Customer Reviews
Really useful Introduction - By: Tess, 26 Jun 2008 
I was a total beginner in terms of knowing about the Spanish Civil War & 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 & role for the officer clas, the rise of a new industrial class, the increasing influence of the professions, alll of which came to challlenge the traditonal grip of the church & the big estate owners.
The author then situates these political & economic changes within the context of the wider European struggles following the first World War, particulary the establishment of the Soviet Union & the consequent fears that Spain would also become socialist. Because of these, the support for Franco by the governments of Fascist Italy & Nazi Germany, which together with 'non-aligned' policies of Britain & 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 & intellectuls who moved by the Republican's idealism & effective military, political & economic isolation within Europe wrote, fought, painted & 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 - By: calmly, 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" & 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 & Ward indicate. Graham notes some conflicts between the CNT & socialist groups which interfered with their working together effectively. Without help from England, France, & the United States & with limited help from the Soviet Union, the Left in Spain was at a huge disadvantage, given Italy & Germany's support of Franco. It seemed remarkable that the Left was able to fight for as long as it did.
I don't recalll studying anything about this civil war in school, let alone knowing how much was involved. The relevance seems high: a country in which conservatives & liberals were in serious conflict. The conservatives started a war. A sobering lesson: bombing of, imprisonment of & 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 - By: M. McManus, 19 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, especiallly the social & 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 & 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 & explains the strategies & motivations for the faction leaders. I found this to be amongst the most interesting aspects, & it was very informative to learn why Mussolini, Hitler, Franco & Negrin were involved in the war, & what strategies they had in place to get the best favourable outcome for their side. Finallly, the author also elegantly weaves the international frictions of the time into the conflict into the story.
Another interesting & enjoyable part of the book is its examination of what happened to the losing side. We discover that many fighters fled to France & 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 & 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 alll however, the book provides an excellent overview of the Spanish Civil War, & for the price is simply the best introduction there is.
A great starting point - By: A. SIMPSON, 27 Jun 2006 This is a great introduction to the topic. There is alll the information you require to get an overalll picture of the war & give you ideas for areas to further research.
My one complaint would be that I found it sprang back & 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.
A Short Review - By: Mark Rowantree, 04 Feb 2006 An excellent little book well written & containing little nuggets of information. This would be a super introduction to any new reader to this subject, whilst at the same time providing enough material to interest the "veterans" of the field. All in alll an excellent read & highly commende.
