Charlie launches controversial book today

Welsh independence is a hot topic these days, and Newtown-born Charlie Leah has not held back in his debut book that is published today (Thursday).

The 26-year-old spent a year researching ‘Last Man Standing: Gruffydd Ap Gwenwynwyn, Prince of Powys’ which sheds light on the role that a local prince played in the fall of Wales to the English.

Was he a traitor? Or merely trying to fight for his political survival? We caught up with Charlie to find out what it is all about.

Tell us about yourself.

I was born in Newtown, raised in Tregynon and Kerry, but now based just outside Cardiff. I developed an interest in medieval Welsh history as a student in Aberystwyth University. I qualified as a history teacher in 2022. 

Why did you decide to write the book?

A mix! I’ve always enjoyed writing. The final straw came after I’d read a biography of Alexander the Great, and having read plentiful on the princes of north Wales, I thought there’s nothing like this for the Powys princes!

Combined with the ‘hiriaeth’ I was experiencing, I thought that it’s about time that Powys was centre staged in medieval Welsh history.

There is not an awful lot of Powysian history that is affordable and accessible to the public, it remains a niche and specialised field in the interest of academic experts. I wanted to change that.

How long did it take to write and was it easy to get published?

It’s taken over a year to write. I’ve worked on it almost every day, often after work until 10pm. But I enjoyed every minute of the research so I never tired from it. In fact, it was motivation and something to look forward to after a hard day at work.

It was not easy to get published. Traditional publishers refused the manuscript, reasoning that Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn is not as well-known as the Gwynedd princes, so they were concerned about its profitability. I have not written this for profit, so I decided to self-publish through Amazon. The work will always be available to anyone whose interested.

How has it been received?

The book is out today (May 21). I have already received some criticism that the book is far too lenient on the Powysian princes for their role in the loss of Welsh independence. And that’s before they’ve read the book! I expect that to continue.

Afterall, the topic of Welsh independence can be touchy, and this book is about the man considered as a traitor to Wales for hundreds of years. The book intends to ask why the princes of Powys collaborated with the English crown as opposed to justifying what was a brutal conquest. However, the information and ideas in the book are not ground-breaking or new. Much of the book based on the lifetime works of David Stephenson (who has dedicated a lot to understanding medieval Powys) and Emma Cavell. I hope the book challenges our current understanding of the political dynamics of medieval Wales.

What next?

Last Man Standing: Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn, Prince of Powys attempts to redefine the legacy of a man often cast as a traitor in Welsh history. By exploring the complexities of his decisions - his strained relationship with Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, the fractured nature of Welsh princely politics, and his family’s longstanding conflicts with Gwynedd - this book offers a more nuanced view of Gruffydd’s role in a turbulent time.

It shines a light on the important, yet often overlooked, history of Powys - a principality that played a critical role in defending Wales against the Normans, only to be overshadowed by Gwynedd’s dominance in the 13th century. By re-examining Gruffydd’s actions through the lens of his personal and political context, the book invites readers to reconsider his legacy - not simply as a villain, but as a figure shaped by survival and circumstance.

Last Man Standing: Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn, Prince of Powys is available on Amazon.