Books about Anglesey

History

Môn Mam Cymru/The Guide to Anglesey - Philip Steele & Robert Williams, 2006.
A new edition of this excellent and well illustrated guide to Anglesey. The bulk of the book is a gazetteer describing hundreds of sites of historical, natural and cultural importance.

Anglesey: The Concise History - David A. Pretty, 2005
A new overview of the history of Anglesey, written by a prominent local historian.

Anglesey 1900 - Margaret Hughes, 2002
Anglesey life in the 19th century as reflected in the local newspapers

Anglesey Air Accidents: During the Twentieth Century - Roy Sloan, 2001.

Anglesey: the Island's Story - Michael Senior, 1996
A short but good tour through the high points of the island's history, from prehistoric to modern times.

Anglesey and its Coastal Tradition - Mike Smylie, 2000
A historical tour around the coast of Anglesey.

Anglesey from the Sea: An Armchair Journey - Margaret Hughes, 2001.

Anglesey Past and Present - Wendy Hughes, 1999
An excellent historical guide to the island. Twenty four chapters cover all stages of the island's history.

Anglesey Remembers: Some of Its Eminent People - Margaret Hughes, 2000.
A collection of short biographies of prominent Anglesey residents of the past.

Anglesey Sketches - Margaret Hughes, 1999
A collection of short essays describing the historical background of some of the author's favourite places around the island.

Anglesey Villages - Margaret Hughes, 2003
An interesting compendium of facts, legends, events and people from various villages around Anglesey.

Copper Mountain - John Rowlands, 1966
The story of the Parys Mountain copper mines.

Edwardian Anglesey : A Pictorial History: v.1 - John Cowell, 1991
Early 20th century history of the island told through old photographs

Edwardian Anglesey : A Pictorial History: v.2 - John Cowell, 1992
Early 20th century history of the island told through old photographs

The Britannia and Other Tubular Bridges: And the Men Who Built Them - John Rapley, 2003
A detailed account of the design and building of the Britannia Bridge, over the Menai Strait

The Golden Wreck: The Tragedy of the 'Royal Charter' - Alexander McKee, 2000
An account of the tragic wreck on the coast of Anglesey, in 1859, of the ship Royal Charter, which was returning from the Australian goldfields laden with treasure.

The Land of the Long Long Name (North West Wales Companion)
John Lasarus Williams, 1999
This book gives numerous snippets of the recent and ancient history of various places around Anglesey and the Gwynedd mainland, centring around the village of Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll.

The Menai Strait - Gwyn Pari Huws, Terry Beggs, 2003
Beautifully illustrated with Terry Beggs photographs, this is a tour up the Menai Strait, describing and illustrating all the points of interest. This is an English translation of the original Welsh book Y Fenai.

Two Bridges Over Menai - Robin Richards, 1996
An interesting little book giving the stories behind the building of the Menai and Britannia Bridges.

Menai Bridges: Pontydd Menai - 1981

Pedigrees of Anglesey and Carnarvonshire Families - J.E. Griffith, 1997
A collection of family trees for many families on the island and the nearby Welsh mainland.

Portraits of an Island: Eighteenth Century Anglesey - Helen Ramage, 2001
A detailed historical overview of life, in both mansions and cottages, on Anglesey in the 1700s.

Thomas Telford's Holyhead Road: The A5 in North Wales - Barrie Trinder, Rick Turner, Jamie Quartermaine, 2003
A full report on a comprehensive archaeological and historical survey of Thomas Telford's road through North Wales, including the Menai Bridge and the road across Anglesey to Holyhead. Well written and copiously illustrated.

Two Centuries of Anglesey Schools - David Pretty, 1977
An extensive history of education on the island.

Art, Photography & Poetry

Anglesey Landscapes - Tirluniau Môn - Glyn Davies, 2007.
A collection of some of the best and most dramatic images of the Anglesey landscape, by local photographer Glyn Davies. Copies are also available from his shop in Menai Bridge, as well as his web site.

All Around Anglesey - Terry Beggs, 2007.
Another new book of photographs of Anglesey, focusing on the coastal path, by a co-author of The Menai Strait, listed above.

An Anglesey Anthology - Dewi Roberts, 1999.
This books draws together various poems and prose extracts about the island.

Home of the Wind (Anglesey Poems) - Deirdre Smith, 1998

Oriel Ynys Mon (Anglesey Art Gallery)

Myths and Legends

Haunted Anglesey - Bunty Austin, 2005.
A collection of ghost stories from Anglesey.

The Mabinogion - Anonymous, trans. Jeffery Gantz, 1976
The classic collection of Welsh legends, in one of the most popular translations. Includes the tale of Branwen.

Archaeology/Historic places

Gwynedd: A Guide to Ancient and Historical Wales - Frances Lynch, 1995
A guidebook to ancient and medieval sites on Anglesey and the rest of northwest Wales. Written by one of the prominent archaeologists in the area, it describes places ranging from Neolithic burial chambers and Iron Age hill forts to medieval churches and castles and gives directions on how to find them.

Mynydd Parys - Gwyn Makin & Steve Parry, 1990

Trefignath and Din Dryfol: The Excavation of Two Megalithic Tombs in Anglesey - C.A. Smith, F.M. Lynch, 1987

Windmills of Anglesey - Barry Guise, George Lees

Natural History

Anglesey Sea Zoo - David Lea-Wilson, 1986

Birds of Anglesey (Adar Mon) - Peter Hope Jones and Paul Whalley, 2004.
A comprehensive description of the bird life on Anglesey, in both Welsh and English.

Cefni Salt Marsh, Anglesey, and Its Recent Development - John R. Packham, M.J. Liddle, 1980

County of Anglesey : Soils and Agriculture - E. Roberts

The Flowering Plants and Ferns of Anglesey - R.H. Roberts, 1982.

Geologists' Association Guides: No.40: Anglesey - D.E.B. Bates, J.B. Davies, 1981
Gives an overview of the complex geology of Anglesey, then describes ten excursions to areas where these features can be seen.

New Natural History of Anglesey - W.Eifion- Jones, 1991
A collection of essays on the birds, plants, insects, geology, etc. of the island, each authored by a local expert.

Walks/Sightseeing

Anglesey Coast Walks - Cecil Davies, 1998

Anglesey Rambles: A Bedside Traveller - Ian Skidmore, Celia Skidmore, 1991
A "personal ramble" round some of their favourite places by the well known local writers & broadcasters. Gives lots of interesting historical background to sites around the island.

Circular Walks on Anglesey - Dorothy Hamilton, 1998
Subtitled "Walks with History", this book describes a number of walks of varying length, with notes about the historical importance of sights along the way.

Coastal Walks Around Anglesey Vol 2 - Carl Rogers, 1998

Family Walks on the Isle of Anglesey - Laurence Main, 1993

Gwynedd - Anglesey - M. Hitches, 1992

Holiday Cycling Around Anglesey and Caernarfon - Lyn Goodkin, et al, 1995

North Wales Walks on the Level: Snowdonia and Anglesey - Norman Buckley, 2001.
A guide geared towards gentle walking rather than more strenuous climbing.

Snowdonia, Anglesey and the Lleyn Peninsula Walks - Ordnance Survey, Conduit

The Isle of Anglesey Coastal Path - Carl Rogers, 2006

Walking the Anglesey Coast - Jan Harris, et al, 1991

Walking the Anglesey Coast: a 150-mile Circular Route: Bilingual Edition: Welsh / English - Jan Harris, et al, 1991

Transportation

Anglesey and Lleyn Shipwrecks - Ian Skidmore, 1979

Cruising Anglesey and the North Wales Coast - Ralph Morris, 1995

Conway and the Menai Ferries - Henry Rees Davies, 1942

Cruising Guide to Anglesey and Menai Strait - R. Kemp, 1979

Fferiau i Fon : Ferries to Anglesey - Thomas Meirion Hughes, 1996
A history of the ferries across the Menai Strait, from the earliest days to the last journey in 1954.

Guide to Cruising Anglesey and North Wales - Ralph Morris, 1989

Holyhead-Dun Laoghaire - Car Ferry to HSS - Miles Cowsill, 1996

Railways of North Wales: Anglesey Branch Lines - W.G. Rear, 1994

Shipwrecks Around Anglesey - Tom Bennett

Biography

Across the Straits - Kyffin Williams, 1974 (reprinted 1993)
An interesting autobiography by the well known Anglesey-based painter, Sir Kyffin Williams RSA.

A Wider Sky - Kyffin Williams, 1991
The second volume of Sir Kyffin's autobiography. This covers his travels around the world, concluding with his return to Anglesey.

One Leg : The Life and Letters of Henry William Paget : First Marquess of Anglesey 1768-1854 - Marquess of Anglesey, 1996
The story of the one of the most prominent landowners on Anglesey, owner of Plas Newydd and second in command to Wellington at the Battle of Waterloo. Written by his great-great-grandson, the current Marquess.

Diary of a Privilege: Anglesey Housewife's Story of Her Battle Against Cancer - Joan Stockdale, 1986

Wandering Orphan: From Hardship in an Anglesey Village to Success in the Big City - A Rags to Riches Autobiography Spanning 75 Years - Grace Jones, Mike Brown, 1995

 

Maps/Geography

Enwau Lleoedd Mon : Place Names of Anglesey - Gwilym T. Jones, Tomos Roberts, 1996
Describes the derivation and origin of the names of many villages, rivers, coastal areas, etc. Includes many items of historical interest.

Street Atlas Anglesey, Conwy, and Gwynedd - Philip's Street Atlases, 2004.
Detailed atlas of the three counties, listing and indexing all streets, roads and major public buildings. Also available as spiral bound (above link is for paperback).

Snowdonia and Anglesey Tourist Map

Landranger maps (1:50,000)

A single topographic map covering the whole island.

Map 0114: Anglesey - Ordnance Survey, 1998

Explorer Maps (1:25,000)

A series of two maps, more detailed than the above, covering the whole island.

Map 0262: Anglesey West - Ordnance Survey, 1999

Map 0263: Anglesey East - Ordnance Survey, 1999