American Commander in Spain: Robert Hale Merriman and the Abraham Lincoln Brigade (Nevada Studies in History and Political Science) (Hardcover)

by Marion Merriman (Author), Warren Lerude (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Univ of Nevada Pr (April 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0874171067
• ISBN-13: 978-0874171068
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,002,449 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Life meets Literature, January 27, 2002

By	Jose Gonzalez Seco "lordjim" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

"American Commander in Spain" is a vivid account of the last years in the life of Robert Merriman. The book was written by his wife, who followed Merriman when he went to fight in the Spanish Civil War. The book will not be helpful to the profesional historian, save perhaps a few anecdotes that could link specific historical characters to specific places during the war. The book is also not a novel and cannot be read as a work with high literary intentions. Rather it is an interesting portrait of a man whose life has the special quality of blending reality and legend. Merriman became fiction when Hemingway, who met him during the war used him as the basis for his character Robert Jordan in "For whom the bell tolls." The work will therefore be of most interest to those readers looking for the sources where Literature drinks from Life and with some emotional attachment to the historical context.

...For when one reads about Robert Merriman it becomes clear that he was an american patriot searching for solutions to get his own country out of the Depression and later trying to stop the rise of Fascism in Europe. That his countrymen were so blind then (and it seems still now) cost them dearly in WWII. The insensitivity shown by these reviewers hurts most those of us who look up to the american volunteers in awe, not for their ideological beliefs, but for their sense of sacrifice and love for freedom. It is a sin against Humanity to see Merriman's death any other way. If there is a God and these other reviewers are ever judged, I only hope that all their sins will be remembered.

3 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars An eye-opener, October 15, 1999

By	James Crabtree ([e-mail]) (El Paso, Texas) - See all my reviews

Interesting, if for no other reason than to see for yourself the nature of the "true believers" of the Left. We now know that Americans participated in Stalin-inspired Trotskyite hunts within the ranks of the International Brigades. While Merriman almost certainly met his end at a Nationalist firing squad, how many American Reds met their end at Merriman's orders? The writing style of the book was in the nature of a justification of a cause that was morally bankrupt, even in the context of fighting fascism. I recommend the book to anyone who wishes to better understand the mindset of liberal thinking . . .

1 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Biased to the left wing view of reality, November 3, 1999

By	oscar cano ([e-mail]) (California, USA) - See all my reviews

The Lincoln Brigade fought ON the side of the Communist Left ( Republicans) and participated in the many attrocities such as executions of the clergy, press,ect. They were funded by Eleanor Roosevelt who was a "closet" Communist,trained and sent to Spain to help send Spain into the Soviet orbit.