Overview

Personal stories from the soldiers who volunteered to fight for a cause they passionately believed in The Spanish Civil War, which raged from 1936-9, was brutal and intense, claiming well over 500,000 lives. Rightly predicting that the rise of Fascism in Spain could develop into a more global conflict, almost 2,500 British volunteers travelled to Spain under the banner of the International Brigade to fight for the Spanish Republic in an attempt to stem the tide. Acclaimed oral historian Max Arthur tracked down the eight survivors of this conflict and interviewed them for their unique perspective, their memories of their time fighting and the motives that compelled them to fight. From Union leader to nurse, Egyptologist to IRA activist, theirs is a unique story, of men and women volunteering to lay down their lives for a cause, believing passionately that the Spanish Republic's fight was their fight too. And, in 2009, they were finally granted Spanish nationality as a mark of the importance of that decision. Since the book was first published, two of the people featured have died, but their stories survive. These incredible, compelling and sometimes harrowing tales of their experiences reveal their ideologies, pride, regrets and feelings about the legacy of the actions they took. `For most young people there was a feeling of frustration, but some were determined to do anything that seemed possible, even if it meant death, to try to stop the spread of Fascism. It was real, and it had to be stopped.' Jack Jones (1913-2009) - Volunteer

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9780007330805

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‘Seventy years on, these courageous veterans of the International Brigade are still full of passion for their cause and this book vividly captures the idealism and the foresight which motivated them to fight in Spain.’ Victoria Hislop

'Seventy years on, these courageous veterans of the International Brigade are still full of passion for their cause and this book vividly captures the idealism and the foresight which motivated them to fight in Spain.' Victoria Hislop

Author Information

Max Arthur is Britain's foremost oral historian, with over 16 books to his name, including the award-winning Forgotten Voices of the Second World War, the bestselling Last Post: The Final Word from our First World War Soldiers, and Forgotten Voices of the Great War.

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