This authoritative book traces the development of Plaid Cymruspolitical thought from its birth in 19245 to the establishmentof the National Assembly for Wales in 1999. Through apenetrating study of the political beliefs of its most importantleaders Saunders Lewis, Gwynfor Evans, Dafydd Elis-Thomasand Dafydd Wigley we follow the partys emergence from thepolitical fringe to the threshold of a devolved Wales. Thedevelopment of Plaid Cymrus constitutional and economicpolicies are examined in detail, as well as its attitude towards theWelsh language. A vibrant discussion on the nature of nationalismand nationalist ideas locates the partys intellectual developmentin a broader international context. This is a book that revealsPlaid Cymru in a new and sometimes controversial light.