The Spanish Civil War: A Very Short Introduction

By Helen Graham and Helen Graham

Book Overview

bVery Short Introductionsb: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring /b

The Spanish civil war was one of the 20th century's most complex and bitter conflicts. What were its causes? And why do the stakes in that long-ago war seem just as relevant to us today?

This Very Short Introduction offers an explanation of the war's complex origins and course, and explores its impact on a personal and international scale. It also provides an ethical reflection on the war in the context of Europe's tumultuous twentieth century, highlighting why it has inspired some of the greatest writers of our time, and how it continues to resonate today in Britain, continental Europe, and beyond.

ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0198988826
• ISBN13: 9780198988823
• Release Date: February 2027
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 240 Pages

Customer Reviews

One of the very best introductory books on the Spanish civil war

As one of the foremost scholars of the spanish civil war , Graham cogently sumarized various aspects of war and related them with the present , namely , how post-war Spain perceived the war and its impact on the modern day Spain. Especially helpful was the bibiliography that surely gives the direction of reading for those who want to know more about the Spanish civil war. The downside of the book is , as one reviewer mentioned, Graham tend to minimize the cover on CNT-FAI and Anarchist activities as many other scholars have done so far despete Anarchists contribution and controversial collectives would have been very interesting subjects.

On a whole, good.

Taken for what it is, this book is very good. As the tital suggests, it really is nothing more than "A very short introduction" to be considered as a jumping off point for further studies. It does not go into depth but rather highlights the key events of the civil war. It does a particularly good job of explaining the tacit war of politics taking place between France, Italy, Germany, and Russia surrounding the conflict in Spain. There are parts of the book that seem to wander a bit, but on a whole I don't think you could ask for a more accessible introduction to the Spanish Civil War.

A Very Detailed Introduction

This is one of the best books on the Spanish Civil War I have ever had. Not only does it do a great job at explaining the events before and during the war, but it dares to dive into the events afterwards. The major battles, the political parties, and the prisons. It also has a huge list of books for further reading and a great time line. I would suggest it for any person interested in Spain or history in general. Helen Graham has done a great job.

A Very Substantial Introduction

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).