The second in a series, this volume traces the history of the federal University of Wales from its foundation in 1893 to the eve of World War II and places it in the broad background of higher education in Britain. The main strands of academic advance are considered along with the architecture of the principal buildings of the University. There are chapters on student life and the impact of the Great War. Since the University and its colleges were largely the product of a national movement the last two chapters of the book are devoted to the relationship between university and nation and to the nature of Welsh society during a period of cultural awakening which, argues the author, owed much to the University of Wales.

The first of a three-volume set, A History of the University of Wales. It was with a sense of pride and conviction that the founding fathers of the University of Wales created a national institution "in and for Wales" in 1893. This volume celebrates the centenary of the University by recalling the foundation and early days, tracing the development of the university movement in Wales from the very beginning to the granting of the Charter in 1893. It casts a critical eye on an institution which was reputed at its inception to represent "the soul of the nation".