In 1936, Geroge Orwell went to Spain to report on the Civil War and instead joined the P.O.U.M. militia to fight against the Fascists. In this now famous account, he describes both the bleak and the comic aspects of trench warfare. 6 cassettes.
"I wonder what is the appropriate first action when you come from a country at war and set foot on peaceful soil. Mine was to rush to the tobacco-kiosk and buy as many cigars and cigarettes as I could stuff into my pockets." Most war correspondents observe wars and then tell stories about the battles, the soldiers and the civilians. George Orwell--novelist, journalist, sometime socialist--actually traded his press pass for a uniform and fought against Franco's Fascists in the Spanish Civil War during 1936 and 1937. He put his politics and his formidable conscience to the toughest tests during those days in the trenches in the Catalan section of Spain. Then, after nearly getting killed, he went back to England and wrote a gripping account of his experiences, as well as a complex analysis of the political machinations that led to the defeat of the socialist Republicans and the victory of the Fascists.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
This is classic Orwell:
This is a must-read for persons interested in the Spanish Civil War, and it's a side of Orwell that seems to be rarely discussed. Amazingly, Orwell even manages some humor in the midst of this terrible conflict (unlike Hemingway) as Orwell paints the picture of the 1930s Spain that was about to go from a horrific conflict into a horrific dictatorship that is still the dominant topic in Spain more than 30 years after Franco's death (e.g., the formation of the Basque separatist group ETA was greatly helped by... more info
Orwell the Objective!:
My mother spent a frightful childhood in revolutionary Barcelona near the cathedral "Sagrada Famila"...FAI(anarchist)territory. Orwell's account is extremely close to what my mother recounts. She told me about the compulsory closed fist salute she had to give as a young child in front of the local church (turned FAI party headquarters). The buildings in her neighborhood bedecked with the red and black colors of the anarchists,and her frightened crawling across the kitchen floor as bullets flew between... more info
Orwell re-visited:
Homage to Catalonia is Orwell at the zenith of his journalistic style--brutally candid in its description of the battlefield and the politics of the Spanish Civil War in which he participated as a volunteer foot soldier against the military insurgency. The Civil War was, of course, a prelude to WWII and while this is clearly adumbrated in Orwell's vivd descriptions of the antagonists, he could not have anticipated the future conflagration. It is a "must read" not only for those interested in the politics of... more info
A Supplement and an Obituary:
"Homage to Catalonia" has long passed from the shelf for current events to the shelf of primary historical sources. No one can study the Spanish Civil War without encountering it. On that basis, it's a five-star book; all primary sources should get five stars. As a reading experience, it's not without weaknesses, which the earlier review by H. Schneider examines cogently. I refer you to that review. Today's newspapers (7-11-08) carried extended obituaries for David Smith, who died in Berkeley, CA, at... more info
