The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander

'The Black Cauldron' could have taken me by surprise. Why you ask, well our old friend Walt Disney made a version of this book. Therefore, if you have seen the movie like the Disney movie Tinker Bell its not. I found Book 2 to be full of wonder and excitement beyond anything Mickey Mouse could deliver. Perhaps one of the most inspiring of all five books, 'The Black Cauldron' tests the companions (Taran, Eilonwy, Gurgi, and Fflewddur). Not only was their courage tested, but also their true virtue, for Taran and his companions were, given more than once, the chance to become evil doers. In the end, as Alexander puts it, you cannot always judge good and evil 'unmixed,' sometimes you must remember people for what they once were, and others for what they became. This is a retelling of the Mabinogion’s ‘Cauldron of Rebirth’ bringing to the young at heart a vivid way to introduce the Mabinogi. Paperback: 208 pages Rating: 5 Stars Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. BYR Paperbacks (May 16, 2006) Review by Bill Tillman

Lottery Grant refused for Upkeep of Home of a National Hero.

Whilst at the National Eisteddfod a week or so ago I was told some disturbing news.I don’t know if you’ve heard of a Private Ellis Humphrey Evans, 15th Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers. He was a son of Yr Ysgwrn, a small farm on the side of a mountain by Trawsfynydd, Meirionydd. His poem “Yr Arwr” (The Hero) won the chair at the 1917 National Eisteddfod, Birkenhead. The Archdruid’s call for the winning bard to stand went unanswered, no one stood up.Private Ellis Humphrey Evans had been killed at Pilkem Ridge, Belgium a little over a week before on the 31st day of July 1917......MORE HERE.

Historical novel will inspire a new legion of young readers

The Black Legion

This is a new (and probably the first-ever) novel based on the French invasion of Pembrokeshire in 1797 to be aimed at older children and young adults. This important historical event is one of the most dramatic events in Welsh history and provides an ideal setting for this tale of adventure, treachery and teenage love.

The author William Vaughan, being a former teacher of History and English, has the experience to know what inspires the imagination of youngsters. He says: “I deliberately wrote the novel in a light, fast-paced style with the aim of transforming a brief chapter in school text-books into a vivid and gripping reality.”

The Black Legion will be an ideal introduction to the subject of the French invasion for schoolchildren. William Vaughan says he does “not accept that today’s teenagers are uninterested in Welsh history. The last invasion of Britain is an exciting period which deserves to be remembered and I trust this adventure novel will help to serve the purpose.”

The central characters in the novel are Tom, a young servant, and Megan, a Major’s daughter. They have feelings for each other but are constrained in declaring their emotions by the class divide. However, they witness the invasion together and are soon caught up in dramatic events which will change their lives forever.

The author has interwoven historical details into the action-laden plot in order to portray the period accurately. Scenes of brutality on board convict ships and rat-infested gaols are contrasted with shimmering, candlelit ballrooms and portrait-lined castles. The Black Legion will delight older children and young adults who enjoy a well-written, swashbuckling tale.

The author was born in Cardiff and studied History and English at Leicester University, obtaining BA and MA degrees. He gained a PGCE from University College, Cardiff and taught History and English in Leicestershire and at the Cathedral School, Llandaff, before becoming a writer of fiction. He has also written The Midnight Ghost, a novel for children, which was published by Gwasg y Bwthyn in 2004.

Gwasg y Bwthyn in 2004.

Teitl / Title


The Black Legion

Dyddiad cyhoeddi / Publication date


14.11.08

Pris / Price


£5.95

Awdur / Author


William Vaughan