Exploring the Spanish Civil War Through a Nationalist Lens: A Look at the Trials and Tribulations of the Conflict

David L. Staples: It goes almost without saying that nearly all English-language literature dealing with the Spanish Civil War, from Hemingway to George Orwell, sees that tragedy from the Republican (Anarchist, Communist) side. Hence, Peter Kemp’s slim book is a worthy addition to the literature, not least because he fought for the Nationalist (Fascist, Catholic) side.

There are difficulties for us moderns who want to look into the history of Spanish Civil War. First, it was extremely complex in its mad mixing of factions and alliances, far more so than, say, the American Civil War or the Royalists versus Cromwell’s Roundheads in 17th Century England. Second, the Spanish conflict was made immeasurably more destructive by the participation of the two contending Totalitarian superstates of the time: Stalin’s Soviet Union supported the Republicans, while Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy support the Nationalists. The Spanish War has been considered a rehearsal for WW II, and there is much truth to that; but more to the point for modern readers, there just weren’t any “good guys.” Whichever side one chose, or chooses today, one would be effectively allied with an odious dictatorship,...

United States on Jul 09, 2023

Khalid: An important look at the Spanish Civil War but from the Nationalist side, for a change. The amazing story of a normal man, who bravery volunteered in a terrible war.

United Kingdom on May 04, 2023

Tushaar Shukla: Great bind quality and print

India on Apr 14, 2022

john: Having acquired an interest in the Spanish Civil War, I ordered both this book (as well as Mr. Kemp's two others) for a nationalists perspective, and George Orwell's "Homage to Catalonia" for the Republican's perspective. I absolutely recommend this combination for a more complete understanding of the war (as well as accounts from Spaniards, naturally).
Peter Kemp's book is a rare perspective on the Spanish civil war since the nationalists didn't rely nearly as much on international brigades, not having the same support as the republicans had from their communists parties in every country.
In spite of the uniqueness of this book, it had been out of print for many years, as a consequence, a copy would've been very difficult to obtain in Britain/USA and positively unattainable elsewhere; being a resident of Brazil, without this reprint by Mystery Grove Publishing co. and availability on amazon, access to this book would be impossible.
Many thanks from Brazil! Keep it up!

Brazil on Feb 22, 2021

Federico: Great reading!

Mexico on Dec 21, 2020

Tim FrancisTim Francis: Mine were of Trouble is an unusual book, covering an unusual topic, by an unusually erudite Englishman of the early 20th-century upper middle class. The protagonist, a Tory-minded student at Cambridge by the name of Peter Kemp, is strongly anti-communist in temperament. Although we don’t hear much about his father, this would not be unusual at the time given someone who grew up in the 1920s/30s and would have known of Bolshevik and other revolutionary threats to the established British order. In any case, this sensibility leads him to Spain in 1936 where, in contrast to so many of his countrymen, he volunteers for the Nationalist cause. To realize this is unusual one only has to peruse the bibliographic literature in English, a record thoroughly dominated by the Republican side. The latter may have lost the war to Franco, but they certainly won the “battle of the ink,” shaping the results over the decades by dominating discourse ever since.

The book itself covers Kemp’s two years of experience in the Spanish Civil War, beginning his adventure with a certain naiveté (as does everyone who goes to war, myself included), and ending as a reasonably adept soldier, a man...

United States on Nov 11, 2020

DGFeijoo: This is an account of an Englishman's experience volunteering for the Nationalist side in the Spanish Civil War. You may have read George Orwell's "Homage to Catalonia," in which he recounts his experience volunteering for the Republican side. Although the Republicans generally had the English media's sympathy and were better organized in recruitment through the International Brigades, the Nationalists did manage to attract English volunteers like Peter Kemp who wanted to save Spain from the Communist threat, as he puts it.

The following passage is, I think, a good example of Kemp's unique perspective:

"Look here, Peter," he went on with sudden vehemence, "it's all very well and good for you to talk about International Law and the rights of prisoners! You're not a Spaniard. You haven't seen our country devastated, your family and friends murdered in civil war that would have ended eighteen months ago but for the intervention of foreigners. I know we have help now from the Germans and Italians. But you know as well as I do that this war would have been over by the end of 1936, when we were at the gates of Madrid, but for the International Brigades. At that time we had...

Canada on Jul 08, 2020