Synopses & Reviews
In Secret Sins, Russell Davies reveals Carmarthenshire, a rural society in southeast Wales, to have been a hotbed of debauchery, violence, and drunkenness during the late Victorian and Edwardian periods. After an overview of the economic, social, and political changes in Carmarthenshire between 1870 and 1920, Davies probes the records of people’s private lives to analyze the reluctance about education in farming communities, the influence of religion, the continuation of superstitions, and the rich variety of popular culture. This meticulously researched book gives a major new appraisal of the social history of an area of rural and industrial Wales that many had heretofore believed to be thoroughly law abiding, moral, and respectable.
Review
“Secret Sins is a human and humane book. . . . It succeeds admirably in its purpose in exposing cosy myths.”
Synopsis
Highlighting the personal experiences of the individual, this book probes the private lives of people in order to fully appreciate the complex nature of society. It is a detailed analysis of sexuality and tension that seeks to overturn the cosy images of Wales and the Welsh.
About the Author
Russell Davies is the author of Secret Sins: Sex, Violence and Society in Carmarthenshire 1870–1920 and Hope and Heartbreak: A Social History of Wales and the Welsh1776–1870.
Table of Contents
List of Illustrations
Acknowledgements
Preface
Introduction: Private Lives, Public Witnesses: The Individual and Society in Carmarthenshire
1. A Sense of Place
2. A Psychic Crisis? The Social Context of Mental Illness and Suicide
3. ‘Secret Sins: Crime and Protest
4. Sexuality and Tension
5. Spiritual Skeletons: Religion, Superstition and Popular Culture
6. Conclusion: Carmarthenshire and Welsh Society
Notes
Index