The Spanish Civil War (Pocket Archives Series) [Mass Market Paperback]

Abel Paz (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Abel Paz was a young paperboy when Francisco Franco landed an army of mercenaries in Andalusia, igniting the Spanish Civil War of 1936-39. At that moment, he writes, "Everyone could see that one world had died, and that another had been born. Nothing could ever be the same." Paz joined an anarchist commando and fought on several fronts, battling communists and fascists alike. In the wake of the fascist victory, Paz was imprisoned for 11 years. Long afterward he wrote a short memoir to accompany photographs he and others had taken. The result is an extraordinarily rich, firsthand view of the conflict that will appeal to readers of George Orwell's like-minded Homage to Catalonia.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Hazan Editeur (May 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 2850255327
• ISBN-13: 978-2850255328
• Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 4.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,509,849 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An interesting view of the war, August 23, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Spanish Civil War (Pocket Archives Series) (Mass Market Paperback)

He was captured and imprisoned early in the war, consequently his personal experience is limited as he was imprisoned for 11 years. I assume he was captured in 1936 as a member of the Durruti column which was decimated by the Nationalists. The book is 2/3 full of excellent pictures of the war mainly in Barcelona.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A very nice little book..., January 28, 2003

By 

Michael Valdivielso (Alexandria, VA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Spanish Civil War (Pocket Archives Series) (Mass Market Paperback)

The book has three parts:
The first is in the author's own words about the start of the Spanish Civil War in July 17, 1936 and the early actions taken by anarchists, communists and others to defend Barcelona against the Nationalists/Military/Rebels. It is a mixture of bitterness, irony and a touch of hope. If the workers, for one bright, shining moment were able to bring about a paradise for the people, even only for a short time THAN surely, one day, it can happen again.
The second part is a small timeline of minor and major events.
The last part greatly adds to the author's writings with photos on daily life, militiamen and militiawomen, meetings, ruins, tanks and more.
I would of liked to have more, but I think the book really helps you see the beginning of the war from the view of the people instead of, like the larger books do, filling your head up with names, parties, political movements, every leader who picks up a gun and so many details you can't keep it all straight.