain, and were drawn to Tyburn in London and cruelly hanged at the gallows there; and many lords and ladies, even countesses, were sent to prison for the same reason."
September 8, 2021
This book is the ultimate Complete Comprehensive Guide about Medieval Welsh Ruler Owain Glynder. It contains all known Documentation in both Medieval and Post-Medieval sources that include various: Records, Poems and Chronicles. These are all included in their original Languages which includes: Latin, Welsh, Anglo-Norman, Old French and Middle English opposite a Modern English Translation for the reader or researcher to compare. For anyone that is interested in Welsh History or Genealogy this book is a must have. As this Primary character is my Ancestor it really provided a great insight into his life and events.
June 26, 2018
Absolutely incredible collection of primary sources. This was indispensable to me when I wrote my paper on Glyndŵr.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews