Quite Good, 09 Apr 2008
The Spanish Civil War by Anthony Beevor is an interesting account of a conflict which in many ways was a prelude to the Second World War. Having read some of the author's other works I knew that it was going to be well-written with a well constructed narative, although it is not as good as either Stalingrad or Berlin the Downfall. The work itself shows the destructive impact of a Civil War especially on a country as divided on linguistic and political lines as Spain. It also shows how democracy was allowed to be crushed by facism by Britain and France and also how the Nationalist forces were able to exploit the divisions in their opponents to win. All in all a good book although I have read better by this author.

Highly Recommended, 21 Dec 2007
Having read the author's 'Stalingrad' a few years ago, I was hoping for something of a tour de force with this book, and I wasn't disappointed. The Spanish Civil War is an incredibly convoluted subject to deal with, but Antony Beevor succeeds admirably in fusing the historical, political and military elements into a seamless whole. Of all the books I have read on this subject, this one is by far and away the best.


An Impressive Piece of Work, 03 May 2007

The Spanish Civil War is an endlessly fascinating period of history. Mixed in with the undoubted tragedy there's a frisson of romance about it. Artists, writers and idealists of many stripes flocked to "help". The likes of Ernest Hemingway, Laurie Lee, George Orwell and Victor Serge have given the Republican side literary credence. Picasso, Dali and others depicted the bestiality in visual art. Numerous commentators and agitators stood on the sidelines or frontlines and stirred the political stew - Trotsky to name just one. Eric Hobsbawm (The Guardian, 17/2/07) has pointed out the very clear paradox of the Spanish Civil War - that it is one of the few conflicts whose history is not monopolised by the victors.

Although this book has been said to be better balanced than average, the balance is still with the Republican side. We know full well how the Republicans "motivated" their own troops. There is less on this subject with regard to the Nationalists, especially the feared Moroccans. What motivated these colonial troops? And would Trotsky's advice for winning them over have worked?

Beevor exposes the idiocy of some in the Republican leadership in pursuing fatuous stunts like that at the Ebro, with catastrophic losses of men, matériel and morale, in the pursuit of a propaganda-worthy victory. There is also something that appears verging on sabotage in the way the Republican generals repeatedly launch initially successful attacks, only to allow their forces to get sucked into trying to mop up isolated resistance rather than pursuing their advantage. It all too often seems like the hesitation born of fear of failure results in increasing amounts of failure, which is then blamed on the hapless ex-Trots of the POUM.

There is less detail of this kind on the Nationalist side. He upbraids Franco for his obsession with Madrid, which nevertheless remained out of his grasp until the very end of the war, his vanity, and his strategic ineptness, and it is apparent that his German and Italian allies were at least close to considering him a buffoon. But there are fewer such stories than there are about Republican leaders such as Negrín, for example.

As Beevor's story progresses, the full horror of Stalinism's insidious effect on the war becomes increasingly tragic in its consequences, with the paranoia rampant in the ranks of the communists, contracted through their Russian commissars, spreading like a contagion within the entire Republican movement, so that trust and comradeship rapidly disintegrate. It is apparent from his account that the fragmented Republican factions were as afraid of each other as of Franco, sometimes with justification (Delores Ibárruri, La Pasionaria, is still commemorated by Trotskyists as L'Assassionaria).The virtual transformation of the International Brigades from volunteers to prisoners is a chilling development. The brutal punishment of Brigadistas after the battle of Brunete following their disintegration will surely have anyone contemplating a similar commitment now, should the opportunity arise, thinking more than twice.

Beevor adds to Stalin's tally of crimes the charge that, far from providing fraternal succour, the Soviet Union profited from its sale of arms and services, overcharging for these items in Spanish gold.

The book includes many references to the reports being made by Soviet agents back to Moscow and Stalin, which are enlightening in indicating the degree to which news from the war was dimensioned according to what Stalin wanted to hear - that blame for military defeats were due to the "fifth columnists" of the "international fascist" POUM, for example, thereby implicitly blaming Trotsky, despite Trotsky's own disavowal of his former devotees because of their participation in the Popular Front. The schismatic gene in the left continues to this day - no less than three Trotskyist candidates in the 2007 French presidential election, plus a communist.

Beevor gives plenty of food for thought in the "What If?" zone.

For example, what would have happened had the US and UK not been so craven, not only backing away from support of the legitimately elected Republicans, but even at times providing tacit support for the Nationalists, though admittedly the Royal Navy did also provide cover for merchant ships supplying the Basques.

There is a certain macabre irony that of the nations supposedly operating a blockade of Spain, two of them were Germany and Italy, so whilst everyone else was blocking supplies to both sides, the Germans and Italians were blocking supplies to the Republicans and actively supplying the Nationalists. The other powers, notably Britain, turned a blind eye to this state of affairs. Beevor reveals, perhaps tellingly, that Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's sister-in-law was openly a fascist sympathiser.

This made the civil war a very one-sided rehearsal for WWII. The Germans and Italians were able to field-test their armaments, battle-harden elite forces, and experiment with tactics - the blitzkrieg and one of its principal components, the Stuka, made their debuts in the service of Franco. Meanwhile, Soviet advisors received their initiation into the appliance of techniques which would not attract Stalin's disfavour because of their association with purged generals, rehearsed the infallible motivational technique of shooting their own retreating troops irrespective of circumstance, and perfected their blame-passing capabilities. The British and Americans not only chose to avert their gaze, they also intimidated the French into inaction. In fact, even at the death, as rampaging Nationalist forces slaughtered everything in their path, it was only the most searing embarrassment that persuaded the French to permit the retreating Republican forces to cross the border. But the relative humanitarianism of that act was soon smothered by their internment of refugees in horrendous concentration camps.

The irony is, as Niall Ferguson asserts in War Of The World, had the British acted sooner they would have caught the Germans underresourced and unprepared for full-scale conflict, thus averting WWII; had they done so, the Republicans would have been in far better shape to repulse the Nationalists, who would have been denied the men and matériel provided by the Germans, if not the Italians.

Beevor himself considers that history must always end with questions; conclusions are way too convenient.

The Battle For Spain is the first work of Beevor's I have read, but I doubt it will be the last. Overall, it is an impressive piece of work: thorough and well-written, even-handed at least insofar as it sees the flaws in both sides, and providing a plethora of localised stories for reflection. For example, how many, having read of the Republicans pitched over its side by marauding Nationalists, will be able to look into the ravine at Ronda in quite the same light again?

The account of the bombing of Guernica, harrowing as it is, is short on histrionics. Beevor reveals that the death toll was lower than the Republicans claimed, but the attack is confirmed as ruthless and brutal, a test of the effects of aerial bombardment by Richtofen and the Condor Legion. The collusion of the Catholic church in blaming such atrocities on the Republicans must rate as the greatest betrayal in Christian history since Judas: it was, after all, Catholics in Durango whose church was bombed and who were subsequently strafed as they fled. The bombing and strafing were courtesy of the Nationalists; the Catholic church put it about that the Republicans were responsible for the deaths. But short as it is on martial porn - overgraphic descriptions of carnage - the end of the war comes as something of a relief, aftershocks notwithstanding, because you don't need graphic descriptions to know it was hell.

It does, however, leave some questions unanswered, such as what was all this like for the people of Spain as a whole? What was it like to live in a Nationalist or Republican village but to be a non-combatant? Was it actually possible to be a non-combatant, or be relatively ignorant of the war? These questions are either overlooked or only partially answered, which is less a criticism of Beevor than an opportunity for someone else.



The Spanish Civil War, 24 Nov 2006
Antony Beevor's (AB) book on the Spanish Civil war is excellent background reading on this rather tragic event in the Spain's History. AB goes through every single detail of the war.

He starts off with describing the development of Spain right up to the `Rising of the Generals' in 1936 and follows this up by going through the various factions involved. There is also a whole section on the involvement of other countries - most notably that of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union - in the civil war. When he covers the intellectuals' reaction to the whole event, I was quite surprised at some of the `nostalgic views' expressed. The section, which made me shudder was the book's section on the internal power struggle between the various Republican factions. A lot of this was a copy-cat event of the Stalinist purges in the Soviet Union during the 1930s. AB goes into quite a bit of detail.

I must agree that some of the battles can be hard to follow, but it does help if you study the maps quite thoroughly. But then again I think it would also help if these maps weren't all at the beginning of the book but instead put at the spot of the corresponding battles.

AB of course covers the nationalist victory plus the time after and he doesn't exactly mince words on the style of politics under Franco. But he also asks if a republican victory would have been the better solution and he does not give any definite answer except saying that a Stalinist-type communist regime could have been significantly worse.

All told I found this book very good.


Tragic Spain, 18 Oct 2006
The Spanish Civil war must be one of the most tragic European wars of all time. Spaniard against Spaniard, a bloody conflict characterised by the failures on both sides but mainly the Republicans, to recognise modern warfare when they saw it and the clash of two bitterly opposed, totalitarian beliefs, Stalinist communism and Fascism. The contribution of Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, Soviet Russia and indeed, France and Great Britain to the perpetuation of this conflict as a testing ground for troops, tactics and weapons is well documented in this book.

Antony Beevor works through the mire of 1930's Spanish politics with aplomb, if confusingly, between the plethora of parties on both the left and the right, many identified simply by acronyms such as the POUM and the JONS. However, once the reader perseveres through the initial, context setting chapters the book opens up into a rich account of the often bloody and generally wasteful war through to its conclusion in 1939 on the eve of World War 2. The final chapter relates the continuing, relentless repression of the left in Spain right up to the 1960's when the advent of the package holiday finally opened up the country to peaceful outside influences and with General Franco's death, brought economic growth and stability.

This book was written sometime ago (1982) and it shows. A less polished if undoubtedly scholarly Antony Beevor shows through in comparison with later works (Stanlingrad, Berlin) and overall, the book has a more `academic' feel to it. One cannot help but feel the hand of a publisher seeing an early work re-published with a new title as a money-spinner. That said, I am pleased that it was and would recommend the book to all but the very casual reader.

Quite Good, 09 Apr 2008
The Spanish Civil War by Anthony Beevor is an interesting account of a conflict which in many ways was a prelude to the Second World War. Having read some of the author's other works I knew that it was going to be well-written with a well constructed narative, although it is not as good as either Stalingrad or Berlin the Downfall. The work itself shows the destructive impact of a Civil War especially on a country as divided on linguistic and political lines as Spain. It also shows how democracy was allowed to be crushed by facism by Britain and France and also how the Nationalist forces were able to exploit the divisions in their opponents to win. All in all a good book although I have read better by this author.

Highly Recommended, 21 Dec 2007
Having read the author's 'Stalingrad' a few years ago, I was hoping for something of a tour de force with this book, and I wasn't disappointed. The Spanish Civil War is an incredibly convoluted subject to deal with, but Antony Beevor succeeds admirably in fusing the historical, political and military elements into a seamless whole. Of all the books I have read on this subject, this one is by far and away the best.


An Impressive Piece of Work, 03 May 2007

The Spanish Civil War is an endlessly fascinating period of history. Mixed in with the undoubted tragedy there's a frisson of romance about it. Artists, writers and idealists of many stripes flocked to "help". The likes of Ernest Hemingway, Laurie Lee, George Orwell and Victor Serge have given the Republican side literary credence. Picasso, Dali and others depicted the bestiality in visual art. Numerous commentators and agitators stood on the sidelines or frontlines and stirred the political stew - Trotsky to name just one. Eric Hobsbawm (The Guardian, 17/2/07) has pointed out the very clear paradox of the Spanish Civil War - that it is one of the few conflicts whose history is not monopolised by the victors.

Although this book has been said to be better balanced than average, the balance is still with the Republican side. We know full well how the Republicans "motivated" their own troops. There is less on this subject with regard to the Nationalists, especially the feared Moroccans. What motivated these colonial troops? And would Trotsky's advice for winning them over have worked?

Beevor exposes the idiocy of some in the Republican leadership in pursuing fatuous stunts like that at the Ebro, with catastrophic losses of men, matériel and morale, in the pursuit of a propaganda-worthy victory. There is also something that appears verging on sabotage in the way the Republican generals repeatedly launch initially successful attacks, only to allow their forces to get sucked into trying to mop up isolated resistance rather than pursuing their advantage. It all too often seems like the hesitation born of fear of failure results in increasing amounts of failure, which is then blamed on the hapless ex-Trots of the POUM.

There is less detail of this kind on the Nationalist side. He upbraids Franco for his obsession with Madrid, which nevertheless remained out of his grasp until the very end of the war, his vanity, and his strategic ineptness, and it is apparent that his German and Italian allies were at least close to considering him a buffoon. But there are fewer such stories than there are about Republican leaders such as Negrín, for example.

As Beevor's story progresses, the full horror of Stalinism's insidious effect on the war becomes increasingly tragic in its consequences, with the paranoia rampant in the ranks of the communists, contracted through their Russian commissars, spreading like a contagion within the entire Republican movement, so that trust and comradeship rapidly disintegrate. It is apparent from his account that the fragmented Republican factions were as afraid of each other as of Franco, sometimes with justification (Delores Ibárruri, La Pasionaria, is still commemorated by Trotskyists as L'Assassionaria).The virtual transformation of the International Brigades from volunteers to prisoners is a chilling development. The brutal punishment of Brigadistas after the battle of Brunete following their disintegration will surely have anyone contemplating a similar commitment now, should the opportunity arise, thinking more than twice.

Beevor adds to Stalin's tally of crimes the charge that, far from providing fraternal succour, the Soviet Union profited from its sale of arms and services, overcharging for these items in Spanish gold.

The book includes many references to the reports being made by Soviet agents back to Moscow and Stalin, which are enlightening in indicating the degree to which news from the war was dimensioned according to what Stalin wanted to hear - that blame for military defeats were due to the "fifth columnists" of the "international fascist" POUM, for example, thereby implicitly blaming Trotsky, despite Trotsky's own disavowal of his former devotees because of their participation in the Popular Front. The schismatic gene in the left continues to this day - no less than three Trotskyist candidates in the 2007 French presidential election, plus a communist.

Beevor gives plenty of food for thought in the "What If?" zone.

For example, what would have happened had the US and UK not been so craven, not only backing away from support of the legitimately elected Republicans, but even at times providing tacit support for the Nationalists, though admittedly the Royal Navy did also provide cover for merchant ships supplying the Basques.

There is a certain macabre irony that of the nations supposedly operating a blockade of Spain, two of them were Germany and Italy, so whilst everyone else was blocking supplies to both sides, the Germans and Italians were blocking supplies to the Republicans and actively supplying the Nationalists. The other powers, notably Britain, turned a blind eye to this state of affairs. Beevor reveals, perhaps tellingly, that Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's sister-in-law was openly a fascist sympathiser.

This made the civil war a very one-sided rehearsal for WWII. The Germans and Italians were able to field-test their armaments, battle-harden elite forces, and experiment with tactics - the blitzkrieg and one of its principal components, the Stuka, made their debuts in the service of Franco. Meanwhile, Soviet advisors received their initiation into the appliance of techniques which would not attract Stalin's disfavour because of their association with purged generals, rehearsed the infallible motivational technique of shooting their own retreating troops irrespective of circumstance, and perfected their blame-passing capabilities. The British and Americans not only chose to avert their gaze, they also intimidated the French into inaction. In fact, even at the death, as rampaging Nationalist forces slaughtered everything in their path, it was only the most searing embarrassment that persuaded the French to permit the retreating Republican forces to cross the border. But the relative humanitarianism of that act was soon smothered by their internment of refugees in horrendous concentration camps.

The irony is, as Niall Ferguson asserts in War Of The World, had the British acted sooner they would have caught the Germans underresourced and unprepared for full-scale conflict, thus averting WWII; had they done so, the Republicans would have been in far better shape to repulse the Nationalists, who would have been denied the men and matériel provided by the Germans, if not the Italians.

Beevor himself considers that history must always end with questions; conclusions are way too convenient.

The Battle For Spain is the first work of Beevor's I have read, but I doubt it will be the last. Overall, it is an impressive piece of work: thorough and well-written, even-handed at least insofar as it sees the flaws in both sides, and providing a plethora of localised stories for reflection. For example, how many, having read of the Republicans pitched over its side by marauding Nationalists, will be able to look into the ravine at Ronda in quite the same light again?

The account of the bombing of Guernica, harrowing as it is, is short on histrionics. Beevor reveals that the death toll was lower than the Republicans claimed, but the attack is confirmed as ruthless and brutal, a test of the effects of aerial bombardment by Richtofen and the Condor Legion. The collusion of the Catholic church in blaming such atrocities on the Republicans must rate as the greatest betrayal in Christian history since Judas: it was, after all, Catholics in Durango whose church was bombed and who were subsequently strafed as they fled. The bombing and strafing were courtesy of the Nationalists; the Catholic church put it about that the Republicans were responsible for the deaths. But short as it is on martial porn - overgraphic descriptions of carnage - the end of the war comes as something of a relief, aftershocks notwithstanding, because you don't need graphic descriptions to know it was hell.

It does, however, leave some questions unanswered, such as what was all this like for the people of Spain as a whole? What was it like to live in a Nationalist or Republican village but to be a non-combatant? Was it actually possible to be a non-combatant, or be relatively ignorant of the war? These questions are either overlooked or only partially answered, which is less a criticism of Beevor than an opportunity for someone else.



The Spanish Civil War, 24 Nov 2006
Antony Beevor's (AB) book on the Spanish Civil war is excellent background reading on this rather tragic event in the Spain's History. AB goes through every single detail of the war.

He starts off with describing the development of Spain right up to the `Rising of the Generals' in 1936 and follows this up by going through the various factions involved. There is also a whole section on the involvement of other countries - most notably that of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union - in the civil war. When he covers the intellectuals' reaction to the whole event, I was quite surprised at some of the `nostalgic views' expressed. The section, which made me shudder was the book's section on the internal power struggle between the various Republican factions. A lot of this was a copy-cat event of the Stalinist purges in the Soviet Union during the 1930s. AB goes into quite a bit of detail.

I must agree that some of the battles can be hard to follow, but it does help if you study the maps quite thoroughly. But then again I think it would also help if these maps weren't all at the beginning of the book but instead put at the spot of the corresponding battles.

AB of course covers the nationalist victory plus the time after and he doesn't exactly mince words on the style of politics under Franco. But he also asks if a republican victory would have been the better solution and he does not give any definite answer except saying that a Stalinist-type communist regime could have been significantly worse.

All told I found this book very good.


Tragic Spain, 18 Oct 2006
The Spanish Civil war must be one of the most tragic European wars of all time. Spaniard against Spaniard, a bloody conflict characterised by the failures on both sides but mainly the Republicans, to recognise modern warfare when they saw it and the clash of two bitterly opposed, totalitarian beliefs, Stalinist communism and Fascism. The contribution of Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, Soviet Russia and indeed, France and Great Britain to the perpetuation of this conflict as a testing ground for troops, tactics and weapons is well documented in this book.

Antony Beevor works through the mire of 1930's Spanish politics with aplomb, if confusingly, between the plethora of parties on both the left and the right, many identified simply by acronyms such as the POUM and the JONS. However, once the reader perseveres through the initial, context setting chapters the book opens up into a rich account of the often bloody and generally wasteful war through to its conclusion in 1939 on the eve of World War 2. The final chapter relates the continuing, relentless repression of the left in Spain right up to the 1960's when the advent of the package holiday finally opened up the country to peaceful outside influences and with General Franco's death, brought economic growth and stability.

This book was written sometime ago (1982) and it shows. A less polished if undoubtedly scholarly Antony Beevor shows through in comparison with later works (Stanlingrad, Berlin) and overall, the book has a more `academic' feel to it. One cannot help but feel the hand of a publisher seeing an early work re-published with a new title as a money-spinner. That said, I am pleased that it was and would recommend the book to all but the very casual reader.


Too biased towards the republican side, 17 Nov 2008
I didn't like this book as although no one would pretend that Franco wasn't a deeply unpleasant man let alone the German and Italian leaders who sent him assistance, the author doesn't seem to explain properly the following facts:

1 The republic government only had a small majority of seats and the opposition had a majority of votes. Although technically the republic government was the legal government a sensible govenment with a small majority of seats and a minority of votes would have tried to adopt moderate policies. The republican government managed to upset too many important groups at once with foolish policies some of which may have been right and some of which were definitely wrong but all of which were foolish for a government with only a small majority to introduce. They alienated the Church, the armed forces, the peasantry in some areas of the country, the landowners and even the moderate middle class. There were huge areas of the country where they were deeply unpopular.

2 During the Spanish Civil War there was infighting between communist and anarchist groups. Read Orwell's "Homagee to Catalonia" for details.

3 Both sides carried out gratuitous atrocities and the republicans murdered thousands of low ranking priests, monks and nuns many of whom had never had any involvement with politics and had spent their entire lives teaching or nursing the poor.

4 The republic govenment was supported by the USSR and the attitude of the republic government towards religion and private property made it difficult for many other countries e.g. the United States and Great Britian to give it any moral support.



Really useful Introduction, 26 Jun 2008
I was a total beginner in terms of knowing about the Spanish Civil War and came across this little book in the local branch of Blackwells. As an introductory text, it is superb, the layout of each chapter indicating the main themes which may further be explored.
The author first gives an overview of the origins of the war: the dying colonialism of Spain's Imperial past, the consequent loss of status and role for the officer clas, the rise of a new industrial class, the increasing influence of the professions, all of which came to challenge the traditonal grip of the church and the big estate owners.
The author then situates these political and economic changes within the context of the wider European struggles following the first World War, particulary the establishment of the Soviet Union and the consequent fears that Spain would also become socialist. Because of these, the support for Franco by the governments of Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany, which together with 'non-aligned' policies of Britain and the UK were in effect, guaranteed to lead to the defeat of the second Spanish Republic.
The author also discusses the internal splits between the socialists, communists,and the anarchists, its iconic significance for the international community of artists and intellectuls who moved by the Republican's idealism and effective military, political and economic isolation within Europe wrote, fought, painted and fought for the cause. She also en passim reflects upon the impact upon women, many of whom became political activists or fighters. She concludes that its signicance is crucial to any understanding of the subsequent development of European history.

A Very Substantial Introduction, 22 Oct 2007
There's so much material in this little book that I had to read it twice: the first time I was overwhelmed.

There's an 8 page chronology at the back of the book which I suggest reading first, to get an overview of the flow of events.

I had arrived at this book after reading Rudolf Rocker's "The Tragedy of Spain" and Colin Ward's "Anarchism: A Very Short Introduction", both of which discuss the role of the anarcho-syndicalist trade-union CNT in this civil war. The Wikipdea entry "Anarchism in Spain" also presents a significant role for the CNT in the Spanish Civil War. Graham references the CNT in a number of places but in minor ways, so I'm left uncertain as to whether they played as large a role as Rocker and Ward indicate. Graham notes some conflicts between the CNT and socialist groups which interfered with their working together effectively. Without help from England, France, and the United States and with limited help from the Soviet Union, the Left in Spain was at a huge disadvantage, given Italy and Germany's support of Franco. It seemed remarkable that the Left was able to fight for as long as it did.

I don't recall studying anything about this civil war in school, let alone knowing how much was involved. The relevance seems high: a country in which conservatives and liberals were in serious conflict. The conservatives started a war. A sobering lesson: bombing of, imprisonment of and execution of liberals. The conservatives won.

Graham has done her job in this introduction: I'm encouraged to read more about the Spanish Civil War. Graham provides 5 pages of further reading which includes some websites (3 in Spanish 2 in English)

Great overview of the political and social impact, less so for military aspects and causes, 18 Apr 2007
Before you buy this book, you need to ask yourself what aspects of the Spanish Civil war are you most curious about. If you are interested in the military history, then this is not the book for you, as little attention is devoted to the military developments of the war. Also, if you are interested in the origins of the war (i.e. what started it) then this book will only provide a general overview of the antecedents rather than a complex examination of them. However, if you have a general curiosity about the Civil War, especially the social and political aspects of it whilst it was going on, then this is a superb book.

The author has done three things particularly well. Firstly, the author been able to explain the political motivations of the outside powers Italy and Germany, whose involvement had more to do with cynical financial gains than it did with any ideological commonality with Franco. Secondly, the book beautifully examines and explains the strategies and motivations for the faction leaders. I found this to be amongst the most interesting aspects, and it was very informative to learn why Mussolini, Hitler, Franco and Negrin were involved in the war, and what strategies they had in place to get the best favourable outcome for their side. Finally, the author also elegantly weaves the international frictions of the time into the conflict into the story.

Another interesting and enjoyable part of the book is its examination of what happened to the losing side. We discover that many fighters fled to France and became active in the French resistance, some even making it via the leftist underground to the USSR. Indeed, many of these men would one day fight the Spanish nationalists for a second time, as they clashed with Spanish Blue Shirt volunteers in the Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front.

The book does have one or two weaknesses. One weakness is the aforementioned scant treatment of the origins of the war and its military developments, although to be fair the author does warn us that these aspects will not be covered in any depth. Perhaps more serious is the slight bias the author has for the Republican side in the conflict. Indeed, her accounts of the Republic border at times on a letter to a fan club, or even a hagiography.

All in all however, the book provides an excellent overview of the Spanish Civil War, and for the price is simply the best introduction there is.


A great starting point, 27 Jun 2006
This is a great introduction to the topic. There is all the information you require to get an overall picture of the war and give you ideas for areas to further research.
My one complaint would be that I found it sprang back and forth a bit in terms of time lines, but referring to the breakdown of the war by date at the back of the book helped keep it in order.

Quite Good, 09 Apr 2008
The Spanish Civil War by Anthony Beevor is an interesting account of a conflict which in many ways was a prelude to the Second World War. Having read some of the author's other works I knew that it was going to be well-written with a well constructed narative, although it is not as good as either Stalingrad or Berlin the Downfall. The work itself shows the destructive impact of a Civil War especially on a country as divided on linguistic and political lines as Spain. It also shows how democracy was allowed to be crushed by facism by Britain and France and also how the Nationalist forces were able to exploit the divisions in their opponents to win. All in all a good book although I have read better by this author.

Highly Recommended, 21 Dec 2007
Having read the author's 'Stalingrad' a few years ago, I was hoping for something of a tour de force with this book, and I wasn't disappointed. The Spanish Civil War is an incredibly convoluted subject to deal with, but Antony Beevor succeeds admirably in fusing the historical, political and military elements into a seamless whole. Of all the books I have read on this subject, this one is by far and away the best.


An Impressive Piece of Work, 03 May 2007

The Spanish Civil War is an endlessly fascinating period of history. Mixed in with the undoubted tragedy there's a frisson of romance about it. Artists, writers and idealists of many stripes flocked to "help". The likes of Ernest Hemingway, Laurie Lee, George Orwell and Victor Serge have given the Republican side literary credence. Picasso, Dali and others depicted the bestiality in visual art. Numerous commentators and agitators stood on the sidelines or frontlines and stirred the political stew - Trotsky to name just one. Eric Hobsbawm (The Guardian, 17/2/07) has pointed out the very clear paradox of the Spanish Civil War - that it is one of the few conflicts whose history is not monopolised by the victors.

Although this book has been said to be better balanced than average, the balance is still with the Republican side. We know full well how the Republicans "motivated" their own troops. There is less on this subject with regard to the Nationalists, especially the feared Moroccans. What motivated these colonial troops? And would Trotsky's advice for winning them over have worked?

Beevor exposes the idiocy of some in the Republican leadership in pursuing fatuous stunts like that at the Ebro, with catastrophic losses of men, matériel and morale, in the pursuit of a propaganda-worthy victory. There is also something that appears verging on sabotage in the way the Republican generals repeatedly launch initially successful attacks, only to allow their forces to get sucked into trying to mop up isolated resistance rather than pursuing their advantage. It all too often seems like the hesitation born of fear of failure results in increasing amounts of failure, which is then blamed on the hapless ex-Trots of the POUM.

There is less detail of this kind on the Nationalist side. He upbraids Franco for his obsession with Madrid, which nevertheless remained out of his grasp until the very end of the war, his vanity, and his strategic ineptness, and it is apparent that his German and Italian allies were at least close to considering him a buffoon. But there are fewer such stories than there are about Republican leaders such as Negrín, for example.

As Beevor's story progresses, the full horror of Stalinism's insidious effect on the war becomes increasingly tragic in its consequences, with the paranoia rampant in the ranks of the communists, contracted through their Russian commissars, spreading like a contagion within the entire Republican movement, so that trust and comradeship rapidly disintegrate. It is apparent from his account that the fragmented Republican factions were as afraid of each other as of Franco, sometimes with justification (Delores Ibárruri, La Pasionaria, is still commemorated by Trotskyists as L'Assassionaria).The virtual transformation of the International Brigades from volunteers to prisoners is a chilling development. The brutal punishment of Brigadistas after the battle of Brunete following their disintegration will surely have anyone contemplating a similar commitment now, should the opportunity arise, thinking more than twice.

Beevor adds to Stalin's tally of crimes the charge that, far from providing fraternal succour, the Soviet Union profited from its sale of arms and services, overcharging for these items in Spanish gold.

The book includes many references to the reports being made by Soviet agents back to Moscow and Stalin, which are enlightening in indicating the degree to which news from the war was dimensioned according to what Stalin wanted to hear - that blame for military defeats were due to the "fifth columnists" of the "international fascist" POUM, for example, thereby implicitly blaming Trotsky, despite Trotsky's own disavowal of his former devotees because of their participation in the Popular Front. The schismatic gene in the left continues to this day - no less than three Trotskyist candidates in the 2007 French presidential election, plus a communist.

Beevor gives plenty of food for thought in the "What If?" zone.

For example, what would have happened had the US and UK not been so craven, not only backing away from support of the legitimately elected Republicans, but even at times providing tacit support for the Nationalists, though admittedly the Royal Navy did also provide cover for merchant ships supplying the Basques.

There is a certain macabre irony that of the nations supposedly operating a blockade of Spain, two of them were Germany and Italy, so whilst everyone else was blocking supplies to both sides, the Germans and Italians were blocking supplies to the Republicans and actively supplying the Nationalists. The other powers, notably Britain, turned a blind eye to this state of affairs. Beevor reveals, perhaps tellingly, that Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's sister-in-law was openly a fascist sympathiser.

This made the civil war a very one-sided rehearsal for WWII. The Germans and Italians were able to field-test their armaments, battle-harden elite forces, and experiment with tactics - the blitzkrieg and one of its principal components, the Stuka, made their debuts in the service of Franco. Meanwhile, Soviet advisors received their initiation into the appliance of techniques which would not attract Stalin's disfavour because of their association with purged generals, rehearsed the infallible motivational technique of shooting their own retreating troops irrespective of circumstance, and perfected their blame-passing capabilities. The British and Americans not only chose to avert their gaze, they also intimidated the French into inaction. In fact, even at the death, as rampaging Nationalist forces slaughtered everything in their path, it was only the most searing embarrassment that persuaded the French to permit the retreating Republican forces to cross the border. But the relative humanitarianism of that act was soon smothered by their internment of refugees in horrendous concentration camps.

The irony is, as Niall Ferguson asserts in War Of The World, had the British acted sooner they would have caught the Germans underresourced and unprepared for full-scale conflict, thus averting WWII; had they done so, the Republicans would have been in far better shape to repulse the Nationalists, who would have been denied the men and matériel provided by the Germans, if not the Italians.

Beevor himself considers that history must always end with questions; conclusions are way too convenient.

The Battle For Spain is the first work of Beevor's I have read, but I doubt it will be the last. Overall, it is an impressive piece of work: thorough and well-written, even-handed at least insofar as it sees the flaws in both sides, and providing a plethora of localised stories for reflection. For example, how many, having read of the Republicans pitched over its side by marauding Nationalists, will be able to look into the ravine at Ronda in quite the same light again?

The account of the bombing of Guernica, harrowing as it is, is short on histrionics. Beevor reveals that the death toll was lower than the Republicans claimed, but the attack is confirmed as ruthless and brutal, a test of the effects of aerial bombardment by Richtofen and the Condor Legion. The collusion of the Catholic church in blaming such atrocities on the Republicans must rate as the greatest betrayal in Christian history since Judas: it was, after all, Catholics in Durango whose church was bombed and who were subsequently strafed as they fled. The bombing and strafing were courtesy of the Nationalists; the Catholic church put it about that the Republicans were responsible for the deaths. But short as it is on martial porn - overgraphic descriptions of carnage - the end of the war comes as something of a relief, aftershocks notwithstanding, because you don't need graphic descriptions to know it was hell.

It does, however, leave some questions unanswered, such as what was all this like for the people of Spain as a whole? What was it like to live in a Nationalist or Republican village but to be a non-combatant? Was it actually possible to be a non-combatant, or be relatively ignorant of the war? These questions are either overlooked or only partially answered, which is less a criticism of Beevor than an opportunity for someone else.



The Spanish Civil War, 24 Nov 2006
Antony Beevor's (AB) book on the Spanish Civil war is excellent background reading on this rather tragic event in the Spain's History. AB goes through every single detail of the war.

He starts off with describing the development of Spain right up to the `Rising of the Generals' in 1936 and follows this up by going through the various factions involved. There is also a whole section on the involvement of other countries - most notably that of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union - in the civil war. When he covers the intellectuals' reaction to the whole event, I was quite surprised at some of the `nostalgic views' expressed. The section, which made me shudder was the book's section on the internal power struggle between the various Republican factions. A lot of this was a copy-cat event of the Stalinist purges in the Soviet Union during the 1930s. AB goes into quite a bit of detail.

I must agree that some of the battles can be hard to follow, but it does help if you study the maps quite thoroughly. But then again I think it would also help if these maps weren't all at the beginning of the book but instead put at the spot of the corresponding battles.

AB of course covers the nationalist victory plus the time after and he doesn't exactly mince words on the style of politics under Franco. But he also asks if a republican victory would have been the better solution and he does not give any definite answer except saying that a Stalinist-type communist regime could have been significantly worse.

All told I found this book very good.


Tragic Spain, 18 Oct 2006
The Spanish Civil war must be one of the most tragic European wars of all time. Spaniard against Spaniard, a bloody conflict characterised by the failures on both sides but mainly the Republicans, to recognise modern warfare when they saw it and the clash of two bitterly opposed, totalitarian beliefs, Stalinist communism and Fascism. The contribution of Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, Soviet Russia and indeed, France and Great Britain to the perpetuation of this conflict as a testing ground for troops, tactics and weapons is well documented in this book.

Antony Beevor works through the mire of 1930's Spanish politics with aplomb, if confusingly, between the plethora of parties on both the left and the right, many identified simply by acronyms such as the POUM and the JONS. However, once the reader perseveres through the initial, context setting chapters the book opens up into a rich account of the often bloody and generally wasteful war through to its conclusion in 1939 on the eve of World War 2. The final chapter relates the continuing, relentless repression of the left in Spain right up to the 1960's when the advent of the package holiday finally opened up the country to peaceful outside influences and with General Franco's death, brought economic growth and stability.

This book was written sometime ago (1982) and it shows. A less polished if undoubtedly scholarly Antony Beevor shows through in comparison with later works (Stanlingrad, Berlin) and overall, the book has a more `academic' feel to it. One cannot help but feel the hand of a publisher seeing an early work re-published with a new title as a money-spinner. That said, I am pleased that it was and would recommend the book to all but the very casual reader.


Too biased towards the republican side, 17 Nov 2008
I didn't like this book as although no one would pretend that Franco wasn't a deeply unpleasant man let alone the German and Italian leaders who sent him assistance, the author doesn't seem to explain properly the following facts:

1 The republic government only had a small majority of seats and the opposition had a majority of votes. Although technically the republic government was the legal government a sensible govenment with a small majority of seats and a minority of votes would have tried to adopt moderate policies. The republican government managed to upset too many important groups at once with foolish policies some of which may have been right and some of which were definitely wrong but all of which were foolish for a government with only a small majority to introduce. They alienated the Church, the armed forces, the peasantry in some areas of the country, the landowners and even the moderate middle class. There were huge areas of the country where they were deeply unpopular.

2 During the Spanish Civil War there was infighting between communist and anarchist groups. Read Orwell's "Homagee to Catalonia" for details.

3 Both sides carried out gratuitous atrocities and the republicans murdered thousands of low ranking priests, monks and nuns many of whom had never had any involvement with politics and had spent their entire lives teaching or nursing the poor.

4 The republic govenment was supported by the USSR and the attitude of the republic government towards religion and private property made it difficult for many other countries e.g. the United States and Great Britian to give it any moral support.



Really useful Introduction, 26 Jun 2008
I was a total beginner in terms of knowing about the Spanish Civil War and came across this little book in the local branch of Blackwells. As an introductory text, it is superb, the layout of each chapter indicating the main themes which may further be explored.
The author first gives an overview of the origins of the war: the dying colonialism of Spain's Imperial past, the consequent loss of status and role for the officer clas, the rise of a new industrial class, the increasing influence of the professions, all of which came to challenge the traditonal grip of the church and the big estate owners.
The author then situates these political and economic changes within the context of the wider European struggles following the first World War, particulary the establishment of the Soviet Union and the consequent fears that Spain would also become socialist. Because of these, the support for Franco by the governments of Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany, which together with 'non-aligned' policies of Britain and the UK were in effect, guaranteed to lead to the defeat of the second Spanish Republic.
The author also discusses the internal splits between the socialists, communists,and the anarchists, its iconic significance for the international community of artists and intellectuls who moved by the Republican's idealism and effective military, political and economic isolation within Europe wrote, fought, painted and fought for the cause. She also en passim reflects upon the impact upon women, many of whom became political activists or fighters. She concludes that its signicance is crucial to any understanding of the subsequent development of European history.

A Very Substantial Introduction, 22 Oct 2007
There's so much material in this little book that I had to read it twice: the first time I was overwhelmed.

There's an 8 page chronology at the back of the book which I suggest reading first, to get an overview of the flow of events.

I had arrived at this book after reading Rudolf Rocker's "The Tragedy of Spain" and Colin Ward's "Anarchism: A Very Short Introduction", both of which discuss the role of the anarcho-syndicalist trade-union CNT in this civil war. The Wikipdea entry "Anarchism in Spain" also presents a significant role for the CNT in the Spanish Civil War. Graham references the CNT in a number of places but in minor ways, so I'm left uncertain as to whether they played as large a role as Rocker and Ward indicate. Graham notes some conflicts between the CNT and socialist groups which interfered with their working together effectively. Without help from England, France, and the United States and with limited help from the Soviet Union, the Left in Spain was at a huge disadvantage, given Italy and Germany's support of Franco. It seemed remarkable that the Left was able to fight for as long as it did.

I don't recall studying anything about this civil war in school, let alone knowing how much was involved. The relevance seems high: a country in which conservatives and liberals were in serious conflict. The conservatives started a war. A sobering lesson: bombing of, imprisonment of and execution of liberals. The conservatives won.

Graham has done her job in this introduction: I'm encouraged to read more about the Spanish Civil War. Graham provides 5 pages of further reading which includes some websites (3 in Spanish 2 in English)

Great overview of the political and social impact, less so for military aspects and causes, 18 Apr 2007
Before you buy this book, you need to ask yourself what aspects of the Spanish Civil war are you most curious about. If you are interested in the military history, then this is not the book for you, as little attention is devoted to the military developments of the war. Also, if you are interested in the origins of the war (i.e. what started it) then this book will only provide a general overview of the antecedents rather than a complex examination of them. However, if you have a general curiosity about the Civil War, especially the social and political aspects of it whilst it was going on, then this is a superb book.

The author has done three things particularly well. Firstly, the author been able to explain the political motivations of the outside powers Italy and Germany, whose involvement had more to do with cynical financial gains than it did with any ideological commonality with Franco. Secondly, the book beautifully examines and explains the strategies and motivations for the faction leaders. I found this to be amongst the most interesting aspects, and it was very informative to learn why Mussolini, Hitler, Franco and Negrin were involved in the war, and what strategies they had in place to get the best favourable outcome for their side. Finally, the author also elegantly weaves the international frictions of the time into the conflict into the story.

Another interesting and enjoyable part of the book is its examination of what happened to the losing side. We discover that many fighters fled to France and became active in the French resistance, some even making it via the leftist underground to the USSR. Indeed, many of these men would one day fight the Spanish nationalists for a second time, as they clashed with Spanish Blue Shirt volunteers in the Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front.

The book does have one or two weaknesses. One weakness is the aforementioned scant treatment of the origins of the war and its military developments, although to be fair the author does warn us that these aspects will not be covered in any depth. Perhaps more serious is the slight bias the author has for the Republican side in the conflict. Indeed, her accounts of the Republic border at times on a letter to a fan club, or even a hagiography.

All in all however, the book provides an excellent overview of the Spanish Civil War, and for the price is simply the best introduction there is.


A great starting point, 27 Jun 2006
This is a great introduction to the topic. There is all the information you require to get an overall picture of the war and give you ideas for areas to further research.
My one complaint would be that I found it sprang back and forth a bit in terms of time lines, but referring to the breakdown of the war by date at the back of the book helped keep it in order.

Concise and well written, 02 Feb 2008
While this may not be the most complete book about the Spanish Civil War, it is a pleasantly well written and concise account of the conflict.
It provides a good overview of the civil war years, without the pain of going through dates, battles and all the detail that you may find on other history books. It does have a good index of references at the end though.Paul Preston's prose has such a good rithm that it feels almost like reading a novel.
A good recomendation for those that wish some general knowledge about the war. If you want something more detailed (with pictures, front evolution maps etc) you will need to go for a bigger volume.

Slanted, doctored and biased, 03 Sep 2007
Totally and utterly biased. The Nationalists can do no right, while the Republic can do no wrong. This book should be treated with great caution even by those who have a wealth of knowledge about the Spanish Civil War and should be completely ignored by those without any previous knowledge of it and looking for an introduction to the subject. Written by someone claiming to be an historian - he should be ashamed of himself.

Fine work, 02 May 2007
This book was essentially re-edited owing to the 70th anniversary of the war that started last year and will end in 2009. Preston's work on the subject is exemplary to begin with and this particular book is no exception.
Admittedly, I brought it to help with study and read it to help with revision some months later. However, Preston's book is interesting and informative on the matter. It might not be as long as others on the war but it is nonetheless a fine work. It is a perfect book for those who know little or nothing on the war and should not be overlooked when considering the war.

Quite Good, 09 Apr 2008
The Spanish Civil War by Anthony Beevor is an interesting account of a conflict which in many ways was a prelude to the Second World War. Having read some of the author's other works I knew that it was going to be well-written with a well constructed narative, although it is not as good as either Stalingrad or Berlin the Downfall. The work itself shows the destructive impact of a Civil War especially on a country as divided on linguistic and political lines as Spain. It also shows how democracy was allowed to be crushed by facism by Britain and France and also how the Nationalist forces were able to exploit the divisions in their opponents to win. All in all a good book although I have read better by this author.

Highly Recommended, 21 Dec 2007
Having read the author's 'Stalingrad' a few years ago, I was hoping for something of a tour de force with this book, and I wasn't disappointed. The Spanish Civil War is an incredibly convoluted subject to deal with, but Antony Beevor succeeds admirably in fusing the historical, political and military elements into a seamless whole. Of all the books I have read on this subject, this one is by far and away the best.


An Impressive Piece of Work, 03 May 2007

The Spanish Civil War is an endlessly fascinating period of history. Mixed in with the undoubted tragedy there's a frisson of romance about it. Artists, writers and idealists of many stripes flocked to "help". The likes of Ernest Hemingway, Laurie Lee, George Orwell and Victor Serge have given the Republican side literary credence. Picasso, Dali and others depicted the bestiality in visual art. Numerous commentators and agitators stood on the sidelines or frontlines and stirred the political stew - Trotsky to name just one. Eric Hobsbawm (The Guardian, 17/2/07) has pointed out the very clear paradox of the Spanish Civil War - that it is one of the few conflicts whose history is not monopolised by the victors.

Although this book has been said to be better balanced than average, the balance is still with the Republican side. We know full well how the Republicans "motivated" their own troops. There is less on this subject with regard to the Nationalists, especially the feared Moroccans. What motivated these colonial troops? And would Trotsky's advice for winning them over have worked?

Beevor exposes the idiocy of some in the Republican leadership in pursuing fatuous stunts like that at the Ebro, with catastrophic losses of men, matériel and morale, in the pursuit of a propaganda-worthy victory. There is also something that appears verging on sabotage in the way the Republican generals repeatedly launch initially successful attacks, only to allow their forces to get sucked into trying to mop up isolated resistance rather than pursuing their advantage. It all too often seems like the hesitation born of fear of failure results in increasing amounts of failure, which is then blamed on the hapless ex-Trots of the POUM.

There is less detail of this kind on the Nationalist side. He upbraids Franco for his obsession with Madrid, which nevertheless remained out of his grasp until the very end of the war, his vanity, and his strategic ineptness, and it is apparent that his German and Italian allies were at least close to considering him a buffoon. But there are fewer such stories than there are about Republican leaders such as Negrín, for example.

As Beevor's story progresses, the full horror of Stalinism's insidious effect on the war becomes increasingly tragic in its consequences, with the paranoia rampant in the ranks of the communists, contracted through their Russian commissars, spreading like a contagion within the entire Republican movement, so that trust and comradeship rapidly disintegrate. It is apparent from his account that the fragmented Republican factions were as afraid of each other as of Franco, sometimes with justification (Delores Ibárruri, La Pasionaria, is still commemorated by Trotskyists as L'Assassionaria).The virtual transformation of the International Brigades from volunteers to prisoners is a chilling development. The brutal punishment of Brigadistas after the battle of Brunete following their disintegration will surely have anyone contemplating a similar commitment now, should the opportunity arise, thinking more than twice.

Beevor adds to Stalin's tally of crimes the charge that, far from providing fraternal succour, the Soviet Union profited from its sale of arms and services, overcharging for these items in Spanish gold.

The book includes many references to the reports being made by Soviet agents back to Moscow and Stalin, which are enlightening in indicating the degree to which news from the war was dimensioned according to what Stalin wanted to hear - that blame for military defeats were due to the "fifth columnists" of the "international fascist" POUM, for example, thereby implicitly blaming Trotsky, despite Trotsky's own disavowal of his former devotees because of their participation in the Popular Front. The schismatic gene in the left continues to this day - no less than three Trotskyist candidates in the 2007 French presidential election, plus a communist.

Beevor gives plenty of food for thought in the "What If?" zone.

For example, what would have happened had the US and UK not been so craven, not only backing away from support of the legitimately elected Republicans, but even at times providing tacit support for the Nationalists, though admittedly the Royal Navy did also provide cover for merchant ships supplying the Basques.

There is a certain macabre irony that of the nations supposedly operating a blockade of Spain, two of them were Germany and Italy, so whilst everyone else was blocking supplies to both sides, the Germans and Italians were blocking supplies to the Republicans and actively supplying the Nationalists. The other powers, notably Britain, turned a blind eye to this state of affairs. Beevor reveals, perhaps tellingly, that Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's sister-in-law was openly a fascist sympathiser.

This made the civil war a very one-sided rehearsal for WWII. The Germans and Italians were able to field-test their armaments, battle-harden elite forces, and experiment with tactics - the blitzkrieg and one of its principal components, the Stuka, made their debuts in the service of Franco. Meanwhile, Soviet advisors received their initiation into the appliance of techniques which would not attract Stalin's disfavour because of their association with purged generals, rehearsed the infallible motivational technique of shooting their own retreating troops irrespective of circumstance, and perfected their blame-passing capabilities. The British and Americans not only chose to avert their gaze, they also intimidated the French into inaction. In fact, even at the death, as rampaging Nationalist forces slaughtered everything in their path, it was only the most searing embarrassment that persuaded the French to permit the retreating Republican forces to cross the border. But the relative humanitarianism of that act was soon smothered by their internment of refugees in horrendous concentration camps.

The irony is, as Niall Ferguson asserts in War Of The World, had the British acted sooner they would have caught the Germans underresourced and unprepared for full-scale conflict, thus averting WWII; had they done so, the Republicans would have been in far better shape to repulse the Nationalists, who would have been denied the men and matériel provided by the Germans, if not the Italians.

Beevor himself considers that history must always end with questions; conclusions are way too convenient.

The Battle For Spain is the first work of Beevor's I have read, but I doubt it will be the last. Overall, it is an impressive piece of work: thorough and well-written, even-handed at least insofar as it sees the flaws in both sides, and providing a plethora of localised stories for reflection. For example, how many, having read of the Republicans pitched over its side by marauding Nationalists, will be able to look into the ravine at Ronda in quite the same light again?

The account of the bombing of Guernica, harrowing as it is, is short on histrionics. Beevor reveals that the death toll was lower than the Republicans claimed, but the attack is confirmed as ruthless and brutal, a test of the effects of aerial bombardment by Richtofen and the Condor Legion. The collusion of the Catholic church in blaming such atrocities on the Republicans must rate as the greatest betrayal in Christian history since Judas: it was, after all, Catholics in Durango whose church was bombed and who were subsequently strafed as they fled. The bombing and strafing were courtesy of the Nationalists; the Catholic church put it about that the Republicans were responsible for the deaths. But short as it is on martial porn - overgraphic descriptions of carnage - the end of the war comes as something of a relief, aftershocks notwithstanding, because you don't need graphic descriptions to know it was hell.

It does, however, leave some questions unanswered, such as what was all this like for the people of Spain as a whole? What was it like to live in a Nationalist or Republican village but to be a non-combatant? Was it actually possible to be a non-combatant, or be relatively ignorant of the war? These questions are either overlooked or only partially answered, which is less a criticism of Beevor than an opportunity for someone else.



The Spanish Civil War, 24 Nov 2006
Antony Beevor's (AB) book on the Spanish Civil war is excellent background reading on this rather tragic event in the Spain's History. AB goes through every single detail of the war.

He starts off with describing the development of Spain right up to the `Rising of the Generals' in 1936 and follows this up by going through the various factions involved. There is also a whole section on the involvement of other countries - most notably that of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union - in the civil war. When he covers the intellectuals' reaction to the whole event, I was quite surprised at some of the `nostalgic views' expressed. The section, which made me shudder was the book's section on the internal power struggle between the various Republican factions. A lot of this was a copy-cat event of the Stalinist purges in the Soviet Union during the 1930s. AB goes into quite a bit of detail.

I must agree that some of the battles can be hard to follow, but it does help if you study the maps quite thoroughly. But then again I think it would also help if these maps weren't all at the beginning of the book but instead put at the spot of the corresponding battles.

AB of course covers the nationalist victory plus the time after and he doesn't exactly mince words on the style of politics under Franco. But he also asks if a republican victory would have been the better solution and he does not give any definite answer except saying that a Stalinist-type communist regime could have been significantly worse.

All told I found this book very good.


Tragic Spain, 18 Oct 2006
The Spanish Civil war must be one of the most tragic European wars of all time. Spaniard against Spaniard, a bloody conflict characterised by the failures on both sides but mainly the Republicans, to recognise modern warfare when they saw it and the clash of two bitterly opposed, totalitarian beliefs, Stalinist communism and Fascism. The contribution of Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, Soviet Russia and indeed, France and Great Britain to the perpetuation of this conflict as a testing ground for troops, tactics and weapons is well documented in this book.

Antony Beevor works through the mire of 1930's Spanish politics with aplomb, if confusingly, between the plethora of parties on both the left and the right, many identified simply by acronyms such as the POUM and the JONS. However, once the reader perseveres through the initial, context setting chapters the book opens up into a rich account of the often bloody and generally wasteful war through to its conclusion in 1939 on the eve of World War 2. The final chapter relates the continuing, relentless repression of the left in Spain right up to the 1960's when the advent of the package holiday finally opened up the country to peaceful outside influences and with General Franco's death, brought economic growth and stability.

This book was written sometime ago (1982) and it shows. A less polished if undoubtedly scholarly Antony Beevor shows through in comparison with later works (Stanlingrad, Berlin) and overall, the book has a more `academic' feel to it. One cannot help but feel the hand of a publisher seeing an early work re-published with a new title as a money-spinner. That said, I am pleased that it was and would recommend the book to all but the very casual reader.


Too biased towards the republican side, 17 Nov 2008
I didn't like this book as although no one would pretend that Franco wasn't a deeply unpleasant man let alone the German and Italian leaders who sent him assistance, the author doesn't seem to explain properly the following facts:

1 The republic government only had a small majority of seats and the opposition had a majority of votes. Although technically the republic government was the legal government a sensible govenment with a small majority of seats and a minority of votes would have tried to adopt moderate policies. The republican government managed to upset too many important groups at once with foolish policies some of which may have been right and some of which were definitely wrong but all of which were foolish for a government with only a small majority to introduce. They alienated the Church, the armed forces, the peasantry in some areas of the country, the landowners and even the moderate middle class. There were huge areas of the country where they were deeply unpopular.

2 During the Spanish Civil War there was infighting between communist and anarchist groups. Read Orwell's "Homagee to Catalonia" for details.

3 Both sides carried out gratuitous atrocities and the republicans murdered thousands of low ranking priests, monks and nuns many of whom had never had any involvement with politics and had spent their entire lives teaching or nursing the poor.

4 The republic govenment was supported by the USSR and the attitude of the republic government towards religion and private property made it difficult for many other countries e.g. the United States and Great Britian to give it any moral support.



Really useful Introduction, 26 Jun 2008
I was a total beginner in terms of knowing about the Spanish Civil War and came across this little book in the local branch of Blackwells. As an introductory text, it is superb, the layout of each chapter indicating the main themes which may further be explored.
The author first gives an overview of the origins of the war: the dying colonialism of Spain's Imperial past, the consequent loss of status and role for the officer clas, the rise of a new industrial class, the increasing influence of the professions, all of which came to challenge the traditonal grip of the church and the big estate owners.
The author then situates these political and economic changes within the context of the wider European struggles following the first World War, particulary the establishment of the Soviet Union and the consequent fears that Spain would also become socialist. Because of these, the support for Franco by the governments of Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany, which together with 'non-aligned' policies of Britain and the UK were in effect, guaranteed to lead to the defeat of the second Spanish Republic.
The author also discusses the internal splits between the socialists, communists,and the anarchists, its iconic significance for the international community of artists and intellectuls who moved by the Republican's idealism and effective military, political and economic isolation within Europe wrote, fought, painted and fought for the cause. She also en passim reflects upon the impact upon women, many of whom became political activists or fighters. She concludes that its signicance is crucial to any understanding of the subsequent development of European history.

A Very Substantial Introduction, 22 Oct 2007
There's so much material in this little book that I had to read it twice: the first time I was overwhelmed.

There's an 8 page chronology at the back of the book which I suggest reading first, to get an overview of the flow of events.

I had arrived at this book after reading Rudolf Rocker's "The Tragedy of Spain" and Colin Ward's "Anarchism: A Very Short Introduction", both of which discuss the role of the anarcho-syndicalist trade-union CNT in this civil war. The Wikipdea entry "Anarchism in Spain" also presents a significant role for the CNT in the Spanish Civil War. Graham references the CNT in a number of places but in minor ways, so I'm left uncertain as to whether they played as large a role as Rocker and Ward indicate. Graham notes some conflicts between the CNT and socialist groups which interfered with their working together effectively. Without help from England, France, and the United States and with limited help from the Soviet Union, the Left in Spain was at a huge disadvantage, given Italy and Germany's support of Franco. It seemed remarkable that the Left was able to fight for as long as it did.

I don't recall studying anything about this civil war in school, let alone knowing how much was involved. The relevance seems high: a country in which conservatives and liberals were in serious conflict. The conservatives started a war. A sobering lesson: bombing of, imprisonment of and execution of liberals. The conservatives won.

Graham has done her job in this introduction: I'm encouraged to read more about the Spanish Civil War. Graham provides 5 pages of further reading which includes some websites (3 in Spanish 2 in English)

Great overview of the political and social impact, less so for military aspects and causes, 18 Apr 2007
Before you buy this book, you need to ask yourself what aspects of the Spanish Civil war are you most curious about. If you are interested in the military history, then this is not the book for you, as little attention is devoted to the military developments of the war. Also, if you are interested in the origins of the war (i.e. what started it) then this book will only provide a general overview of the antecedents rather than a complex examination of them. However, if you have a general curiosity about the Civil War, especially the social and political aspects of it whilst it was going on, then this is a superb book.

The author has done three things particularly well. Firstly, the author been able to explain the political motivations of the outside powers Italy and Germany, whose involvement had more to do with cynical financial gains than it did with any ideological commonality with Franco. Secondly, the book beautifully examines and explains the strategies and motivations for the faction leaders. I found this to be amongst the most interesting aspects, and it was very informative to learn why Mussolini, Hitler, Franco and Negrin were involved in the war, and what strategies they had in place to get the best favourable outcome for their side. Finally, the author also elegantly weaves the international frictions of the time into the conflict into the story.

Another interesting and enjoyable part of the book is its examination of what happened to the losing side. We discover that many fighters fled to France and became active in the French resistance, some even making it via the leftist underground to the USSR. Indeed, many of these men would one day fight the Spanish nationalists for a second time, as they clashed with Spanish Blue Shirt volunteers in the Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front.

The book does have one or two weaknesses. One weakness is the aforementioned scant treatment of the origins of the war and its military developments, although to be fair the author does warn us that these aspects will not be covered in any depth. Perhaps more serious is the slight bias the author has for the Republican side in the conflict. Indeed, her accounts of the Republic border at times on a letter to a fan club, or even a hagiography.

All in all however, the book provides an excellent overview of the Spanish Civil War, and for the price is simply the best introduction there is.


A great starting point, 27 Jun 2006
This is a great introduction to the topic. There is all the information you require to get an overall picture of the war and give you ideas for areas to further research.
My one complaint would be that I found it sprang back and forth a bit in terms of time lines, but referring to the breakdown of the war by date at the back of the book helped keep it in order.

Concise and well written, 02 Feb 2008
While this may not be the most complete book about the Spanish Civil War, it is a pleasantly well written and concise account of the conflict.
It provides a good overview of the civil war years, without the pain of going through dates, battles and all the detail that you may find on other history books. It does have a good index of references at the end though.Paul Preston's prose has such a good rithm that it feels almost like reading a novel.
A good recomendation for those that wish some general knowledge about the war. If you want something more detailed (with pictures, front evolution maps etc) you will need to go for a bigger volume.

Slanted, doctored and biased, 03 Sep 2007
Totally and utterly biased. The Nationalists can do no right, while the Republic can do no wrong. This book should be treated with great caution even by those who have a wealth of knowledge about the Spanish Civil War and should be completely ignored by those without any previous knowledge of it and looking for an introduction to the subject. Written by someone claiming to be an historian - he should be ashamed of himself.

Fine work, 02 May 2007
This book was essentially re-edited owing to the 70th anniversary of the war that started last year and will end in 2009. Preston's work on the subject is exemplary to begin with and this particular book is no exception.
Admittedly, I brought it to help with study and read it to help with revision some months later. However, Preston's book is interesting and informative on the matter. It might not be as long as others on the war but it is nonetheless a fine work. It is a perfect book for those who know little or nothing on the war and should not be overlooked when considering the war.

A great overview of the conflict, 03 Feb 2008
Hugh Thomas wrote this book after years of research and was able to interview direct witnesses of the main events.

The book was published only 25 years after the end of the war, Spain was still under the dictatorship of General Franco and many prominent republicans were living in the exile. Although the author tries to remain neutral on the account of events he is not always able to do so.

The book has special interest in the political dimension of the conflict and in particular the International involvement of the main European powers, the description of the main battles is somehow superficial in order limit the size of the book.

I was lucky enough to find a hardback first edition in a charity shop with elegant maps and a very useful index plus a list of selected bibliography.

Some of the vents described in the book have been disputed in recent years this book along with Anthony Beevor remain the most complete works so far.

A Balanced View of a Struggle which Still leaves its marks., 16 Mar 2006
I enjoyed this book so much that I was at first shocked by the reviewer who said it was useless for him. On second thought, it probably is not a book for people without some background in 19th and 20th century European history. Most books on the subject tend to divide the various factions between villains and heroes. The reality is that so many horrible murders were carried out on both sides that it's difficult to see who the "good guys" are. When you here that in the beautiful Andalusian town of Ronda, left-wing militias gathered together much of the middle classes of the town and pushed them over the edge of the steep cliff, a panoramic beauty spot much visited by tourists, or that in Paracuellos many "bourgeois" captives were massacred in cold blood by left-wing death squads with probable Communist party connections, it makes your blood run cold. Priests slaughtered, nuns raped and assassinated, all these things are fully balanced out by the atrocities carried out by Franco's troops. Hugh Thomas is not a famous right-winger, so his description is all the more valuable and his sources impeccable. Perhaps the book's only failing is that not enough effort is made to understand the background of the conflict. Was this civil war really necessary? This is a splendid source for people hungry for knowledge about 20th Century, and is highly recommended.

An academic triumph, 10 Oct 2005
This is a most fantastically well-researched book. For any budding historian who wants to find out about the Spanish Civil War s/he will find the answer in this book. Or, if not, the bibliography with which to make further research.

But if, like me, you're just someone who's interested in the subject and would like to understand the general issues regarding the War , this book is all but useless.

There is so much detail and information that any 'normal' person will feel quite overwhelmed. It took me something like 150 pages to work out what the republicans and nationalists represented and who was on which side??

There must be better books on the market which will give a better overview of the Spanish Civil War than this one does.

one of the best books on Spanish Civil War, 16 Oct 2004
Past Sunday was celebrated in Madrid "El día de la Hispanidad" with a military parade that included troops of France and Italy and the disputed presence of two ex Spanish ex combatants, one from the "Division Azul" (voluntaries who fought with Nazi Germany against the USSR) and another of the Republican side that entered leading the liberation of Paris with the Allies in the column Leclerc, as he surely was an experienced soldier of the French Resistance. This apparition of two old enemies from 60 years ago has been very debated in Spanish press, but to understand and judge with justice why exploded the Spanish Civil War I think it's necessary to have I count the position of the two parts.
In 1936, Republic was the legal government. It had the support of the intellectuals and poor oppressed masses of workers. Indeed the Republic was the one and only legal government of Spain but... Politics aren't made only with good will, and Republic failed terribly, at first, in maintaining law and order in the streets, so, pistoleros or gunmen without control ran freely by the streets murdering priests, burning churches, kidnapping, etc. Communist and Anarchist parties fought one against the other and ordinary life was almost impossible in Madrid and Barcelona. Another problem was the tension between more and less developed regions or "Autonomías", a danger for the unity of Spain as one country, as our territory is vast for the current population.
So, no wonder if the nationalist side of Franco did a putsch. In this side were the most retrograde aristocracy and the Catholic Church, but they had an organization, of course military, that constituted a true unity with some light differences between the pragmatic military Franco and the more ideological pro fascist Falange, but the execution by the Republicans of the chief of the Falange, Antonio Primo de Rivera, eliminated practically all dissension between the rebels. So the Republic, without much weapons excepting some from the revolutionary Republic of Mexico and the USSR and divided in internal factions confronted almost all time, was defeated, as Franco counted with the support of German and Italian aircraft and tanks that were the ultimate for the times. I don't want to say here if the final result was good or bad, but only to explain how it happened at the cost of one million dead in a country of a little more than 30 million of total population by these times. This book explains how much of Spanish problems happened also in all Europe and even the whole World, and the participation of foreigners in both sides.

Divided on all dimensions, 12 Aug 2002
Spaniards in the thirties appear to have been split on about any political dimension -church; authoritarianism versus democracy or anarchy; centralism versus decentralism; republicanism versus monarchism. And on all dimensions the extremes were much stronger than the center. Alliances were formed but political differences only faded just before military collapse. This makes the Spanish Civil War a fascinating read and Thomas' book is a great achievement. It is not an easy read though. Obviously, the complexities of Spanish politics in the thirties and the detail of the account are the main cause. However, the writer could have helped with occasional summaries or an annex listing parties and what they stood for. By contrast, such (unexplained) statements like the one that Spain was called the 'European Adlershot' did not help me. Neither did about half the maps which only indicate towns not mentioned in the text. On balance however this is just to say there are some final touches for an editor to make to this very good book.

Quite Good, 09 Apr 2008
The Spanish Civil War by Anthony Beevor is an interesting account of a conflict which in many ways was a prelude to the Second World War. Having read some of the author's other works I knew that it was going to be well-written with a well constructed narative, although it is not as good as either Stalingrad or Berlin the Downfall. The work itself shows the destructive impact of a Civil War especially on a country as divided on linguistic and political lines as Spain. It also shows how democracy was allowed to be crushed by facism by Britain and France and also how the Nationalist forces were able to exploit the divisions in their opponents to win. All in all a good book although I have read better by this author.

Highly Recommended, 21 Dec 2007
Having read the author's 'Stalingrad' a few years ago, I was hoping for something of a tour de force with this book, and I wasn't disappointed. The Spanish Civil War is an incredibly convoluted subject to deal with, but Antony Beevor succeeds admirably in fusing the historical, political and military elements into a seamless whole. Of all the books I have read on this subject, this one is by far and away the best.


An Impressive Piece of Work, 03 May 2007

The Spanish Civil War is an endlessly fascinating period of history. Mixed in with the undoubted tragedy there's a frisson of romance about it. Artists, writers and idealists of many stripes flocked to "help". The likes of Ernest Hemingway, Laurie Lee, George Orwell and Victor Serge have given the Republican side literary credence. Picasso, Dali and others depicted the bestiality in visual art. Numerous commentators and agitators stood on the sidelines or frontlines and stirred the political stew - Trotsky to name just one. Eric Hobsbawm (The Guardian, 17/2/07) has pointed out the very clear paradox of the Spanish Civil War - that it is one of the few conflicts whose history is not monopolised by the victors.

Although this book has been said to be better balanced than average, the balance is still with the Republican side. We know full well how the Republicans "motivated" their own troops. There is less on this subject with regard to the Nationalists, especially the feared Moroccans. What motivated these colonial troops? And would Trotsky's advice for winning them over have worked?

Beevor exposes the idiocy of some in the Republican leadership in pursuing fatuous stunts like that at the Ebro, with catastrophic losses of men, matériel and morale, in the pursuit of a propaganda-worthy victory. There is also something that appears verging on sabotage in the way the Republican generals repeatedly launch initially successful attacks, only to allow their forces to get sucked into trying to mop up isolated resistance rather than pursuing their advantage. It all too often seems like the hesitation born of fear of failure results in increasing amounts of failure, which is then blamed on the hapless ex-Trots of the POUM.

There is less detail of this kind on the Nationalist side. He upbraids Franco for his obsession with Madrid, which nevertheless remained out of his grasp until the very end of the war, his vanity, and his strategic ineptness, and it is apparent that his German and Italian allies were at least close to considering him a buffoon. But there are fewer such stories than there are about Republican leaders such as Negrín, for example.

As Beevor's story progresses, the full horror of Stalinism's insidious effect on the war becomes increasingly tragic in its consequences, with the paranoia rampant in the ranks of the communists, contracted through their Russian commissars, spreading like a contagion within the entire Republican movement, so that trust and comradeship rapidly disintegrate. It is apparent from his account that the fragmented Republican factions were as afraid of each other as of Franco, sometimes with justification (Delores Ibárruri, La Pasionaria, is still commemorated by Trotskyists as L'Assassionaria).The virtual transformation of the International Brigades from volunteers to prisoners is a chilling development. The brutal punishment of Brigadistas after the battle of Brunete following their disintegration will surely have anyone contemplating a similar commitment now, should the opportunity arise, thinking more than twice.

Beevor adds to Stalin's tally of crimes the charge that, far from providing fraternal succour, the Soviet Union profited from its sale of arms and services, overcharging for these items in Spanish gold.

The book includes many references to the reports being made by Soviet agents back to Moscow and Stalin, which are enlightening in indicating the degree to which news from the war was dimensioned according to what Stalin wanted to hear - that blame for military defeats were due to the "fifth columnists" of the "international fascist" POUM, for example, thereby implicitly blaming Trotsky, despite Trotsky's own disavowal of his former devotees because of their participation in the Popular Front. The schismatic gene in the left continues to this day - no less than three Trotskyist candidates in the 2007 French presidential election, plus a communist.

Beevor gives plenty of food for thought in the "What If?" zone.

For example, what would have happened had the US and UK not been so craven, not only backing away from support of the legitimately elected Republicans, but even at times providing tacit support for the Nationalists, though admittedly the Royal Navy did also provide cover for merchant ships supplying the Basques.

There is a certain macabre irony that of the nations supposedly operating a blockade of Spain, two of them were Germany and Italy, so whilst everyone else was blocking supplies to both sides, the Germans and Italians were blocking supplies to the Republicans and actively supplying the Nationalists. The other powers, notably Britain, turned a blind eye to this state of affairs. Beevor reveals, perhaps tellingly, that Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's sister-in-law was openly a fascist sympathiser.

This made the civil war a very one-sided rehearsal for WWII. The Germans and Italians were able to field-test their armaments, battle-harden elite forces, and experiment with tactics - the blitzkrieg and one of its principal components, the Stuka, made their debuts in the service of Franco. Meanwhile, Soviet advisors received their initiation into the appliance of techniques which would not attract Stalin's disfavour because of their association with purged generals, rehearsed the infallible motivational technique of shooting their own retreating troops irrespective of circumstance, and perfected their blame-passing capabilities. The British and Americans not only chose to avert their gaze, they also intimidated the French into inaction. In fact, even at the death, as rampaging Nationalist forces slaughtered everything in their path, it was only the most searing embarrassment that persuaded the French to permit the retreating Republican forces to cross the border. But the relative humanitarianism of that act was soon smothered by their internment of refugees in horrendous concentration camps.

The irony is, as Niall Ferguson asserts in War Of The World, had the British acted sooner they would have caught the Germans underresourced and unprepared for full-scale conflict, thus averting WWII; had they done so, the Republicans would have been in far better shape to repulse the Nationalists, who would have been denied the men and matériel provided by the Germans, if not the Italians.

Beevor himself considers that history must always end with questions; conclusions are way too convenient.

The Battle For Spain is the first work of Beevor's I have read, but I doubt it will be the last. Overall, it is an impressive piece of work: thorough and well-written, even-handed at least insofar as it sees the flaws in both sides, and providing a plethora of localised stories for reflection. For example, how many, having read of the Republicans pitched over its side by marauding Nationalists, will be able to look into the ravine at Ronda in quite the same light again?

The account of the bombing of Guernica, harrowing as it is, is short on histrionics. Beevor reveals that the death toll was lower than the Republicans claimed, but the attack is confirmed as ruthless and brutal, a test of the effects of aerial bombardment by Richtofen and the Condor Legion. The collusion of the Catholic church in blaming such atrocities on the Republicans must rate as the greatest betrayal in Christian history since Judas: it was, after all, Catholics in Durango whose church was bombed and who were subsequently strafed as they fled. The bombing and strafing were courtesy of the Nationalists; the Catholic church put it about that the Republicans were responsible for the deaths. But short as it is on martial porn - overgraphic descriptions of carnage - the end of the war comes as something of a relief, aftershocks notwithstanding, because you don't need graphic descriptions to know it was hell.

It does, however, leave some questions unanswered, such as what was all this like for the people of Spain as a whole? What was it like to live in a Nationalist or Republican village but to be a non-combatant? Was it actually possible to be a non-combatant, or be relatively ignorant of the war? These questions are either overlooked or only partially answered, which is less a criticism of Beevor than an opportunity for someone else.



The Spanish Civil War, 24 Nov 2006
Antony Beevor's (AB) book on the Spanish Civil war is excellent background reading on this rather tragic event in the Spain's History. AB goes through every single detail of the war.

He starts off with describing the development of Spain right up to the `Rising of the Generals' in 1936 and follows this up by going through the various factions involved. There is also a whole section on the involvement of other countries - most notably that of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union - in the civil war. When he covers the intellectuals' reaction to the whole event, I was quite surprised at some of the `nostalgic views' expressed. The section, which made me shudder was the book's section on the internal power struggle between the various Republican factions. A lot of this was a copy-cat event of the Stalinist purges in the Soviet Union during the 1930s. AB goes into quite a bit of detail.

I must agree that some of the battles can be hard to follow, but it does help if you study the maps quite thoroughly. But then again I think it would also help if these maps weren't all at the beginning of the book but instead put at the spot of the corresponding battles.

AB of course covers the nationalist victory plus the time after and he doesn't exactly mince words on the style of politics under Franco. But he also asks if a republican victory would have been the better solution and he does not give any definite answer except saying that a Stalinist-type communist regime could have been significantly worse.

All told I found this book very good.


Tragic Spain, 18 Oct 2006
The Spanish Civil war must be one of the most tragic European wars of all time. Spaniard against Spaniard, a bloody conflict characterised by the failures on both sides but mainly the Republicans, to recognise modern warfare when they saw it and the clash of two bitterly opposed, totalitarian beliefs, Stalinist communism and Fascism. The contribution of Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, Soviet Russia and indeed, France and Great Britain to the perpetuation of this conflict as a testing ground for troops, tactics and weapons is well documented in this book.

Antony Beevor works through the mire of 1930's Spanish politics with aplomb, if confusingly, between the plethora of parties on both the left and the right, many identified simply by acronyms such as the POUM and the JONS. However, once the reader perseveres through the initial, context setting chapters the book opens up into a rich account of the often bloody and generally wasteful war through to its conclusion in 1939 on the eve of World War 2. The final chapter relates the continuing, relentless repression of the left in Spain right up to the 1960's when the advent of the package holiday finally opened up the country to peaceful outside influences and with General Franco's death, brought economic growth and stability.

This book was written sometime ago (1982) and it shows. A less polished if undoubtedly scholarly Antony Beevor shows through in comparison with later works (Stanlingrad, Berlin) and overall, the book has a more `academic' feel to it. One cannot help but feel the hand of a publisher seeing an early work re-published with a new title as a money-spinner. That said, I am pleased that it was and would recommend the book to all but the very casual reader.


Too biased towards the republican side, 17 Nov 2008
I didn't like this book as although no one would pretend that Franco wasn't a deeply unpleasant man let alone the German and Italian leaders who sent him assistance, the author doesn't seem to explain properly the following facts:

1 The republic government only had a small majority of seats and the opposition had a majority of votes. Although technically the republic government was the legal government a sensible govenment with a small majority of seats and a minority of votes would have tried to adopt moderate policies. The republican government managed to upset too many important groups at once with foolish policies some of which may have been right and some of which were definitely wrong but all of which were foolish for a government with only a small majority to introduce. They alienated the Church, the armed forces, the peasantry in some areas of the country, the landowners and even the moderate middle class. There were huge areas of the country where they were deeply unpopular.

2 During the Spanish Civil War there was infighting between communist and anarchist groups. Read Orwell's "Homagee to Catalonia" for details.

3 Both sides carried out gratuitous atrocities and the republicans murdered thousands of low ranking priests, monks and nuns many of whom had never had any involvement with politics and had spent their entire lives teaching or nursing the poor.

4 The republic govenment was supported by the USSR and the attitude of the republic government towards religion and private property made it difficult for many other countries e.g. the United States and Great Britian to give it any moral support.



Really useful Introduction, 26 Jun 2008
I was a total beginner in terms of knowing about the Spanish Civil War and came across this little book in the local branch of Blackwells. As an introductory text, it is superb, the layout of each chapter indicating the main themes which may further be explored.
The author first gives an overview of the origins of the war: the dying colonialism of Spain's Imperial past, the consequent loss of status and role for the officer clas, the rise of a new industrial class, the increasing influence of the professions, all of which came to challenge the traditonal grip of the church and the big estate owners.
The author then situates these political and economic changes within the context of the wider European struggles following the first World War, particulary the establishment of the Soviet Union and the consequent fears that Spain would also become socialist. Because of these, the support for Franco by the governments of Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany, which together with 'non-aligned' policies of Britain and the UK were in effect, guaranteed to lead to the defeat of the second Spanish Republic.
The author also discusses the internal splits between the socialists, communists,and the anarchists, its iconic significance f