Owen Rhoscomyl

Owen Rhoscomyl (1863–1919) seems like a figure out of legend. A cowboy, frontiersman, soldier, and mercenary who roved through the American West, Patagonia, and South Africa before finally settling in Wales, he thrilled turn-of-the-century Wales with tales of his exploits. His deep identification with Wales animated his popular adventure novels and works of history, offering a vision of the Welsh as an inherently masculine and martial people, ready to lead the British imperial enterprise. At the same time, Rhoscomyl was a deeply flawed man, paying for his rough life in poverty, delinquency, and violence. This biography delves deeply into his life and career, painting a picture of a life of vaulting ambition, real achievement, and bitter disappointments. The Owen Rhoscomyl who emerges here, while not always admirable, is never less than thrilling.