With over 5000 entries ranging from 50 to over 5000 words, this work covers various aspects of Wales' past, the people, the places, the arts, industries, environment and traditions. It also features the biographies of Welsh men and women who have excelled in natural history, medicine and architecture.

'The appearance of these handsome volumes represents an important achievement, or, more accurately, several important achievements. The standard of the diverse entries is high - meriting praise all around for the editors and contributors. The production quality is high, auguring well for the Press - as does, most especially, the simultaneous appearance of Welsh and English editions. For the weighty and colourful item that it is, GBP65.00 is good value. With the successful products now in hand, the kicking of the publication date ahead into 2008 is vindicated as a triumph of standards and uncut corners over the distortions and compromises to which many at UK universities and university presses succumbed in the race to the 2007 Research Assessment Exercise.'John T. Koch, Planet

As well as being one of the most significant poets in his field, Nigel Jenkins has won acclaim in other genres, most notably for his history of the Welsh in India, Gwalia in Khasia, which won the Arts Council of Wales Book of the Year award. Menna Baines, who is well-known as a former editor of Barn, will take prime responsibility for the Welsh language volume, and assisting and guiding the editors is John Davies who acts as editorial consultant.