Review:
The Dragon Has Two Tongues
and assorted Welsh histories from the past half century From Planet 240

Planet 240 The Welsh Internationalist

To celebrate our 50th anniversary Rhian E. Jones continues our series revisiting classics from the last half century.

Colin Thomas, Gwyn Alf Williams and Wynford Vaughan-Thomas © Mike Harrison

Colin Thomas, Gwyn Alf Williams and Wynford Vaughan-Thomas © Mike Harrison

The HTV/Channel 4 1985 documentary series The Dragon Has Two Tongues: A History of the Welsh is an instantly enthralling watch. Served in thirteen easily digestible slices, it sees Gwyn Alf Williams and Wynford Vaughan-Thomas present counterposed narratives on the country’s past, fuelled by their differing backgrounds and historical traditions. From today’s perspective, with contemporary history’s increasingly granular specialisations, the programme is remarkable for its holistic sweep and breadth. Rather than simplifying or sensationalising its subject, its sense of drama is driven by history itself and the narrators’ conflicting interpretations of it.

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About the author

Rhian E. Jones is co-editor of Red Pepper and writes for Tribune. Her books include Clampdown: Pop‐Cultural Wars on Class and Gender; Petticoat Heroes: Gender, Culture and Popular Protest; Triptych: Three Studies of Manic Street Preachers’ The Holy Bible, and the anthology of women’s music writing Under My Thumb: Songs That Hate Women and the Women Who Love Them.