The Spanish Civil War

Zusatztext "Mr. Thomas has understood [the Spanish Civil War] incredibly well and has written it superbly. A full! vivid and deeply serious treatment of a great subject." Vincent Sheean! The New York Times Book Review "Stands without rivals as the most balanced and comprehensive book on the subject." American Historical Review Zusammenfassung A masterpiece of the historian's art! Hugh Thomas's The Spanish Civil War remains the best! most engrossing narrative of one of the most emblematic and misunderstood wars of the twentieth century. Revised and updated with significant new material! including new revelations about atrocities perpetrated against civilians by both sides in this epic conflict! this "definitive work on the subject" (Richard Bernstein! The New York Times ) has been given a fresh face forty years after its initial publication in 1961. In brilliant! moving detail! Thomas analyzes a devastating conflict in which the hopes! dreams! and dogmas of a century exploded onto the battlefield. Like no other account! The Spanish Civil War dramatically reassembles the events that led a European nation! in a continent on the brink of world war! to divide against itself! bringing into play the machinations of Franco and Hitler! the bloodshed of Guernica! and the deeply inspiring heroics of those who rallied to the side of democracy. Communists! anarchists! monarchists! fascists! socialists! democrats -- the various forces of the Spanish Civil War composed a fabric of the twentieth century itself! and Thomas masterfully weaves the diffuse and fascinating threads of the war together in a manner that has established the book as a genuine classic of modern history. Informationen zum Autor Hugh Thomas is the author of numerous works of history! including Conquest: Montezuma! Cortés! and the Fall of Old Mexico and Cuba! or The Pursuit of Freedom . He lives in London. Klappentext A masterpiece of the historian's art! Hugh Thomas's The Spanish Civil War remains the best! most engrossing narrative of one of the most emblematic and misunderstood wars of the twentieth century. Revised and updated with significant new material! including new revelations about atrocities perpetrated against civilians by both sides in this epic conflict! this "definitive work on the subject" (Richard Bernstein! "The New York Times) has been given a fresh face forty years after its initial publication in 1961. In brilliant! moving detail! Thomas analyzes a devastating conflict in which the hopes! dreams! and dogmas of a century exploded onto the battlefield. Like no other account! The Spanish Civil War dramatically reassembles the events that led a European nation! in a continent on the brink of world war! to divide against itself! bringing into play the machinations of Franco and Hitler! the bloodshed of Guernica! and the deeply inspiring heroics of those who rallied to the side of democracy. Communists! anarchists! monarchists! fascists! socialists! democrats -- the various forces of the Spanish Civil War composed a fabric of the twentieth century itself! and Thomas masterfully weaves the diffuse and fascinating threads of the war together in a manner that has established the book as a genuine classic of modern history. ...

Auteur

Hugh Thomas is the author of numerous works of history, including Conquest: Montezuma, Cortés, and the Fall of Old Mexico and Cuba, or The Pursuit of Freedom. He lives in London.

Texte du rabat

A masterpiece of the historian's art, Hugh Thomas's The Spanish Civil War remains the best, most engrossing narrative of one of the most emblematic and misunderstood wars of the twentieth century. Revised and updated with significant new material, including new revelations about atrocities perpetrated against civilians by both sides in this epic conflict, this "definitive work on the subject" (Richard Bernstein, "The New York Times) has been given a fresh face forty years after its initial publication in 1961. In brilliant, moving detail, Thomas analyzes a devastating conflict in which the hopes, dreams, and dogmas of a century exploded onto the battlefield. Like no other account, The Spanish Civil War dramatically reassembles the events that led a European nation, in a continent on the brink of world war, to divide against itself, bringing into play the machinations of Franco and Hitler, the bloodshed of Guernica, and the deeply inspiring heroics of those who rallied to the side of democracy. Communists, anarchists, monarchists, fascists, socialists, democrats -- the various forces of the Spanish Civil War composed a fabric of the twentieth century itself, and Thomas masterfully weaves the diffuse and fascinating threads of the war together in a manner that has established the book as a genuine classic of modern history.

Résumé
A masterpiece of the historian’s art, Hugh Thomas’s The Spanish Civil War remains the best, most engrossing narrative of one of the most emblematic and misunderstood wars of the twentieth century. Revised and updated with significant new material, including new revelations about atrocities perpetrated against civilians by both sides in this epic conflict, this "definitive work on the subject" (Richard Bernstein, The New York Times) has been given a fresh face forty years after its initial publication in 1961. In brilliant, moving detail, Thomas analyzes a devastating conflict in which the hopes, dreams, and dogmas of a century exploded onto the battlefield. Like no other account, The Spanish Civil War dramatically reassembles the events that led a European nation, in a continent on the brink of world war, to divide against itself, bringing into play the machinations of Franco and Hitler, the bloodshed of Guernica, and the deeply inspiring heroics of those who rallied to the side of democracy. Communists, anarchists, monarchists, fascists, socialists, democrats -- the various forces of the Spanish Civil War composed a fabric of the twentieth century itself, and Thomas masterfully weaves the diffuse and fascinating threads of the war together in a manner that has established the book as a genuine classic of modern history.

Échantillon de lecture
The Origins of the War

´Every Spaniard´s ideal is to carry a statutory letter with a single provision, brief but imperious: "This Spaniard is entitled to do whatever he feels like doing".´
-Angel Ganivet

Prologue

The Cortes, the parliament of Spain, stands halfway up the hill leading from the Prado to the Puerta del Sol.1 Bronze lions cast from guns captured in the Moroccan Wars guard its doors. At the summit of its Corinthian columns, Justice hopefully embraces Labour on a granite pediment. On 16 June 1936 this classical building was the centre of all Spain.

Over five years had then passed since King Alfonso XIII had abandoned the Spanish throne-to avoid, as he put it (perhaps exaggerating his importance in the minds of his people), the disaster of a civil war. These had been five years of parliamentary activity. Before the King left, there had been eight years, from 1923 till 1931, when, most of the time under the amiable military dictator General Primo de Rivera, the Cortes had been deserted. Now, in June 1936, constitutional life in Spain seemed likely to be destroyed.

An anxious group of middle-class liberals were gathered on the blue government bench at the front of the semi-circular debating chamber. Honest and intelligent men, they and their followers hated violence. They admired the pleasing, democratic ways of Britain, France and America. In both this hatred and this admiration, they were, however, unusual among Spaniards of their time, isolated even among the four hundred other deputies sitting or standing around and above them, as best they could, in the crowded debating chamber.1 Yet the men of this government had a fanaticism of their own hardly typic…