The sound of laughter is rarely far away as Patrick Hannan watches the events of 2001 unfold and describes them in this chronicle of a year in Wales. The result is a revealing picture of the kind of country Wales now is, its obsessions, its ambitions, its divisions, and the nature of the people who run it or want to run it. The fury over English views of the Welsh and Welsh views of the English, the huge gap between aspiration and achievement when it comes to erecting buildings or playing rugby, political jealousies, and the private nature of modern Wales is explored.