Great book well narrated

Gives a balanced view of all sides their strengths, weaknesses and an insight into the main characters of this conflict, great narration that makes it an easy listen.

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Fascinating account of the Spanish Civil War.

Fascinating account of tge Spanish Civil War. Well written and well read. Covers tge background, the conflict and the afternath. interesting chapter on the propaganda War as well.

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Excellent, complete, not for beginners

Excellent and detailed book about the Spanish Civil War. Great narrator. Beevor goes into detail about the Civil War inside the Civil War, and Stalin's use and abuse of the Republican cause. A great book, very thorough, with historical, geographical, political and military angles well covered; yet it manages to stay at the level of human interaction and to be moving and reflective

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10 people found this helpful

Remarkably and depressingly germane

Antony Beevor walks a fine line between strategy and personal experience, warfighting and politics, left and right. The result is therefore bound to aggravate a bunch of people who think they know the moral of every story before it starts. Fir myself I must have listened a dozen times and find myself reflecting in new ways every time.

Sean Barrett is an excellent narrator. At times romantic, at other times gloomily churchillian.

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A proper detailed look at this overlooked war

I enjoyed this book. The narration is easy on the ear and pitched at the right tempo and tone for the subject matter.
My only criticism is that no mention is made of how Franco treated the Moroccan army or anyone who did not fit in with his "White Spanish" vision. I suppose it's technically after the war but zero mention is made when other aftermath aspects are.
Still enjoyed it though and recommend it if the subject title interests you.

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2 people found this helpful

Objective History at its Best

The Battle for Spain provides a comprehensive, objective history of the Spanish Civil War. In addition to covering the military aspect of the war, the book explains the politics of and within each side – the civil wars within the civil war. The response of foreign powers to the Spanish Civil War is also covered.

Although Sean Barrett sounds like he would rather not be narrating a book, one can quickly get used to his reading style.

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1 person found this helpful

Captivating!

Brilliantly explained history of the war which destroyed a country, highlighting the different parties and exploring their motives. Keeps you interested all the way through, keeping up the pace of the storytelling to make it a very interesting read. This is a staggering read.

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the waste of life

a very good and indepth history to the spanish civil war.I foud this very inntrestinng and a book every history student should read

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Almost unbearably sad, but so beautifully told.

Oh, this is good. A mass of complicated and difficult material rendered in an accessible way by a very accomplished historian, and a splendid, lambent narration which finds a perfect tone for the text. I really enjoyed this, although the waste, betrayal and vicious stupidity which underpin the conflict made it almost unbearable in places. Notwithstanding that, Beevor finds places to foreground the triumph of human decency against hellish odds. All in all, this is a smashing piece of work.

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Excellent factual account of an incredibly complex conflict.

Excellent overview of the conflict, its immediate causes, the main protagonists and the course of this incredibly divisive civil war. Well read with appropriate emphasis, good pronunciation of Spanish names and locations that assist in the overall understanding of this complex conflict.

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