This thesis is a study of the way in which Wales and Welshness have been depicted in Welsh general histories published in the period between 1970 and 1997. National identity has been and remains a topical and controversial issue in Wales, due to the complex and multiple nature of the identities that could be classified as 'national' identities. Correspondingly, the issue of identity, particularly national and regional identities, has been the subject of considerable study within Wales. These studies have provided considerable insight into the nature of Welsh identity but there remain significant gaps in the overall research picture. This study focuses on one: the way in which Welsh historiography has portrayed Wales and Welshness. The very nature of Welsh history means that such a study must also involve consideration of the impact of England and the relationship between Wales and England on the historiographical depictions of Wales and Welshness. England, as the dominant country in Britain and Wales' neighbour, has played a major role in shaping both the Welsh historical experience and Welsh identity, facts to which Welsh historians must respond, particularly when writing general histories of their country. This thesis, then, also examines the depiction of the Welsh-English relationship within Welsh national historiography and the way this, in turn, impacted on the way in which the historians portrayed Wales and Welshness. These concepts are very significant for both Welsh historiography and the wider study of Welsh identity. Historical studies, in providing the information for the construction of historically based national identities, are heavily involved in the larger issue of Welsh identity. This study aims to contribute to the research on Welsh identity through the analysis of this specific area of Welsh historiography. In doing so, this thesis offers a new way of approaching the complicated and very real issues of understanding Wales, Welshness and the relationship between Wales and England.