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The People's Army in the Spanish Civil War: A Military History of the Republic and International Brigades, 1936–1939 Kindle Edition
Why did the Spanish Republic lose the Spanish Civil War—and could the Republic have won? These are the key questions Alexander Clifford addresses in this in-depth study of the People’s Army and the critical battles of Brunete, Belchite and Teruel. These battles represented the Republic’s best chance of military success, but after bitter fighting its forces were beaten back. From then on, the Republic, facing the superior army of Franco and the Nationalists, aided by Germany and Italy, faced inevitable defeat.
This tightly focused and perceptive account of the military history of the Republic and its army is fascinating reading. As well as providing a broad overview of the strategy and tactics of the People’s Army and its Nationalist opponents, Alexander Clifford quotes vivid eyewitness testimony to give the reader a direct insight into the experience of the frontline soldiers on both sides during these three critical battles. Their recollections reveal to the reader what it was like to fight in the scorching heat of the plains around Brunete, in the shattered streets of Belchite—still ruined to this day—and in the frozen hills of Teruel.
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherPen & Sword Military
- Publication dateMarch 20, 2020
- File size21.8 MB
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Editorial Reviews
Review
Balkan Wargamer
“…a useful read for anyone with an interest in the Spanish Civil War.”
The NYMAS Review
About the Author
Product details
- ASIN : B089DPFQHF
- Publisher : Pen & Sword Military (March 20, 2020)
- Publication date : March 20, 2020
- Language : English
- File size : 21.8 MB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 421 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,476,609 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #623 in History eBooks of Spain & Portugal
- #1,161 in Military Strategy History (Kindle Store)
- #2,689 in 20th Century World History
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
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Alexander Clifford is a history teacher by profession who has studied at the universities of Leeds, Munich and Northumbria, and is an expert on the interwar period. His publications include The People's Army in the Spanish Civil War, an illustrated guide to the famous International Brigades (Fighting for Spain) and a political biography of the German generals Paul von Hindenburg and Erich Ludendorff (Hindenburg, Ludendorff & Hitler). He also co-hosts a podcast entitled History's Most which explores a wide variety of historical topics. His writing has been described by academics and publications as 'highly readable', 'accessible' and 'well-researched'.
Praise for Hindenburg, Ludendorff & Hitler
"Germany's Generals and the Rise of the Nazis is no mere political history; it is above all a human history, narrated by an author with an eye for an illuminating anecdote. Drawing on his capacious knowledge of the Weimar political scene, Clifford deftly marshals a rich, and occasionally startling, array of source material to produce a compelling reappraisal of the under-appreciated role of the military in the disintegration of Germany's first democracy that rises above purely events-based accounts in its keenly observed psychological portrayals of the megalomaniacal men behind their martial masks."
Jack Arscott, Weimar Germany specialist, University of London
Praise for Fighting for Spain
"An excellent addition to the literature on the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War. Accessible and well written, backed up with useful maps and images, it includes a wealth of information on the formation and composition of the Brigades and their role during the war."
Richard Baxell, LSE, author of Unlikely Warriors
"A richly illustrated, highly readable and informative history with fascinating profiles of key figures."
Peter Anderson, University of Leeds
Praise for The People's Army
"The People’s Army in the Spanish Civil War is exceptional, it is accessible in that it spans the divide between academic and populist publications. It can be read by anyone as the History teacher here presents the information in a way that is clear, but challenging."
Tony Fox, The Battlefields Trust
"Clifford’s picture of his subject as an army is as acute as it is to the point... an interesting read."
Charles Esdaile, University of Liverpool, European History Quarterly
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonTop reviews from the United States
Top reviews from other countries
- Moss TrooperReviewed in the United Kingdom on July 19, 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars Blends strong analysis and compelling battle narrative
The author combines strong analysis with a compelling set of battle narratives, incorporating participant accounts. The book debunks some of the popular myths ("decisive" Ebro, "viable alternative" Anarchist militias/ guerrilas, why didn't the republic adapt a pure defence) and hits the central problems with the popular army head on (inadequate artillery, inexperianced/ sometimes incompetant leadership). As noted the battle narratives are both clear and very well written. Despite the title the book contains plenty of good analysis and material on the Nationalist side too! My only criticism is that the maps accompanying the battle chapters could be charitably described as "barely adequate".
- BelisariusReviewed in the United Kingdom on June 20, 2024
4.0 out of 5 stars A good book with a misleading title
I have had this book on my bookshelf for several years, together with several other books on the Spanish Civil War. I found it a good read, and the author clearly knows his stuff. His arguments seem sound and his detailed knowledge of the period and actions he writes about is excellent. Why do I say a "misleading title". The book is mainly a history of the battles of Brunete, Belchite and Teruel, which whilst important don't constitute a full "military history". The events of 1936 and indeed the final 12 months of the year whilst mentioned are only done so in a pretty cursory fashion. My main gripe with the book are the maps. There are some overviews that lack detail, and some detailed maps which I presume have been copied from a Spanish language document and I found them hard to use.
- Luke BaxterReviewed in the United Kingdom on August 8, 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars Masterful
This is a masterful examination of the Spanish Civil War. The focus on the Republican army, its makeup, weaponry and key battles, is a valuable contribution to the literature of the war. The war was a battle of ideologies, of course, but it was also a confrontation between two different armies that were made up in very different ways and armed differently. By studying these differences Clifford sheds light on why the Republic lost for military reasons as much as for the internal divisions of the State.
I would very highly recommend this work.
- MR P A GLYNNReviewed in the United Kingdom on February 2, 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars Thank you
Very pleased