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“The Spanish Civil War, 1936-39 has spawned a huge amount of books since the war ended to the present day from a variety of authors. Tradition dictates that the victor gets to write the history books. However, the SCW literature has been written predominantly from the viewpoint of the losing...”

“The Spanish Civil War, 1936-39 has spawned a huge amount of books since the war ended to the present day from a variety of authors. Tradition dictates that the victor gets to write the history books. However, the SCW literature has been written predominantly from the viewpoint of the losing Republican forces and rarely has a book detailed events from Franco’s Nationalist side.
Christopher Othen’s Franco’s International Brigades is therefore something of rarity. Indeed, it might even surprise those interested in the SCW to associate the term ‘International Brigades’ with the Nationalists because, such is the volume of books recounting the ‘International Brigades’ allegiance with the Republican flag.
That is not to say Othen’s book is overtly political or promotes the Nationalist cause because it does not. Nevertheless, it does explain the reasoning behind the coup with what actually happened in those early war days and throughout the prolonged campaign.
Indeed without the foreign involvement and actions, notably Italian and German then maybe Franco would not have gone on to win the war. In fact, Franco would never have even arrived in Morocco to muster his forces without a British sponsor paying for a pilot and aeroplane to fly covertly Franco across from the Canary Islands where he had been posted. Although that might not be news to some, this book also later details the outcomes of the pilots and the actual plane.
So, some of the facts are not new but plenty are and so when read in conjunction with additional detail explaining the sequences of events from the Franco’s ‘rebels’ side it does add an interesting dimension to the war seldom before expressed.
Intriguing to learn how many nationalities and indeed individual persons attempted to align themselves with Franco, despite his aloofness and remaining non-committal to long-term foreign aid. Many motivated by their religious beliefs, others by money or prestige, as well as the attraction of the war to further their own personal agendas and ambitions. The involvement of the Moors is well documented and Othen provides a more in-depth and rounded picture of their hopes and motives.
The books style is one of well-researched facts supported by quotes and relevant asides giving the reader a clear picture of the complexities and events that comprise those war years. It is easy to read and does not too bogged down in irrelevant or uninteresting prose.
Othen rounds things off nicely in the final chapters summarising the outcomes of many of those characters involved and how their SCW experiences shaped their future lives and deaths.
All in all a worthwhile and fascinating account of what went on behind Franco’s lines and an insight to how the man thought with his ability not be influenced by foreign involvement whilst successfully utilising their resources for his own personal objectives.
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“Again Beevor manages to explain the horrific details with personal anecdotes from combatants diaries etc to create a book which although at times painful to read is a narrative that I could not put down. 'A masterpiece of modern history writing' (Michael Burleigh, Guardian) does indeed say it...”

“Again Beevor manages to explain the horrific details with personal anecdotes from combatants diaries etc to create a book which although at times painful to read is a narrative that I could not put down. 'A masterpiece of modern history writing' (Michael Burleigh, Guardian) does indeed say it all. A must read.”