The landscape of Wales has been shaped by man over many centuries and continues to develop today. In both town and countryside, at least 200 generations of human beings have left layer upon layer of impressions, so that at almost any point in Wales it is possible to look out and gaze upon a rich palimpsest.

The Making of Wales traces the process of this evolution in the Welsh landscape from pre-history to the present day. From the earliest hunter-gatherers who made their mark on the landscape over 12,000 years ago, we follow the makers as they became farmers using the first stone, then bronze and iron tools and weapons, and creating the massive hillforts that are such a feature of the Welsh countryside; the transition to Roman rule and the origins of town-making; the fundamental influence of Christianity on the makers of Wales; the impact of the castle-building Normans; the transformation of a largely rural country during the industrial centuries; the impact of war and depression in the early twentieth century; through to the struggle and victory of devolution in Wales. Lavishly illustrated, The Making of Wales is a superb introduction to the history of the country and to the enduring legacy of man's interaction with the landscape.