The book consists of a miscellany of historical narrative and idiosyncratic reminiscence about a variety of different individuals associated with Christ College, who have distinguished themselves one way or another in a particular field of endeavour. It is, in essence, a personal selection; it makes no claim to be a comprehensive historical account.
We start with the origins of the foundation and of the School, so there are introductory chapters on the Dominican Friary founded on the site and on Henry VIII, the School's founder. The author then highlights the contribution of Breconians to the Church, the military, to culture, including the visual arts, to the legal profession, to politics and to sport, predominantly rugby football. Alongside these chapters there are more personal reminiscences on families. The only female highlighted in this otherwise exclusively male story is represented in the personal account of her unique experience by Tori James, the first Welsh woman to climb Everest.
All this is presented with sensitivity and affection. The author's pride in the achievements of Christ College is evident on every page. With an introduction by DP Davis.
Jonathan Morgan was educated at Christ College, Brecon, R.M.A. Sandhurst, and Aberystwyth, Cardiff and Glamorgan Universities. He also taught at U.W.I.C. (now Cardiff Metropolitan) for nine years. Jonathan's father the Rev. G Rex Morgan, Chaplain to the King's Royal Rifle Corps and Senior Housemaster at Christ College, Brecon, was a well-known prisoner-of-war and was on the dreadful 'Shoe Leather Express' March in Poland. It is interesting that Christ College former pupils won 23 MCs in the First World War.
Jonathan's was a great Welsh sporting family which included Guy Morgan, Captain of Cambridge University and Wales at rugby and Glamorgan at Cricket, and Dr. Teddy Morgan, Captain of Wales and the British Lions at rugby. Rex's cousin Guy (not the rugby player), was a Royal Navy Lieutenant and prisoner-of-war who wrote the well-known play 'Albert R.N.'. Jonathan's mother, Glenys, was the daughter of Captain T.L.Morgan, Adjutant of the 15th Welsh in the early part of the Great War.
As well as a sportsman himself, Jonathan is a 3rd Order Anglican Franciscan. He was invalided out of the Army with PTSD or related illness in 1980 and had served with the Royal Regiment of Wales as a Captain which included an horrific tour of Northern Ireland in the Ardoyne and Bone district of Belfast.