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Picasso's War
Presents the story of the town in northern Spain that was attacked by Hitler's Luftwaffe in 1937, an event that inspired Picasso's celebrated and controversial masterpiece, Guernica. Reprint.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
34 people are currently reading
519 people want to read
About the author
Russell Martin
13 books12 followersRussell Martin directed, wrote, and produced the highly acclaimed and award-winning documentary Beautiful Faces, filmed in Mexico City, which premiered in 2012. He is a producer and co-writer of the award-winning documentary film Two Spirits and an award-winning, internationally published author of two critically acclaimed novels, The Sorrow of Archaeology and Beautiful Islands, as well as many nonfiction books. He has written for Time, the New York Times, New York Times Magazine, and National Public Radio.
His nonfiction book Beethoven's Hair, a United States bestseller and a Washington Post Book of the Year, has been published in twenty-one translated editions and is the subject of a Gemini-award-winning film of the same name. His books have been optioned by Robert Redford’s Wildwood Enterprises, the Denver Center Theatre Company, and New World Television. He is, says Kirkus Reviews, “first and foremost a masterful storyteller.”
His highly acclaimed book, Picasso's War, has been published in seven international editions; Out of Silence, was named by the Bloomsbury Review as one of fifteen best books of its first fifteen years of publication, and A Story That Stands Like A Dam: Glen Canyon and the Struggle for the Soul of the West, won the Caroline Bancroft History Prize.
When he was awarded an honorary doctorate by Colorado College in 1995, the citation read, in part, “Mr. Martin offers to general audiences precise and accurate, but highly readable, studies of extraordinarily complex issues. He does more: he sees beyond what is already known; he moves beyond synthesis to new insights. His work is disciplined, analytical, and creative. It is also profoundly humane.”
His nonfiction book Beethoven's Hair, a United States bestseller and a Washington Post Book of the Year, has been published in twenty-one translated editions and is the subject of a Gemini-award-winning film of the same name. His books have been optioned by Robert Redford’s Wildwood Enterprises, the Denver Center Theatre Company, and New World Television. He is, says Kirkus Reviews, “first and foremost a masterful storyteller.”
His highly acclaimed book, Picasso's War, has been published in seven international editions; Out of Silence, was named by the Bloomsbury Review as one of fifteen best books of its first fifteen years of publication, and A Story That Stands Like A Dam: Glen Canyon and the Struggle for the Soul of the West, won the Caroline Bancroft History Prize.
When he was awarded an honorary doctorate by Colorado College in 1995, the citation read, in part, “Mr. Martin offers to general audiences precise and accurate, but highly readable, studies of extraordinarily complex issues. He does more: he sees beyond what is already known; he moves beyond synthesis to new insights. His work is disciplined, analytical, and creative. It is also profoundly humane.”
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
May 23, 2023
Guernica is a painting that has stuck with me since I first saw it many years ago. This book delivered exactly what I wanted: part biography of Picasso, part history, and part the story of the painting and its journey back to Spain. I was immersed in the story the entire time!
August 12, 2010
I learned a lot reading this book. I saw Guernica, Picasso's painting when I was in Madrid in April. But I didn't know the background story of the painting. During the Spanish Civil War, in 1937, Franco allowed the German and Italian air forces to bomb the Basque village of Guernica. The village was destroyed. The Franco government denied that it allowed bombings to occur, instead he blamed the Communists. The Germans viewed it as a practice for future bombings or blitzkriegs. Picasso was living in paris and after hearing about the destruction of the town he painted this enormous painting for the Spanish pavilion in the Paris 1937 World's Fair. The painting was kept in the Museum Of Modern Art, in NYC, until 1980s when Spain become a democracy again. It then was returned to Madrid and first housed in the Prado and then moved the Reina Sofia museum. I really enjoyed the story but I found it frustrating there was only one picture of the painting and nothing else, no photos of Picasso or his preliminary sketches, his different mistresses or photos of the painting being exhibited in Paris. The author also did NOT include an index.
February 3, 2015
Όλοι μας γνωρίζουμε τη Γκουέρνικα αλλά πόσοι πραγματικά κατέχουμε τι πραγματικά απεικονίζει, πόσο πολύ περιπλανήθηκε κατα τη διάρκεια του Β Παγκοσμίου Πολέμου αλλά και τον αντίκτυπό της στον πόλεμο αυτό;
Δηλώνω ενθουσιασμένος με το βιβλίο, έκλαψα τη στιγμή που ο πίνακας επέστρεψε μετά το θάνατο του Πικάσσο στην Ισπανία και έμεινα να αναρωτιέμαι πως είναι δυνατόν να περιμένουμε πίσω τα Μάρμαρα του Παρθενώνα από το Βρετανικό Μουσείο τη στιγμή που το εμβληματικότερο έργο ενάντια στον πόλεμο, 70 και πλέον χρόνια μετά τη δημιουργία του, δεν έχει ακόμα μεταφερθεί από τη Μαδρίτη στο Μουσείο Γκουγκενχάιμ στη χώρα των Βάσκων, που απέχει μόλις 30χλμ από τη Γκερνίκα, λόγω άρνησης του Μουσείο της πόλης.
Δηλώνω ενθουσιασμένος με το βιβλίο, έκλαψα τη στιγμή που ο πίνακας επέστρεψε μετά το θάνατο του Πικάσσο στην Ισπανία και έμεινα να αναρωτιέμαι πως είναι δυνατόν να περιμένουμε πίσω τα Μάρμαρα του Παρθενώνα από το Βρετανικό Μουσείο τη στιγμή που το εμβληματικότερο έργο ενάντια στον πόλεμο, 70 και πλέον χρόνια μετά τη δημιουργία του, δεν έχει ακόμα μεταφερθεί από τη Μαδρίτη στο Μουσείο Γκουγκενχάιμ στη χώρα των Βάσκων, που απέχει μόλις 30χλμ από τη Γκερνίκα, λόγω άρνησης του Μουσείο της πόλης.
July 9, 2018
This was very interesting to me, as a lover of Spanish art and history.
August 4, 2025
Fantastic
This was a really great book about Picasso’s Guernica, from the brutal act of war that destroyed the city, to how and why Picasso painted it, why it lived in New York City for so many years, to it’s final trip ‘home’ to Spain. I was fortunate enough to have visited the Museo Reina Sofia in Madrid, and experienced Guernica in person. The book talks about the studies Picasso created before he painted the immense mural, which are on display in an adjacent room. All both beautiful and haunting. Loved hearing the full story of the work. The only thing I didn’t like was the last minute, which was recorded using a different voice (wtf?).
It is unfortunate that another book published in 2022 is also titled Picasso’s War (also excellent, by Hugh Eakin) as, while it is about Picasso’s art, it is from a completely different angle… I wish they did more research and picked a different title, as it would be a shame for anyone to miss either book because they were unaware there are two identically titled books.
This was a really great book about Picasso’s Guernica, from the brutal act of war that destroyed the city, to how and why Picasso painted it, why it lived in New York City for so many years, to it’s final trip ‘home’ to Spain. I was fortunate enough to have visited the Museo Reina Sofia in Madrid, and experienced Guernica in person. The book talks about the studies Picasso created before he painted the immense mural, which are on display in an adjacent room. All both beautiful and haunting. Loved hearing the full story of the work. The only thing I didn’t like was the last minute, which was recorded using a different voice (wtf?).
It is unfortunate that another book published in 2022 is also titled Picasso’s War (also excellent, by Hugh Eakin) as, while it is about Picasso’s art, it is from a completely different angle… I wish they did more research and picked a different title, as it would be a shame for anyone to miss either book because they were unaware there are two identically titled books.
August 27, 2021
A bit dry, and more clarity on the parties to the Spanish Civil War would be useful, but otherwise it was a pretty quick read about a very important moment in history and an impactful piece of art.
December 20, 2007
I bought this book at the Picasso Museum in Malaga Spain the summer before last. I was grateful I had such a good book to read as I and my buddy Jim embarked on a journey through the Dantean underworld trying to get to Nice and then down to the Carmargue. Our bags were lost and we spent four stinky days at a horse farm. You know you need a shower when horses turn away from you.
This book is a model for anyone wanting to write a contemporary history---it reminds me of stuff Steven Watson has done on the Beats and on Gertrude Stein's FOUR SAINTS IN THREE ACTS. The author talks about how the myth behind Guernica was created---suffice it to say, it did not begin life as the world's most famous piece of political artwork, but gained that reputation through the fifties to the seventies. The book is mercifully light on Picasso's own personality; we have the Richardson biographies for that. Instead, PICASSO'S WAR teaches us about the audience's response to art, and how art means different things in different decades.
Maybe the best recommendation I can give P'sWAR is that if you're looking for a book to make you forget your odiferousness, this is a good one....
This book is a model for anyone wanting to write a contemporary history---it reminds me of stuff Steven Watson has done on the Beats and on Gertrude Stein's FOUR SAINTS IN THREE ACTS. The author talks about how the myth behind Guernica was created---suffice it to say, it did not begin life as the world's most famous piece of political artwork, but gained that reputation through the fifties to the seventies. The book is mercifully light on Picasso's own personality; we have the Richardson biographies for that. Instead, PICASSO'S WAR teaches us about the audience's response to art, and how art means different things in different decades.
Maybe the best recommendation I can give P'sWAR is that if you're looking for a book to make you forget your odiferousness, this is a good one....
May 29, 2010
It's a little difficult to get through. I love political history but at times it feels like the author is trying to squeeze in all the information he has just for the sake of doing so.
March 13, 2024
Well-written popular history and art history of Guernica. The history thread of the book is about the April 26, 1937 bombing of the northern Basque town of Guernica by the Italian Air Force and by Nazi Germany’s Condor Legion, a three hour plus air attack against an undefended town that killed a disputed number of victims, but appears to have been well over a thousand, with 71% of homes and 100% of public buildings destroyed in the bombing and with aircraft strafing fleeing civilians with machine guns. The history account includes why the town was attacked, the immediate consequences of the attack both militarily (leading to Franco’s capture of Bilbao and of northern Spain in the Spanish Civil War) and geopolitically. The author looked not only at particulars of the attack such as the different types of aircraft used and the different forms of attack made, but also at later disputes about the conflict, how even decades later people first claimed it was Basque communist forces that destroyed their own town, later agreeing it was bombed from the air but it was a mistake, influenced by bad weather, with different people blamed for the orders to attack the town, all while people debating whether or not the town was a legitimate military target, was a terror target towards military goals, or purely a war crime to attack a town culturally significant to the Basque peoples but not possessing any military assets.
The art history aspect looks at the 1937 oil painting by famed Spanish painter Pablo Picasso (living in Paris, France), the story of how the painting came to be, how Picasso chose its composition, decisions made during his painting, how he documented those changes, explanations of the meaning of different elements of the gigantic mural (11 feet by 25 feet), the first time I have ever had read any breakdown of the symbolism in any Cubist work, and the story of the painting, of where it resided over the decades, what art critics and the public came to think of the painting and how that evolved over time, of views of it as propaganda and as views of it as art, how the painting influenced not only perceptions of the Spanish Civil War but war in general, and the long process whereby the painting finally made its way to Spain after Franco’s death.
There was a strong forensic thread in the book, of the author looking at the particulars of the bombing of Guernica, how the international community came to accept it was a deliberate decision to bomb the town and it was done by German and Italian pilots operating under orders from Franco and that the decision to bomb the town was not purely a military decision, and towards the end of the book how it became established that the Spanish people did indeed own the panting, that Picasso wanted eventually for Spain to be its home, that Picasso had established the conditions that had to exist before the painting could go back to Spain, and that those conditions that Picasso had established existed in the years after Franco’s death.
Other aspects of the book of note are details about the 1937 Paris World’s Fair, as the paining was originally commissioned by the Spanish government for exhibition at the Spanish pavilion there, details about Franco’s and Picasso’s lives before and after Guernica, and about the struggle of the Basque people, including their efforts to have Guernica come home to their part of Spain rather than in Madrid where it ended up.
The art history aspect looks at the 1937 oil painting by famed Spanish painter Pablo Picasso (living in Paris, France), the story of how the painting came to be, how Picasso chose its composition, decisions made during his painting, how he documented those changes, explanations of the meaning of different elements of the gigantic mural (11 feet by 25 feet), the first time I have ever had read any breakdown of the symbolism in any Cubist work, and the story of the painting, of where it resided over the decades, what art critics and the public came to think of the painting and how that evolved over time, of views of it as propaganda and as views of it as art, how the painting influenced not only perceptions of the Spanish Civil War but war in general, and the long process whereby the painting finally made its way to Spain after Franco’s death.
There was a strong forensic thread in the book, of the author looking at the particulars of the bombing of Guernica, how the international community came to accept it was a deliberate decision to bomb the town and it was done by German and Italian pilots operating under orders from Franco and that the decision to bomb the town was not purely a military decision, and towards the end of the book how it became established that the Spanish people did indeed own the panting, that Picasso wanted eventually for Spain to be its home, that Picasso had established the conditions that had to exist before the painting could go back to Spain, and that those conditions that Picasso had established existed in the years after Franco’s death.
Other aspects of the book of note are details about the 1937 Paris World’s Fair, as the paining was originally commissioned by the Spanish government for exhibition at the Spanish pavilion there, details about Franco’s and Picasso’s lives before and after Guernica, and about the struggle of the Basque people, including their efforts to have Guernica come home to their part of Spain rather than in Madrid where it ended up.
July 7, 2022
Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) was arguably one of the most influential artists and sculptors of the 20th century. Although a Spaniard by birth, he lived in France most of his adult life. He even remained in Paris during the German occupation of that city in WWII, and remained largely apolitical throughout his adult life. That is, until April 26, 1937, when the German Luftwaffe annihilated the small village of Guernica in the Basque region of Spain, during an hours-long bombardment on an innocent civilian population.
His painting, Guernica, first exhibited in July 1937, is the most powerful anti-war painting in history. A commanding piece at 11’ x 25’, painted only in tones of black and white, it depicts the immense tragedies wars inflict on innocent people. Picasso detested the dictatorship of Generalissimo Francisco Franco and refused to have the painting displayed in Spain until the Franco regime was ended and a more democratic form of government established. The painting remained at the MOMA Museum in New York City for more than 40 years, followed by years of conflicting arguments over where it should eventually reside.
His painting, Guernica, first exhibited in July 1937, is the most powerful anti-war painting in history. A commanding piece at 11’ x 25’, painted only in tones of black and white, it depicts the immense tragedies wars inflict on innocent people. Picasso detested the dictatorship of Generalissimo Francisco Franco and refused to have the painting displayed in Spain until the Franco regime was ended and a more democratic form of government established. The painting remained at the MOMA Museum in New York City for more than 40 years, followed by years of conflicting arguments over where it should eventually reside.
April 29, 2023
An artist friend and mentor recommended this book. Certainly I found the story of Picasso's monumental Guernica a fascinating read. As a student of WW II, Spain and the fascists takeover was a prelude to German conquering most of Europe, and appeasement. Picasso's creative process is the star of this book. In other places it loops and repeats. I searched for a really great online, high resolution image of Guernica the painting, and finally found one at the Reina Sophia website, in Madrid, where the painting is housed.
The Basque culture is fascinating. It is unique in Europe.
Yes, a piece of art can be a powerful anti-war tool. Ukraine comes to mind right now.
The Basque culture is fascinating. It is unique in Europe.
Yes, a piece of art can be a powerful anti-war tool. Ukraine comes to mind right now.
April 29, 2024
Guernica is a painting done by Pablo Picasso. This work was painted at Picasso's home in Paris in 1937 and was created as a response to the bombing of Guernica. The painting is oil on canvas and is currently housed at the Museo Reina Sofia in Madrid. This book discusses the creation of the painting, and its movement across the world over the decades. The book also discusses the bombing of Guernica, which was perpetrated by the Nazis and their cohorts. I had seen this painting online before, but never knew the significance, and was very interested in the information the book provided.
December 23, 2025
Interesting enough, but the best parts were the postwar sections that had little to do with Picasso himself. This probably could have been an amazing piece of longform journalism, although the scope of a conflict both of WWII and within Spain does feel hard to reduce. I left wanting to know more about the internal darkness that covered Spain in the Franco years - an itch I had prior to reading this - and so perhaps I'm projecting my expectations unfairly onto this book that is clearly intended to be about a specific painting.
August 25, 2025
Fascinating, well-researched book! Besides it detailing Picasso's life and career, it is very educational on the topics of Spain's civil war and Spain in WW2, as well as the Guernica's journey from France to USA, then to Madrid. Until this book I did not know much about Picasso's 'Guernica', and didn't pay attention to the story behind it, but this book opened up the means of art as painter's anti-war message. Very well written, and very well narrated on Audible.
November 23, 2025
For me this is one of the best books I've read. Why? Because of the impact art has in a society. Because history reveals the darkest eras that should never be repeated. It was an eye opener because of the parallels with today's political climate in the US. History does repeat itself.
As an artist, it reaffirmed the knowledge of expressing with my paintings. To reach out to people through emotions in color.
As an artist, it reaffirmed the knowledge of expressing with my paintings. To reach out to people through emotions in color.
August 5, 2025
I’ve always been fascinated by Guernica as the visual masterpiece, and this book allowed me to dive deeper. It provided an excellent overview of the stories, suffering and tragedy that surround the painting. At times, I felt like the book dragged on, and I struggled to follow all the different names and characters. Overall, it was an enjoyable read and I feel like I learned quite a lot.
September 10, 2025
Anyone planning to visit Gernika and then to view Picasso’s greatest masterpiece really should read this book first. It is both a detailed account of the 1937 Nazi bombiing of the small red-roofed Basque town in northern Spain and of Picasso’s response to it. A skilful blend of Spanish history, art and global politics, diligently researched and hugely informative.
March 30, 2020
An art history of the painting Guernica by Picasso, blended with memoir. Intended for a general audience, the author didn't include end notes on sources but the source material on which it is based seems truly fascinating and I'd love to know more.
May 14, 2020
Fascinating exploration of the Spanish civil war through the lens of art history, and Picasso’s works. The book reads as a drama, though is packed with facts and information that help paint the picture of the times and unfolding of history in a really poetic way.
November 24, 2020
This was a very good book that did a good job of staying focused on the painting at the center and not padding out the work by addressing world events too much. This allows the creation and displaying of the painting to be the main and gives power to his thesis.
July 12, 2018
This is a must read if you are planning a trip to Madrid to see the painting. So readable and interesting.
December 13, 2018
Short book. Quick to the point discussing the bombings of some Basque cities. Very little about Picasso, more so about Franco, his generals, the context of the bombings, and the reactions to it.
March 31, 2020
An incredible painting, and a detailed history of it.
October 12, 2022
I listened to the audiobook while on a trip to Barcelona. This nonfiction history book tells the story of Guernica and Spain’s civil war during WWII. Recommended.
January 5, 2023
Required reading for all humans.
February 28, 2023
Interesting story of the bombing of Guernica, the painting of Picasso's painting, and the way that has been used in the way that it is display. Read a bit at a time whilst brushing teeth.
July 17, 2025
Fascinating and well written, weaving Picasso’s art, life, human conflict, tragedy and hope into a very moving book
January 1, 2026
awesome
July 3, 2021
Spanish civil is the only topic in the 20th century history that has made me so mysteriously interested in exploring. I guess that was the reason that ‘Guernica’ was also acted as a sting to my eyes since the first time that I saw it. So, the enjoyment of this book was more than a pleasure. History and art blended with an amazing way. Highly recommended.
July 23, 2016
This is a re-read for me, but after finishing My Name is Asher Lev which talks about art during the first half of the 1900′s where Picassso was the master and king, I decided to re-read this. Picasso’s War is a semi-biographical book about Picasso as a Spanish exile living and painting in France. The bulk of the book details the Spanish Civil War in 1937-1939, which in many ways was a testing ground for Hitler and Mussolini to flex their muscles on a compliant and cowardly Franco government. (“Franco” as in Francisco, not as in French.) In April 1937 the German army bombed the Basque town of Gernika, the first time a town had been bombed simply to create terror. The point was to kill as many unarmed civilians as possible. It was the beginning of modern warfare that has included bombings in Dresden, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Mylai, Vietnman and New York City and, most recently, Afghanistan. Immediately upon hearing the news of Gernika’s annihilation, Picasso started on a grand mural (11′ wide by 28′ tall) for the World’s Fair to be held in Paris that summer; the resulting painting was Guernica, one of the most important and historical paintings of the 20th century. I could only give this book 4 stars because Martin does not include a substantial bibliography, and with so much historical data and seemingly personal statements by Picasso and those who worked with and knew him, I feel a bibliography is required. Excellent book, however. Recommended.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews