Rape of the Fair Country [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Alexander Cordell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 31, 1975

A novel of nineteenth century Wales.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 576 pages
• Publisher: C.Chivers; Large type edition edition (July 31, 1975)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0859971155
• ISBN-13: 978-0859971157
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A litle known gem, December 13, 1999

By 

Steve Young (Sydney, nsw Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rape of the Fair Country (Hardcover)

am amazed that this book seems so obscure;1 other review! Ive read extensively including all of the great and renowned authors in most modern lists-this book would be up there in any list in terms of the quality of the writing.Cordell brings the welsh character to life with 3 dimensional people enduring the bitter hardships of 19th century mining life.Humorous,tragic,heartfelt,real 'The rape of the fair country' is a must read for those searching for pure quality;unlike many novels relating struggle or hardship this one stands above,resonates truth and emotion and leaves the reader with an indelible memory.There are two more in the series of the Mortimer family but this is the best of them. Told through the eyes of the younger son Iestyn in a first person account the language will charm,the plot will intrigue and the characters will be endear with a real ring of truth.At times earthy and sensuous,never falsely romantic this book is a gem that surprisingly seems to have missed out on any mainstream recognition.Dont be misled by that ,with this book you wont be disappointed

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Welsh ancestry...a must read!, August 29, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Rape of the Fair Country (Hardcover)

If you are of Welsh ancestry or if you are traveling through the south of Wales and up into the Brecon Beacons, this is a must read. It is full of the plight of the Welsh mena and women, their life and love and trouble. Centered around a wonderful family, Alexander Cordell brings you into their homes and lives and the mines in which they toil. The strugle with the British elite that leads upto the Jack Frost rebellion.

The novel is followed by two other books that follow a son escaping the British tirany by going to the United States where he becomes, of course, a miner.

The flavor of the green hills dotted with sheep and the lush valleys along with the deep history of the land and the people make this a delightful book, especially if you have roots there.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why was this story never filmed?, February 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Rape of the Fair Country (Hardcover)

I heartily agree with the other readers of this wonderful book who have given it 5 stars. I first read it as a teenager back in my native Wales and was fascinated by its accurate historical detail and wonderful earthy characters - I think it exlains better than any other novel of its type the eternal struggle of the Celts against their Anglo-Saxon would-be conquerors, and why we (the Celts) are so different. Had this book been written about Scotland or Ireland, I am sure it would have been made into an Oscar-winning movie by now!