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exhaustive and admirably clear account. (THE SUNDAY TIMES )
the definitive book on the subject. (SUNDAY TELEGRAPH )
the definitive book on the subject. (SUNDAY TELEGRAPH )
Max Hastings, THE SUNDAY TIMES
'Fascination lies in the human drama, superbly captured by Beevor... a vivid chronicle of a dreadful time and place.'
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Recent events indicate that the Spanish civil war is not yet entirely finished. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Recent events indicate that the Spanish civil war is not yet entirely finished. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
245 of 254 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The Spanish Civil War is often poorly understood, indeed misunderstood, firstly because of its complexity (as Antony Beevor makes clear there were multiple conflicts going on at different levels, not least the strife between different Republican groups which weakened the Republican government fatally), secondly because most of us outside Spain know about the war from those who fought on the Republican side and subsequently wrote about it (best known of whom is of course George Orwell in Homage to Catalonia).
Antony Beevor cuts through the confusion with a marvellously clear and concise account of the war, not sparing the reader a taste of how horrific conditions were in Spain for combatant and non-combatant alike. The introductory chapters on the state of Spain and the origins of the Civil War are particularly enlightening.
The book also makes clear and obvious why the Nationalists won - they were better organised, more professional soldiers, better tacticians - and had the support of Hitler and Mussolini, to say nothing of the fatal internecine conflict among the Republican parties.
Perhaps Beevor is a little sniffy about the non-intervention of the western democracies but how realistic this would have been (and whether it would have done anything to help the fatally fissile Republican cause) is to me questionable. But as Beevor points out, as the Spanish proverb has it, history is a common meadow in which everyone can make hay, and there is plenty of raw material for discussion in this excellent book. It should be read by anyone who is interested in European history, 20th century history, politics or simply those interested in how a country can disintigrate into such horror in such a short time.
61 of 65 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Antony Beevor's (AB) book on the Spanish Civil war is excellent background reading on this rather tragic event in 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.
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.
39 of 43 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
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.
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.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A Superb Book
This is a superb book by an accomplished writer . Quite why other reviewers find it necessary to indulge themselves with long winded analaysis of this book and the various... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Terry J
The Battle for Spain
Delivered promptly and price was acceptable.
Book is very readable description of little known war outside of the short-range scope of north west european history lessons. Read more
Book is very readable description of little known war outside of the short-range scope of north west european history lessons. Read more
Published 2 months ago by vanneau
Another Beevor masterpiece
This shows more than anything the grastly episode that the Spanish civil was in reallity. Both sides enjoyed murdering their opponants for the slightest reason or for no reason at... Read more
Published 4 months ago by dentibus
Spanish Civil War
An excellent book on the Spanish Civil War and also more up to date than previous works on this subject.
Published 7 months ago by Viveca Tallgren
Quite Easily the Best and Most Balanced Account of the Spanish Civil...
This is quite easily the best and most balanced account of the Spanish Civil War that I have read. The book is supremely well written and very easy to read. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Dr. R. Brandon
Dissection of a bitter conflict
"Although I knew about the Spanish Civil War in a somewhat hazy fashion, and was familiar with the some of events, I realised that in fact I knew very little about it. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Julian
Superb and impressive
Occasionally, very rarely in fact, one comes across a thoroughly outstanding book. From beginning to end it's authoritative, clearly written, lucid and somehow both committed and... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Philip Spires
A Long Time Coming
Beevor's account of the background to what became known as the Spanish Civil War makes the whole thing seem inevitable: inevitable that the industrial workers and left... Read more
Published 17 months ago by J Y Kelly
The Battle for Spain
I cannot personally review this, despite having been asked to twice, because it is a Christmas present for a recipient in the Channel Islands, and he is NOT ALLOWED to open it... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Sandra
Confusing
This book is very heavy going,totally unlike the author s Stalingrad,Berlin,D-Day etc.The vast number of Spanish names and all the military ranks are impossible to tie-in with the... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Updike
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