What book would you recommend as a good starter for the SCW? a)The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution and Revenge - Paul Preston b)Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939 - Antony Beevor c)or some other work. I just want one book that covers the subject. What do you suggest?
Well, the problem I had with the CSW was trying to remember all the names and groups - bloody complicated. But the best two books that I found were: The Spanish Civil War: A Very Short Introduction by Helen Graham and: The Spanish Civil War by Hugh Thomas (remember to buy the new edition - 2003 - as he has revised the original after the opening of the Russian archives
Orwell's 'Homage To Catalonia'. it;s a memoir, not really an overview histiry, but full of insights and anecdote that reveal a lot. Marina
Made available as an E-Book by Adelaide University with easy printing. Homage to Catalonia, by George Orwell
Paul Preston's book is a good choice but "A Concise History of the Spanish Civil War" by the same author - is even better. Amazon.co.uk: A Concise History of the Spanish Civil War: Books: Paul Preston
Nearly 14 years after it being suggested I've finally got around to ordering a copy . Wasn't really fussed for all these years but after seeing the SCW mentioned on Portillo & Tarrant's railway programs recently I thought I ought to read it edit. I thought I may as well get his Doves of War: Four Women of the Spanish Civil War too.
I have the older edition of Hugh Thomas. It is a very good survey. Also on my Spanish shelf: 1. George Orwell, A Homage to Catalonia ( A brilliant memoir of his time in the POUM militia, together with much analysis) 2. Arthur Koestler, Dialogue With Death (Also an excellent memoir, in this case of Koestler's imprisonment under sentence of death from Franco; see also Koestler's The Invisible Writing) 3. Gerald Brenan, The Spanish Labyrinth (Excellent on the Spanish socio-economic and political background) 4. Franz Borkenau, The Spanish Cockpit (Also strong on politics and the foreign involvement) 5. Gabriel Jackson, The Spanish Republic (Exhaustive study of the years 1931-1936) 6. Raymond Carr, Spain, 1808-1975 (All the background you could want going back to the war with Napoleon) 7. Peter Elston, Condor Legion (The air war and German involvement in same; a well-illustrated primer in the Purnell-Ballantine series with lots of planes) 8. Andre Malraux, Man's Fate (A great novel) [NOTE: Peter Elston is actually Peter ELSTOB, so look under Elstob and not Elston.]
To add to TTH's excellent reading list For some overview the first few chapters in Nicholas Rankin's Defence of the Rock address the civil war as a whole. Gives some interesting events on the straits of Gibraltar and the Spanish navy. The below are more detailed accounts: Death's Other Kingdom: A Spanish Village in 1936 by Gamel Woolsey (Brenan's wife) South From Granada by Gerald Brenan, M.C. The Tomb in Seville by Noman Lewis (pre Civil War just before everything kicked off) I found George Orwell;s A Homage to Catalonia an excellent read gives a good understanding of what was happening on the battlefield as well in the city, Barcelona, from memory I think it touches on his imprisonment too. Laurie Lee's A Moment of War, I've been told from different people that reading this might need to take it with a pinch of salt as there are inconsistencies; but I have not read it and not clued up on this, but just giving a heads up.
