Gwyn Alfred "Alf" Williams (30 September 1925 – 16 November 1995) was a Welsh historian particularly known for his work on

Antonio Gramsci Antonio Francesco Gramsci ( , , ; 22 January 1891 – 27 April 1937) was an Italian Marxist philosopher, journalist, linguist, writer, and politician. He wrote on philosophy, political theory, sociology, history, and linguistics. He was a fo ...

and

Francisco Goya Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (; ; 30 March 174616 April 1828) was a Spanish romantic painter and printmaker. He is considered the most important Spanish artist of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. His paintings, drawings, and e ...

as well as on Welsh history.

Life

Williams was born in the iron town of Dowlais situated above the industrial town of

Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Tydfil (; cy, Merthyr Tudful ) is the main town in Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, Wales, administered by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. It is about north of Cardiff. Often called just Merthyr, it is said to be named after Tyd ...

. He attended the

Cyfarthfa Cyfarthfa is a community and electoral ward in the west of the town of Merthyr Tydfil in Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, Wales. Community Cyfarthfa mainly consists of the settlements of Gellideg and Heolgerrig and Rhyd-y-car area just west of Me ...

Grammar School A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented secondary sch ...

and later read history at University College Wales, Aberystwyth. During World War II, he joined the British Army and fought in

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

. Williams received his doctorate for a dissertation later published as ''Medieval London: from commune to capital''. Gwyn was also a committed Marxist however he became disillusioned with the Russian system following the atrocities committed by

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secretar ...

. He was the first historian to publish an article in English on Antonio Gramsci.

Career

In 1954, Williams was appointed Lecturer in Welsh History at

Aberystwyth University , mottoeng = A world without knowledge is no world at all , established = 1872 (as ''The University College of Wales'') , former_names = University of Wales, Aberystwyth , type = Public , endowment = ...

where he worked with another historian of Wales David Williams. He left Aberystwyth for the

University of York , mottoeng = On the threshold of wisdom , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £8.0 million , budget = £403.6 million , chancellor = Heather Melville , vice_chancellor = Charlie Jeffery , students ...

where he was Chair of History from 1965 to 1974. He moved back to Wales in 1974, becoming Professor of History at

University College Cardiff , latin_name = , image_name = Shield of the University of Cardiff.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms of Cardiff University , motto = cy, Gwirionedd, Undod a Chytgord , mottoeng = Truth, Unity and Concord , established = 1 ...

, where he stayed until his retirement in 1983. Throughout his career, Williams was known as an exciting lecturer, capable of drawing large crowds from across the university. After his retirement, he continued to write, but he focused more and more on television and film, presenting, with

Wynford Vaughan-Thomas Lewis John Wynford Vaughan-Thomas ( né Thomas) (15 August 1908 – 4 February 1987) was a Welsh newspaper journalist and radio and television broadcaster. In later life he took the name Vaughan-Thomas after his father. Early life and educa ...

, a 13-part series in 1985 by HTV and

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service in ...

on Welsh history entitled '' The Dragon Has Two Tongues''. Williams was also a supporter of

Republicanism Republicanism is a political ideology centered on citizenship in a state organized as a republic. Historically, it emphasises the idea of self-rule and ranges from the rule of a representative minority or oligarchy to popular sovereignty. It ...

; and later a member of

Plaid Cymru Plaid Cymru ( ; ; officially Plaid Cymru – the Party of Wales, often referred to simply as Plaid) is a centre-left to left-wing, Welsh nationalist political party in Wales, committed to Welsh independence from the United Kingdom. Plaid was ...

, he praised the anti-monarchy book ''The Enchanted Glass'' by

Tom Nairn Tom Nairn (born 2 June 1932) is a Scottish political theorist and academic. He is an Honorary Research Fellow in the School of Government and International Affairs at Durham University. He is known as an essayist and a supporter of Scottish in ...

. In 1983 Williams took early retirement from his chair at Cardiff and began making films with Teliesyn, an independent Welsh broadcasting company based in Cardiff. He eventually moved from Cardiff to the village of

Dre-fach Felindre Dre-fach Felindre is a village in Carmarthenshire, West Wales. It is located four miles south-east of Newcastle Emlyn. It lies at the confluence of three fast-flowing streams, the Nant Bargod, Nant Esgair and Nant Brân, where their steep-sided ...

, in

Carmarthenshire Carmarthenshire ( cy, Sir Gaerfyrddin; or informally ') is a county in the south-west of Wales. The three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford. Carmarthen is the county town and administrative centre. The county is known ...

Publications

*''Medieval London'', 1963 nd edition 2007*''Artisans and Sans-Culottes: Popular Movements in France and Britain During the French Revolution'', 1968 nd edition 2001*''Proletarian Order: Antonio Gramsci, Factory Councils and the Origins of Communism in Italy 1911-1921'', 1975 *''Goya and the Impossible Revolution'', 1976 *''The Merthyr Rising'', 1978 nd edition 1998; reprinted 2013, 2021*''Madoc: The Making of a Myth'', 1979 *''The Search for Beulah Land: the Welsh and the Atlantic Revolution'', 1980 *''The Welsh in Their History'', 1982 *''When Was Wales?'', 1985 *''Excalibur: the Search for Arthur'', 1994

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Gwyn A. 1925 births 1995 deaths 20th-century Welsh historians Historians of Wales People educated at Cyfarthfa Grammar School Alumni of Aberystwyth University Academics of Aberystwyth University Academics of Cardiff University Academics of the University of York People from Dowlais Welsh television presenters Welsh nationalists Welsh republicans