"Spain in Arms: A Military History of the Spanish Civil" Topic

…l War 1936-1939.

"Spain in Arms is a new military history of the Spanish Civil War. It examines how the Spanish Civil War conflict developed on the battlefield through the prism of eight campaigns between 1937-1939 and shows how many accounts of military operations during this conflict are based upon half-truths and propaganda. The book is based upon nearly 60 years of extensive research into the Spanish Civil War, augmented by information from specialised German, Italian and Russian works. The Italian campaign against the Basques on the Northern Front in 1937 was one of the most spectacular Nationalist successes of the Civil War, with 60,000 prisoners taken. This is also the first book to quote secret data about Italian air operations intercepted by the British. The figures intercepted by the British show the Italians flew 1,215 sorties and dropped 231 tons of bombs during the campaign, whilst also suffering the heaviest losses. It also demonstrates how the Nationalists won not simply by benefitting from a cornucopia of modern arms from the Fascist powers but by using its limited resources to maximum effect. Spain in Arms reveals the Nationalist battlefield superiority in terms of training and overall command, and the Republic's corresponding weaknesses in the same fields. The Republican Brunete and Belchite offensives of 1937 are described in detail, from the weapons they carried and the tactics they employed to the dynamic Nationalist response and reaction of the generals. This book also explores how the extent of foreign intervention on both sides has been greatly exaggerated throughout history and provides the first accurate information on this military intervention, using British and French archives to produce a radically different but more accurate account of the battles and the factors and men who shaped them. Hooton finally gives the historical context and operational implications of the battlefield events to provide a link between the First and Second World Wars."

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Amicalement
Armand

I have the kindle edition but haven't read it yet. Only $2.99 USD at link

Hmmmm. The blurb contradicts itself. It touts the Italian victory over the Basques, then says foreign intervention has been exaggerated. I'll wait for reviews.

Agree.

Amicalement
Armand

This one isnt a bad read and actually has some real gems in there.

The thing that made me want to buy the book was the supposed exposure of how the bombing of Guernika was a mistake. Hooton actually makes a really good case for it citing a LOT of communication misfires within the Condor Legion as the reason. Its quite convincing.

The Basque campaign is, as Armand mentions, very well described but whilst the CTV were instrumental in folding in the final defensive lines of the Euzkadi and Asturians it was by no means solely an Italian affair.Most of the grunt work had already been done by Spanish Nationalist divisions.

Anyway on the whole I enjoyed the book although with the actual battle descriptions it kept itself to a largely operational eyes view.

I also thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was refreshing to read an account that didn't concentrate on the politics – as the title suggests this is a truly military history of the war through the various campaigns covered.