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Hermanos
The Spanish Civil War was the last in Europe to be fought for idealistic reasons. When it ended, idealism had been totally and tragically defeated.
Hermanos! is about the men and women who came to Spain as volunteers from every corner of the world - Germany, Ireland, the USA and Britain - to join the International Brigades in what they saw as a crusade against fascism. It is about the cruel war they fought, and the terror and murderous fury of the battles in which most died. It is also about the politics of international socialism and of those who infiltrated into Spain and intrigued for power, and the weapons - distortion, secret police, terror, death - they used in a ruthless and cynical exploitation of idealism for their own ends. And it is about those who fought in the streets, crying, 'Unios! Hermanos proletarios!'
William Herrick's Spanish Civil War is far different from Hemingway's. Equally tragic, equally conscious of the dignity and nobility of the men involved, nevertheless it reveals the harsh and painful reality of the workings of politics. It is also memorable for the passionate story of Jacob Starr and Sarah Ruskin, and for its battle-scenes in which Herrick manages to convey, in his sharp, idiosyncratic and sardonic style, the hope and optimism that turned to despair and inevitable defeat.
Hermanos! is about the men and women who came to Spain as volunteers from every corner of the world - Germany, Ireland, the USA and Britain - to join the International Brigades in what they saw as a crusade against fascism. It is about the cruel war they fought, and the terror and murderous fury of the battles in which most died. It is also about the politics of international socialism and of those who infiltrated into Spain and intrigued for power, and the weapons - distortion, secret police, terror, death - they used in a ruthless and cynical exploitation of idealism for their own ends. And it is about those who fought in the streets, crying, 'Unios! Hermanos proletarios!'
William Herrick's Spanish Civil War is far different from Hemingway's. Equally tragic, equally conscious of the dignity and nobility of the men involved, nevertheless it reveals the harsh and painful reality of the workings of politics. It is also memorable for the passionate story of Jacob Starr and Sarah Ruskin, and for its battle-scenes in which Herrick manages to convey, in his sharp, idiosyncratic and sardonic style, the hope and optimism that turned to despair and inevitable defeat.
312 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1969
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 17, 2014
This book is basically a "worse" version of Homage to Catalonia but "worse" doesn't necessarily mean bad--though the novel does have its deficiencies.
Herrick tells an interesting story and gets across many important points, but he's only a writer of above-average novelistic ability. Sometimes the work suffers because he doesn't really know how to move the plot along.
This is still worth reading though; it's a hidden gem!
Herrick tells an interesting story and gets across many important points, but he's only a writer of above-average novelistic ability. Sometimes the work suffers because he doesn't really know how to move the plot along.
This is still worth reading though; it's a hidden gem!
August 23, 2017
In the time of the Depression; in the years when men lost their jobs and their hope, then united to fight for their rights; in an age when standing up for something good soon devolved into falling for falsehood; and in a time when foreign civilians traveled to soldiers’ graves in Spain; and when Hitler’s Germany is rising… in that time, a young man of strong ideals saw the first crack in the promise; a young woman of strong devotion saw the first face of honest pain; and a band of American brothers was formed around truth that became a lie.
Hermanos by William Herrick reads like Band of Brothers crossed with For Whom the Bell Tolls. Gritty authentic detail combines with a tragic story arc that keeps rebounding and falling again. Romantic threads are almost torn apart in the mess of blood and explosions. And political views, slowly told and deeply thought out, are achingly relevant.
“What we do is above morality,” says one character as another airs his doubts, determining reluctantly that “justice… would have to wait. First there was hunger to resolve.” Who might say these same lines now?
Hermanos is a slow, deep novel. It draws the reader into wounded lives, invites understanding of wounding crimes, and provides a haunting lens through which to view the present day. Behind it all, it’s also the story of a single life, a single romance, and what people will do for love, for duty, and for their chosen cause. “The music goes round and round and it comes out here.”
Giving haunting meaning to the phrase, a “unity of opposites,” Hermanos reveals the lie of cheap lives, and the descent of man, but shines with a distant gleam, even to the end. Putting down this book is hard, even when the tale is done. So is looking into the mirror of history. A truly absorbing, long, slow, haunting novel, Hermanos holds that mirror up to us all.
Disclosure: I was given a copy and I offer my honest review.
Hermanos by William Herrick reads like Band of Brothers crossed with For Whom the Bell Tolls. Gritty authentic detail combines with a tragic story arc that keeps rebounding and falling again. Romantic threads are almost torn apart in the mess of blood and explosions. And political views, slowly told and deeply thought out, are achingly relevant.
“What we do is above morality,” says one character as another airs his doubts, determining reluctantly that “justice… would have to wait. First there was hunger to resolve.” Who might say these same lines now?
Hermanos is a slow, deep novel. It draws the reader into wounded lives, invites understanding of wounding crimes, and provides a haunting lens through which to view the present day. Behind it all, it’s also the story of a single life, a single romance, and what people will do for love, for duty, and for their chosen cause. “The music goes round and round and it comes out here.”
Giving haunting meaning to the phrase, a “unity of opposites,” Hermanos reveals the lie of cheap lives, and the descent of man, but shines with a distant gleam, even to the end. Putting down this book is hard, even when the tale is done. So is looking into the mirror of history. A truly absorbing, long, slow, haunting novel, Hermanos holds that mirror up to us all.
Disclosure: I was given a copy and I offer my honest review.
July 11, 2020
Based upon his own experiences, Herrick captures in detail IB volunteers and their experiences in the war vs fascism. He takes a strong stand vs the role of the Russian communist party which may be overstated. Russia, at least, supported this struggle against the overthrowing of a popular, elected government, unlike Britain and the US. As my father was in the Abraham Lincoln Brigade and fought in some of the battles described, I ate this book up and spat out the bits that had a bad taste.
Oh, the strong love interest will make it more readable for many.
Oh, the strong love interest will make it more readable for many.
June 27, 2020
I can see why the International Brigade Memorial society hates Herrick with a passion. This is a fictional account of Herrick's own time in the International Brigade and his disillusionment with the communist party after seeing first hand how it extorted and exploited the civil war in Spain for its own gain.
It covers a lot of confusing ground about the war at the front and the factions and operations of party during the purges in the soviet union. It has elements of dark humour, and the men of the brigade seem like real people who talk, laugh, swear and screw.
It covers a lot of confusing ground about the war at the front and the factions and operations of party during the purges in the soviet union. It has elements of dark humour, and the men of the brigade seem like real people who talk, laugh, swear and screw.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews