Recently I read ¡Guerra! by Jason Webster – an excellent, very readable account of the Spanish Civil War and highly recommended to anyone wanting to know more about this devastating period of Spanish history.

The book alternates between historical accounts of the war and present day Spain looking the legacy and current attitudes towards the war. Written in a journalistic style this is not a dry history book listing every detail but brings the war to life by focussing on key individuals and events.

The events leading to the outbreak of the war and the muder of Lieutenant José Castillo and Calvo Sotelo are well covered. Other chapters study the siege at the Alcázar fortress in Toledo, Guernica, the use of propaganda during the war, the death of the anarchist leader Buenaventura Durruti, the political factions and infighting on the Republicican side and the death of Gracia Lorca and the recent attempts to find his grave.

As a George Orwell fan I enjoyed the chapter about his participation in the war. During his reasearch the authour visited Belchite – a village outside Zaragoza that was bombed almost to complete destruction during the attempt to capture Zaragoza. The village has been left in it’s destroyed state as a reminder to current generations.

All in all an excellent read and highly recommended.