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The Xenophobe's Guide
to the Welsh
by John Winterson Richards
A guide to understanding the Welsh that
explores their nature and outlook with benevolence and
humour.
The
Xenophobe's Guide to the Welsh
is now available on Kindle
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STORE UK
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| Welsh
wilfullness |
| The Welsh are
stubborn - very, very stubborn. The Welsh
themselves would probably rather say
'tenacious', but to anyone on the receiving end
a better description might well be
'bloody-minded'. |
| Proud and proud
of it |
| Welsh pride is real pride -
the sort of mindless, instinctive, animal pride
that requires no justification or excuse. It is
simply pride for the sake of pride. Such pride
is the only thing one has left when one has been
stripped of everything else. |
| It's not
unusual to be ... an actor |
| Given the propensity of
Welsh people of all types to overact at every
given opportunity, it is not surprising that
those who manage to tone it down a bit have gone
on to world fame as actors (or politicians, who
are, after all, only an inferior species of
actors). |
| Warriors at
heart |
| The Welsh are extremely
proficient at rugby. They enjoy it and they take
it seriously. This is because rugby - with its
physical aggression, tactics, disciplined use of
brute force and organised violence - is the
closest thing modern day life can offer to
Wales' traditional national sport: war. |
| A short but very witty and
extremely well observed overview of Wales, its
people and culture. Working its way through
religion, sport, social structure (the Welsh
Matriarchy), drinking, rugby, and more drinking,
it had me laughing out loud with it's insightful
observations (although these were not always
complimentary, they were all true! ). Well worth
a read if you are Welsh, or if you know somebody
who is about to travel to Wales. |
|
Ottawa, Canada
|
| The Welsh, like the Scots,
share Britain with the English and get very
annoyed when they are lumped in with "England".
The prickly and sometimes violent relationship
between the Principality and its large neighbour
has shaped both nations, but especially Wales.
It has also led to the growth of a lot of
stereotypes about the Welsh as held and purveyed
by the English, most of them unflattering. This
book looks in an informative and entertaining
way at what makes the Welsh different, what
makes them tick, and what makes them special. As
someone with ancestral roots in Wales, family
connections, and a fairly frequent visitor I
found it well worth reading and very true to
life. |
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Ireland
|
| An enlightened new series, good
natured, witty and useful. The Xenophobe's
Guides to different nations deserves a real
cheer. |
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The European
|
| Each book is an entertaining
essay on the failings, foibles and good points
of their subjects. Their humour is relaxed and
gentle and it would be a sour, churlish native
of a subject country who would object seriously. |
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The Northern Times
|
Nationalism and Identity
Character
Attitudes and Values
Happy Families
Manners and Behaviour
Leisure and Pleasure
Drinking and Eating
Custom and Tradition
Sense of Humour
Culture
Systems
Culture
Systems
Business and Commerce
Government
Language |
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| Author: John
Winterson Richards |
| Format: 96 pages,
pb |
| Published: 01/07/2008 |
| NEW EDITION |
| Price: £4.99 |
| ISBN: 978-1-906042-51-6 |
| Online eBook. Click on
button below to sample. |
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