The distinguished historian John Davies made an enormous contribution to Welsh life and culture over more than half a century. Here, in his own words, he recalls his upbringing in industrial Rhondda in the 1940s, in rural Cardiganshire in the 1950s, and describes the growth of the Welsh nationalist movement in the 1960s, leading to the establishment of the National Assembly. He was for many years a popular and influential warden at Pantycelyn Hall in Aberystwyth, yet found time to complete the prestigious Penguin "A History of Wales" and other substantial works.