den@parallel.uucp (Dennis Briscoe) (05/14/85)
> Can anyone recommend a good book on the Spanish Civil War ? I am particularly > interested in the various movements involved, like the labor unions( U.G.T.), > the anarchists (C.N.T and the F.A.I.), the facists, and so on. Thanks in > advance. "Or I'll Dress You in Mourning" by Larry Collins and Dominique LaPierre (Authors of several books including "The Fifth Horseman") is an excellent historical novel based on the life of the spanish bullfighter "El Cordobes". It is backed up by a lot of research and presents a good picture of the spanish civil war as well as a very interesting story of the life of the individual. Once you get started, it's very difficult to put the book down. It doesn't deal with all the areas you mentioned, but it seems to be historically accurate. Dennis Briscoe @ Parallel Computers, Santa Cruz, CA {sun,pesnta}!parallel!den
yates@lll-crg.ARPA (Kim Yates) (05/30/85)
The fellow who was interested in learning something about the Spanish Civil
War didn't specify whether he was looking for fiction or non-fiction.
It has been at least 10 years since I have looked at any books on the subject,
but the social struggles of 20th century Spain used to be a consuming passion
of mine. Though I gave away quite a good library, I think I can remember enough
to get you started in the right track.
I know of no good fiction in English that paints an accurate picture of that
most partisan of conflicts. Don't bother with Hemingway, one can't find out
what's really going on by spending all one's time sitting at cafe tables in
Madrid.
As for non-fiction, I can recommend _The_Spanish_Cockpit_ by Franz Borkenau
and two books by Hugh Thomas and Raymond(?) Carr. I think Thomas's book
is called _The_Spanish_Civil_War_. If I recall correctly, Thomas is a Marxist
historian, the book is thick, it gives an excellent historical background.
Borkenau is much less anti-anarchist and is, in my opinion, more reliable.
These are all execellent surveys and overviews, are commonly available in public
libraries, and make easy, enjoyable reading (except for science fiction fans,
who will probably find it tough sledding and not relevant anyway :-).
After reading one or more of them, you can specialize. An intriguing little
book called _The_Grand_Deception_ by Bernard Bolloten, a journalist, has as
theme the corruption of the social revolution by the Stalinist PCE (Communist
Party Of Spain). Orwell's book _Homage_to_Catalonia_ documents his
disillusionment in the militia of the (alledgedly Trotskyite) POUM.
I don't remember many details about the books written by the anrchists, but
there were some excellent ones.
If anybody is interested I can hunt down references to the best ones.
(Footnote: there is in the Labadie Collection of the Rare Books Department of
the University of Michigan Library in Ann Arbor {beloved city!} a manuscript
written by Emma Goldman about her trips to Spain during the revolution.
Her heirs have not published it.)
The best books about the Spanish Civil War are written in French, Castilian
and Catalan. Lots of fiction and non-fiction.
Any questions about the books, the war, the revolution or the organizations
are welcomed.
Robert Kim Yates
"Besser rot wein als tot sein!"