An entertaining chronicle of occurrences during the year 2001 in Wales by a keen commentator on the Welsh nation and its way of life, the opinions and prejudices of its people, their ideas of identity and nationhood and its colourful, influential and controversial characters.

Cronicl difyr o ddigwyddiadau'r flwyddyn 2001 yng Nghymru gan sylwebydd craff ar y genedl Gymreig a'i ffordd o fyw, barnau a rhagfarnau ei phobl, eu syniadau am hunaniaeth a chenedligrwydd, a'i chymeriadau lliwgar, dylanwadol a dadleuol.

In his introduction to this book, Patrick Hannan claims that it is 'a collection of the journalism I would have written if there had been anywhere in Wales to write journalism.' Although Hannan’s name is not usually to be found in Wales’s national newspapers, this is still a somewhat confusing statement. He is a weekly columnist for BBC Wales’s online service and presents a weekly political programme on Radio Wales. Contrary to his claims, it would seem that there is nobody better situated to influence the reportage of Welsh events than Patrick Hannan.

He also claims that Welsh journalism is 'rather narrow in style and ownership'. Although this is a valid enough point, it is also exactly the sort of criticism that could be directed towards this book. As is true of many political diaries, 2001: A Year in Wales is more prone to skimming over the superficialities of events rather than discussing them in any meaningful detail. This is seen, for example, in the offhandish way in which Hannan reports on the Welsh-language row ignited by Seimon Glyn. He states that Glyn 'proposed that English residents in Wales should be strictly monitored and controlled and made to learn Welsh'. In fact, Seimon Glyn never claimed to be representing the whole of Wales, only his particular Welsh-speaking constituency of Pen Llŷn. It’s a shame that Hannan replicates the popular press’s tendency to over-simplify the significance of Seimon Glyn’s remarks, rather than explore the serious cultural implications of what is happening in areas such as Pen Llŷn.

Hannan, however, can prove enlightening in some areas. His background as former industrial editor of The Western Mail means that he offers useful knowledge on the historical context of the crises now faced by Wales’s industrial communities. This often leads to interesting personal reminiscences of past encounters with influential figures, such as Dai Francis. It also means, however, that the book develops a rather self-enclosed and self-indulgent style.

Nowhere is this more evident than when Hannan defends his HTV series Tin Gods, which caused a storm when first broadcast. He seems to have misunderstood the nature of the criticism it attracted – it wasn’t the programme’s content that provoked impassioned responses, but its quality.

Maybe 2001: A Year in Wales should be renamed 2001: A Year in the Life of Patrick Hannan.

Owain Wilkins

It is possible to use this review for promotional purposes, but the following acknowledgement should be included: A review from www.gwales.com, with the permission of the Welsh Books Council.

Gellir defnyddio’r adolygiad hwn at bwrpas hybu, ond gofynnir i chi gynnwys y gydnabyddiaeth ganlynol: Adolygiad oddi ar www.gwales.com, trwy ganiatâd Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru.