Book excerpt: Owain Glyndwr is a towering figure in Welsh history. He was the warrior who led the Welsh Revolt and the last war of Welsh independence (1400-1415). He defeated Henry IV's army, was a worthy opponent of the king's champion, the legendary Henry Percy - 'Hotspur' – and last native Welshman to bear the title Prince of Wales. He held court at Harlech and envisioned an independent Welsh state and church with national universities. Yet Glyndwr's success was short-lived - his ultimate defeat at the hands of the English saw the final abandonment of the Welsh cause by France and his own disappearance into an unmarked grave. Gideon Brough here provides a new biography of this iconic man – as military leader, diplomat, medieval statesman and staunch Welsh nationalist.