Portugal Books

We got this as a gift the night before we left for Spain and it made the whole trip better. My wife read most of the stories on the plane on the way over and then I read them at the hotel. It truly made the trip so much more meaningful. And it helped us to figure out where we wanted to go and illuminated so much about the culture of the people of Spain. I have a much better sense of the culture and people of this wonderful country. It made the experience of our trip richer and deeper. If you're going to Spain, don't go without this book.

This book is focused on the terrible experience of a particular group of prisoners in the not so well known concentration camp of Mathausen and its minor branch Gusen. The peculiarity of the Spaniards concentrated there was that they came from the devastating Spanish Civil War, and to the depressing and terrible need for exile they had to add their capture while fighting against Nazis in France during IIWW. Paradoxically their previous experience of war, suffering and organization in Republican Spain contributed to their possibilities of survival. But the real centre of the book, at least for me, was that it shows that solidarity, moral principles and complete identification with the destiny of the rest of their fellowcitizens and some other non-Spanish prisoners allowed them to face up to the depravity and iniquity of their Kapos and SS officials without any loss of dignity or self-esteem. Besides, several of them managed to keep proofs in the form of photos, files and other documents that were of enormous help in the Nuremberg processes.

Yes,Hell,Horror and eventually Death can be faced up without condescending to cowardice, self-degradation or despair.

Americo Castro, himself a Spaniard, has done a remarkable job of revealing to the interested student the peculiarity of the Spanish mind. Because of the intensity of the Spanish spirit and the strength of its culture, what is revealed is, I discovered, applicable to Hispanic peoples as a whole, be they of the Old World or the New. Read first the Addendum and Appendix. They more than hint at what to expect, and provide a reference point from which to judge more current events, such as the NAZI holocaust, Communist Russia's banishments to Siberia and, most recently, the Serbian expulsion of Kosovars. It is a work most suited to the serious student in search of a deeper understanding of human nature and the development of antagonistic cultures. A brilliant work of Spanish History and, because of Spain's considerable influence at the height of its glory, a must for anyone familiar with the language, but who needs more cultural insight.

College-level students of modern warfare shouldn't neglect this fine overview of a war which in 1936 represented not just a failed military coup, but years of violence and divisions which were to affect the whole of Europe. Salvado's scholarly analysis of the war considers not only military strategy but the politics and social impact of its effects, providing an original analysis which explores the legacy of the war where a dictatorship was concerned with persecution and punishment. An important history, Salvado's SPANISH CIVIL WAR assumes no prior knowledge of events or underlying influences.

Sanchez thoroughly refutes the modern view of the Spanish Civil War as a conflict between republicans and fascists. It was much more complicated than that. If all you know about the Guerra Civil comes from "Homage to Catalonia" and "For Whom the Bell Tolls," pick this one up now.

An eyewitness account of the Spanish Civil War written by one of the most acute observers to be in Spain during those bloody and crucial years. Franz Borkenau was a young Austrian, brought up a Catholic although of Jewish descent. Disillusioned with communism and Marxism, he considered himself a democratic liberal. It is through these eyes that he provides us with this unique insight into the political and social conflicts that no book written today can hope to achieve.

'The Spanish Cockpit is not only a model of what the study of a revolution should be, but one of the best books ever published on Spain'. Gerald Brenan

The study or the Ruby Pistol is not complete without reading this book. The markings section was most informative.

This book is a very helpful tool for those who know little or nothing about Spanish history, and provides excellent background knowledge to understand the many issues that make up what Spain is today. It is a great companion to any undergrad or grad history course, so any student wishing to expand her or his library with a solid book should think about getting this one.

This book has been an all time favorite. The old spanish dialect was some what cumbersome and a little less fluid than the transaltion into english. The Translation by Ms. De Leon is an absolutley phenominal accomplishment. This is the only english translation available from the original papers and I look forward to additional projects in the future by Ms De Leon and Ana Maria Lorandi. I am so glad that the time was taken to produce such a modern day masterpiece, for a more digestable work in literature.

I am astounded that no one has yet reviewed this book. Originally published in 1965, it remains the classic center-left interpretation of the Republic and Civil War. It is balanced, well researched and comprehensive. For those looking for a more conservative treatment of this period, see Stanley Payne's "Spain's First Democracy."