Merthyr, The Crucible of Modern Wales

Merthyr Tydfil was the town where the future of a country was forged:a thriving, struggling surge of people, industry, democracy and ideas. Itwas the iron making capital of the world, and would become the crucibleof modern Wales.The major figures among the ruling class: Anthony Bacon, the Crawshays,the Guests are all portrayed; as are the Chartist leaders Morgan Williamsand Matthew John, and the MPs Henry Bruce, Henry Richard, D.A.Thomas and Keir Hardie. But the heroes are the men and women ofMerthyr who, with extraordinary resilience, passed through the crucibleof harsh experience, and out of their communities of self-help createdtheir own culture and an extraordinary town.Merthyr The Crucible of Modern Wales assesses an epic history ofMerthyr from 1760 to 1912 through the focus of a fresh and thoroughlyconvincing perspective.