POUM, PSUC, UGT, FAI, CNT !!

Orwell jokes at one point that Spain seems to have been suffering from an excess of political acronyms. And it is a bit confusing sometimes. But mainly, this is a fascinating personal account of his experience of the Spanish civil war in 1936/37. Orwell always finds humour somewhere to leaven what otherwise might be a miserable ordeal. And his observations on the Spanish and his admiration for them are indeed entertaining as well as heartening. There's a good deal of analysis and truth seeking in his consideration of the blighted relations between the independent anarchist organisations and the soviet influenced communist ones. Most of this is in the two appendix chapters at the end, so you can skip that if you prefer. Very well read with a voice that you can imagine might have been Orwell's own.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

Honesty’s

A good viewpoint from a George who fought for the p.o.u.m in the Spanish war.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Excellent

An always timely account of the dangers of sectarianism and of a revolution betrayed…
Orwell’s journalistic fact reportage along with personal polemic make this an essential read for anyone interested in the tragedy of the Spanish revolution.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Essential reading and more relevant than ever

Time changes but fascism does not. Incredibly we find ourselves having the same fight today

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Perfect narration.

Narrator perfectly captures Orwell's character, tone and intended meanings. Wide range and dramatic, focused reading.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Fascinating and well written

As with all Orwell this is a brilliantly written book and offers a truly fascinating insight into the Spanish War. Very well read too

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Just a classic

What can you say...its George Orwell...a classic book..his political comments are still relevant today. a good history lesson as well

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

George Orwell was a genius

I have now read six books from George Orwell this one is there amongst the best. How could a man foresee what certain sections are trying force upon us, all those years ago. If you haven’t read 1984 then give it a try…

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

An important book beautifully read

Very finely narrated classic account of the civil war in Spain in the 1930s. Unsentimental and surprising in some respects. Orwell like many others went from a somewhat privileged background in England to fight for the forces of the left arrayed against the fascist forces of Franco. He went somewhat naive but one gets the impression his outlook soon matured and he became increasingly sceptical about the nature of the conflict in which he had become embroiled. It would seem that it was this experience in Spain which first gave him insight into the "imperfections" of far left wing politics and ideology and its totalitarian tendencies, and it must have been at this time that the seeds of Animal Farm and 1984 were sown. The book deserves its status as a classic and the narration is one of the finest I have encountered. Recommended.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

15 people found this helpful

Fantastic Insight of the Spanish Civil War

As a spaniard myself I've always struggled to find a Spanish Civil War book that doesn't take a side or skips the complexities of the politics that was surrounded by. Orwell was IN the war and afterwards he was humble enough to question himself and analize the many important details.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!