VANITY - Looking for book title on Spanish Civil War

self | 30 dec 02 | Self

[white trash redneck]

I apologize for the VANITY, but I've exhausted other options.

I am looking for the title of a book on the Spanish Civil War, probably published in 2002 (maybe 2001) that I saw reviewed earlier this year. Ring any bells? It addressed the interaction among the Socialists, the Anarchist, and the POUM, and spent a lot of time describing the treachery of the Communists.

[ErnBatavia]

I just went to Amazon.com and did a book search under Spanish Civil War - give that a try, since there were some results...

[wretchard]

You can try two titles, Hemmingway's "For Whom the Bell Tolls" and George Orwell's "Homage to Catalonia".

Neither book is straight history, but I cannot think of any other volumes which convey the flavor of the Spanish Civil War more fully. Hemingway tells the fictional story of Robert Jordan, a small town professor, assigned to blow up a bridge so that the Communist offensive elsewhere will succeed. The last chapter is legendary, and you will discover the source of a very famous Carly Simon quote in the final pages.

"Homage to Catalonia" describes George Orwell's experience, first as a journalist, then as a soldier in the Spanish Civil War. He describes the aspirations of the Catalan anarchists, who are eventually betrayed by the Communists.

[Senator Cleghorn]

I would read the recent book, "Hitler Stopped by Franco" by Burt Boyar. Try the website www.hitlerstoppedbyfranco.com

[Thud]

IMO the most likely book you are looking for is:

Spain Betrayed: The Soviet Union in the Spanish Civil War (Annals of Communism) by Ronald Radosh (Editor).

[MattinNJ]

The author Stanley Payne seems to treat Franco fairly. Liberals love to bash Franco because he was the first to stop communism in it's tracks in bloody street to street fighting

[Oatka]

Good buys in all kinds of stuff (incl Spanish CW) at:

http://half.ebay.com/search/search.jsp?nthTime=1&product=books&keyword=spanish+civil+war

The Spanish Civil War by Antony Beevor
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 0-14100-1488
July 2001
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Children's Publishing
320 pages

Mostly in the $8-$11 range

also

by Hugh Thomas
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 0-67175-8764
March 1994
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Trade Paperbacks
1134 pages
Illustrated

$4-$12

Good luck

[Maximilian]

Spain Betrayed: The Soviet Union in the Spanish Civil War (Annals of Communism) by Ronald Radosh (Editor).

Thud has probably identified the book you're thinking of. However, Orwell's "Homage to Catalonia" is the real classic on the subject and covers the exact topics that you are interested in. Orwell was a member of POUM and saw the treachery of the communists first hand. This was the experience that turned him against communism, although he always remained a leftist. Orwell's book also has the advantage of being relatively short and easily available cheap and/or used. The best line in the book is when he describes the Republicans and the Nationalists both run out of ammunition and resorting to using bullhorns to shout insults at each other.

[Maximilian]

would read the recent book, "Hitler Stopped by Franco" by Burt Boyar. Try the website www.hitlerstoppedbyfranco.com

In Churchill's history of WWII, he mentions how worried he was that Franco would side with Hitler, although in fact he never did. Churchill passes on a quote that supposedly Hitler said after trying to negotiate with Franco, "I would rather have all my teeth removed than go through that again."

[sistergoldenhair]

I think the Radosh book is the one you mentioned.
However, "The Blood of Spain" by Ronald Fraser is excellent.
It is an oral history written from interviews of participants.

[PeaceBeWithYou]

I think the book you seek is The Spanish Civil War by Hugh Thomas, 1136 pages-revised December 2001. Originally written in 1961, with many revisions and additions since.

[white trash redneck]

Thank you all for your help.

Based on what I know of his point of view, I think the Radosh book is the one I was trying to remember. I did do Amazon and Google searches before posting on FR, and his book didn't pop up. The Thomas book did come up, however, as the most comprehensive treatment of the SCW, with Paul Preston's book being suggested as a less long-winded alternative. I had started reading Homage to Catalonia last week, which had piqued my interest.

Who needs reference librarians when we have FR?!