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The International Brigades: Fascism, Freedom and the Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War was the first armed battle in the fight against fascism, and a rallying cry for a generation. Over 35,000 volunteers from fifty-two countries around the world came to defend democracy against the troops of Franco, Hitler, and Mussolini.
Ill-equipped and disorderly, yet fuelled by a shared sense of purpose, these disparate groups of idealistic young men and women formed a volunteer army of a size and type unseen since the Crusades, known as the International Brigades. Were they heroes or fools? Saints or bloodthirsty adventurers? And what exactly did they achieve?
In this magisterial history, Giles Tremlett tells the story of the Spanish Civil War through all the human drama of a historic mission to halt fascist expansion in Europe.
Ill-equipped and disorderly, yet fuelled by a shared sense of purpose, these disparate groups of idealistic young men and women formed a volunteer army of a size and type unseen since the Crusades, known as the International Brigades. Were they heroes or fools? Saints or bloodthirsty adventurers? And what exactly did they achieve?
In this magisterial history, Giles Tremlett tells the story of the Spanish Civil War through all the human drama of a historic mission to halt fascist expansion in Europe.
697 pages, Paperback
First published October 15, 2020
About the author
Giles Tremlett
9 books196 followersGiles Tremlett is the Guardian’s Madrid correspondent. He has lived in, and written about, Spain for the past twenty years.
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December 26, 2021
Given how much I loved Giles Tremlett's Ghosts of Spain: Travels Through Spain and its Silent Past this was a must read for me.
The International Brigades: Fascism, Freedom and the Spanish Civil War is a whopper, coming in at 720 pages. Giles Tremlett has probably written for the definitive story of the International Brigades, and what a story it is. Around c35,000 volunteers from across the globe came to Spain to defend its democratically elected government.
Giles Tremlett combines a detailed account of the history of the war with the stories of a wide variety of the individuals who went to Spain.
What comes alive is the often shambolic nature of the conflict and how ultimately Franco and the fascists won due to the support of Hitler and Mussolini, whilst the rest of the world repeatedly decided not to intervene.
It's consistently fascinating yet this is not always an easy book. Giles Tremlett appears to have included every detail and so the reader is barraged with names, units, divisions, places etc. It was far too much for my level of interest, that said I was never tempted to abandon it or skip ahead.
I found the stories of individuals much more interesting than the reams of detail.
Overall it feels like a book for scholars, and those who want to take their interest in the Spanish Civil War to a deeper level.
3/5
More about The International Brigades: Fascism, Freedom and the Spanish Civil War...
The Spanish Civil War was the first armed battle in the fight against fascism, and a rallying cry for a generation. Over 35,000 volunteers from fifty-two countries around the world came to defend democracy against the troops of Franco, Hitler, and Mussolini.
Ill-equipped and disorderly, yet fuelled by a shared sense of purpose and potential glory, disparate groups of idealistic young men and women banded together to form a volunteer army of a size and kind unseen since the Crusades, known as the International Brigades. These passionate liberal fighters-from across Europe, China, Africa and the Americas-would join the Republican cause, fighting for over two years on the bloody battlegrounds of Madrid, Jarama and Ebro. Were they heroes or fools? Saints or bloodthirsty adventurers? And what exactly did they achieve?
In this magisterial history, award-winning historian Giles Tremlett tells-for the first time-the story of the Spanish Civil War through all the human drama of an historic mission to halt fascist expansion in Europe. The International Brigades shows just how far ordinary people will go to save democracy against overwhelming odds.
The International Brigades: Fascism, Freedom and the Spanish Civil War is a whopper, coming in at 720 pages. Giles Tremlett has probably written for the definitive story of the International Brigades, and what a story it is. Around c35,000 volunteers from across the globe came to Spain to defend its democratically elected government.
Giles Tremlett combines a detailed account of the history of the war with the stories of a wide variety of the individuals who went to Spain.
What comes alive is the often shambolic nature of the conflict and how ultimately Franco and the fascists won due to the support of Hitler and Mussolini, whilst the rest of the world repeatedly decided not to intervene.
It's consistently fascinating yet this is not always an easy book. Giles Tremlett appears to have included every detail and so the reader is barraged with names, units, divisions, places etc. It was far too much for my level of interest, that said I was never tempted to abandon it or skip ahead.
I found the stories of individuals much more interesting than the reams of detail.
Overall it feels like a book for scholars, and those who want to take their interest in the Spanish Civil War to a deeper level.
3/5
More about The International Brigades: Fascism, Freedom and the Spanish Civil War...
The Spanish Civil War was the first armed battle in the fight against fascism, and a rallying cry for a generation. Over 35,000 volunteers from fifty-two countries around the world came to defend democracy against the troops of Franco, Hitler, and Mussolini.
Ill-equipped and disorderly, yet fuelled by a shared sense of purpose and potential glory, disparate groups of idealistic young men and women banded together to form a volunteer army of a size and kind unseen since the Crusades, known as the International Brigades. These passionate liberal fighters-from across Europe, China, Africa and the Americas-would join the Republican cause, fighting for over two years on the bloody battlegrounds of Madrid, Jarama and Ebro. Were they heroes or fools? Saints or bloodthirsty adventurers? And what exactly did they achieve?
In this magisterial history, award-winning historian Giles Tremlett tells-for the first time-the story of the Spanish Civil War through all the human drama of an historic mission to halt fascist expansion in Europe. The International Brigades shows just how far ordinary people will go to save democracy against overwhelming odds.
January 15, 2021
Having been brought up by Scottish communists, I thought I knew about the Spanish Civil War. But no, I didn't. This magisterial work tells the story from the point of view of the young people - including teenagers - from all over the world (mainly men, but also some women) who offered themselves in what the author describes as the opening combat of the Second World War. He picks out individuals whom we get to know over the months, and describes in all its detail the brutality and waste of this particular war. So often, the Republicans were so close to a victory which might have turned the tide, and so often, they were defeated by the superior weaponry provided by Germany and bought in from the USA. The research is meticulous - 90 pages of notes and 30 pages of bibliography - but Giles Tremlett wears his erudition lightly and tells stories about the people and events which you can't get out of your mind.
August 31, 2021
Contrary to its name, the Spanish Civil War was an international conflict. At its core a struggle between the Republican government and their Nationalist challengers, it quickly assumed an outsized importance for the ideological clash involved. Though ostensibly neutral, Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy sent equipment and even troops to bolster Francisco Franco’s Nationalist forces. By contrast the Republicans enjoyed nowhere near the same degree of support from the liberal democracies of Europe, and received only limited assistance from the Soviet Union.
What the Republicans did receive, however, was an abundance of foreign volunteers. From the very beginning of the conflict thousands of people from throughout Europe and the Americas rushed to join the fight. There they formed a series of units that came to be known as the International Brigades which, though often disorganized and amateurish, distinguished themselves in combat throughout the conflict. While these brigades have enjoyed considerable attention from authors both at the time and since, Giles Tremlett draws upon a wealth of new research in previously inaccessible Russian archives to tell the stories of the volunteers and their impact on the conflict.
The volunteers were an extraordinarily diverse bunch, representing many different countries and left-wing ideologies. What united them, as Tremlett makes clear, is their opposition to fascism. This was true for even the first foreigners caught up in the conflict, which were athletes who were gathering in Barcelona for the “People’s Olympiad,” a left-wing counter to the Olympics about to be held in Berlin. When fighting broke out in the city between army units and forces loyal to the government, dozens of these athletes joined in the fighting, helping to secure the city,
Though many of these athletes left, they were soon replaced by an influx of enthusiastic volunteers. Tremlett’s focus here is on telling the stories of these men and women who were involved in the cause. These take up the bulk of the book, and through them the reader learns about how they got to Spain, the (often limited) training they received, and their experiences in combat. These are interesting and often well told by Tremlett, but there is little in the way of explanation or analysis of how well the recruitment processes worked or how the Spanish Republican leadership viewed the volunteers and how those views shaped their deployment. Instead, the war is explained almost entirely through the prism of the volunteers’ experience, which can be highly illuminating but is also understandably limited.
In the end, no amount of commitment to fighting fascism was sufficient to counter the advantages enjoyed by the Nationalists. With the Republic’s defeat in the early part of 1939 the surviving volunteers escaped to internment or made their way back to their home countries. As Tremlett demonstrates, however, it wasn’t long before many of them resumed the fight against fascism once more, this time against Germany and Italy. For them the outbreak of the Second World War represented a vindication of their cause, and many veteran Brigaders played active parts in the Second World War either by enlisting in the armed forces or by joining the resistance movements in occupied countries. Many of the volunteers from Eastern Europe subsequently rose to high political office, as their service in Spain proved a valuable asset in demonstrating their anti-fascist bona fides in the postwar era – just as Brigade veterans in the United States found their service a source of suspicion with the onset of the Cold War.
In this respect the story of the International Brigades is just one episode in the larger history of the ideological conflict that defined the 20th century. Tremlett’s recognition of this only adds to the strength of his book as an account of their members and the roles they played during the conflict. Thanks to his efforts he goes far towards filling the longstanding need for a full account of the Brigades and their impact not just on the Spanish Civil War but upon subsequent events throughout Europe and the rest of the world. In revealing the scope of their activities, he demonstrates the need for further examination of their organization and legacy. Any such work will owe a considerable debt to his detailed and absorbing account, which will likely serve as the standard work on the Brigades and their role in the Spanish Civil War for years to come.
What the Republicans did receive, however, was an abundance of foreign volunteers. From the very beginning of the conflict thousands of people from throughout Europe and the Americas rushed to join the fight. There they formed a series of units that came to be known as the International Brigades which, though often disorganized and amateurish, distinguished themselves in combat throughout the conflict. While these brigades have enjoyed considerable attention from authors both at the time and since, Giles Tremlett draws upon a wealth of new research in previously inaccessible Russian archives to tell the stories of the volunteers and their impact on the conflict.
The volunteers were an extraordinarily diverse bunch, representing many different countries and left-wing ideologies. What united them, as Tremlett makes clear, is their opposition to fascism. This was true for even the first foreigners caught up in the conflict, which were athletes who were gathering in Barcelona for the “People’s Olympiad,” a left-wing counter to the Olympics about to be held in Berlin. When fighting broke out in the city between army units and forces loyal to the government, dozens of these athletes joined in the fighting, helping to secure the city,
Though many of these athletes left, they were soon replaced by an influx of enthusiastic volunteers. Tremlett’s focus here is on telling the stories of these men and women who were involved in the cause. These take up the bulk of the book, and through them the reader learns about how they got to Spain, the (often limited) training they received, and their experiences in combat. These are interesting and often well told by Tremlett, but there is little in the way of explanation or analysis of how well the recruitment processes worked or how the Spanish Republican leadership viewed the volunteers and how those views shaped their deployment. Instead, the war is explained almost entirely through the prism of the volunteers’ experience, which can be highly illuminating but is also understandably limited.
In the end, no amount of commitment to fighting fascism was sufficient to counter the advantages enjoyed by the Nationalists. With the Republic’s defeat in the early part of 1939 the surviving volunteers escaped to internment or made their way back to their home countries. As Tremlett demonstrates, however, it wasn’t long before many of them resumed the fight against fascism once more, this time against Germany and Italy. For them the outbreak of the Second World War represented a vindication of their cause, and many veteran Brigaders played active parts in the Second World War either by enlisting in the armed forces or by joining the resistance movements in occupied countries. Many of the volunteers from Eastern Europe subsequently rose to high political office, as their service in Spain proved a valuable asset in demonstrating their anti-fascist bona fides in the postwar era – just as Brigade veterans in the United States found their service a source of suspicion with the onset of the Cold War.
In this respect the story of the International Brigades is just one episode in the larger history of the ideological conflict that defined the 20th century. Tremlett’s recognition of this only adds to the strength of his book as an account of their members and the roles they played during the conflict. Thanks to his efforts he goes far towards filling the longstanding need for a full account of the Brigades and their impact not just on the Spanish Civil War but upon subsequent events throughout Europe and the rest of the world. In revealing the scope of their activities, he demonstrates the need for further examination of their organization and legacy. Any such work will owe a considerable debt to his detailed and absorbing account, which will likely serve as the standard work on the Brigades and their role in the Spanish Civil War for years to come.
January 10, 2024
This tome has been something I've intended to read since it was published, when I could find the time. Well, the time finally came and I'm very impressed with Tremlett's work, with a few caveats. While political and military issues are dealt with, this is really a social history of the brigades, as Tremlett writes in short, crisp, chapters, and he usually has a good collection of anecdotes upon which to gild each way station of the path of the brigades; from glorious defenders of Madrid, to the sweepings of a broken force abandoning the wreck of the Spanish Republic.
If nothing else, the author wants to emphasize that this force was not really a "Comintern army," but a band of anti-fascists who were anything but "premature" in taking up arms against the looming menace; even if they somewhat fell into the nets of the Stalinist menace. One of the most interesting points of Tremlett's narrative is the varied ways the survivors kept on fighting, and were actually a future elite in many countries, such as the DDR and Tito's Yugoslavia. That enough survivors lived long enough to be honored by the modern Spanish republic is testament to their legacy.
So, as for my caveats, one would hope with as long as a book as this is, you could read it as a history of the Spanish Civil War in total, but the story of the war, and Tremlett's history of the brigades aren't congruent enough for that. Also, though Tremlett is a good military historian, a little more nuts-and-bolts details might be necessary for the casual reader to appreciate what's going on. In the first case, one might want to have first read Anthony Beevor's second edition of "The Battle for Spain." In the second case, Osprey Publishing has brought out a number of relevant booklets on this conflict over the years, and I think that, in particular, Ken Bradley's "International Brigades in Spain 1936-39" holds up quite well; even though it was published in 1994.
If nothing else, the author wants to emphasize that this force was not really a "Comintern army," but a band of anti-fascists who were anything but "premature" in taking up arms against the looming menace; even if they somewhat fell into the nets of the Stalinist menace. One of the most interesting points of Tremlett's narrative is the varied ways the survivors kept on fighting, and were actually a future elite in many countries, such as the DDR and Tito's Yugoslavia. That enough survivors lived long enough to be honored by the modern Spanish republic is testament to their legacy.
So, as for my caveats, one would hope with as long as a book as this is, you could read it as a history of the Spanish Civil War in total, but the story of the war, and Tremlett's history of the brigades aren't congruent enough for that. Also, though Tremlett is a good military historian, a little more nuts-and-bolts details might be necessary for the casual reader to appreciate what's going on. In the first case, one might want to have first read Anthony Beevor's second edition of "The Battle for Spain." In the second case, Osprey Publishing has brought out a number of relevant booklets on this conflict over the years, and I think that, in particular, Ken Bradley's "International Brigades in Spain 1936-39" holds up quite well; even though it was published in 1994.
August 16, 2022
The Spanish Civil War in popular leftist imagination occupies a space similar to that of the passion of Christ, as well as the Battle of Karbala in its general sort of mythology. Like Christ’s Passion and Karbala, Spain served as martyr- suffering gravely to serve as an example to its ideological claimants. Indeed, none better came to represent an almost Abrahamic, universalist desire for martyrdom than the international brigades. What Tremlett, in his own biblical parody calls a Tower of Babel, people from all over the world came to the defense of the Spanish Republic against a rightist coup. Part of this defense can be traced to the People’s Olympiad, at the time being hosted by the Republic, which provided several early ‘proto-brigadiers,’ and greater international interest in the events. Tremlett takes on a massive task of providing a more general history of the brigades(that is, those non-nationals who served the republic, not the volunteers for Franco or his various Italian and German assets)- rather than one which focuses on those of specific nationalities, gender or other categorization. He handles this task very well, and the book takes on an Iliad-esque character, as the people introduced are prone to fall, with brief discussions of what occurred. However, this more generalized tone results in several notable omissions. One of my favorite aspects to study in the war and history generally is the music- for which the international brigades are renowned for (there will never come a day in which “Die Thälmann Kolonne (Freiheit)” does not rouse me.) While there are brief discussions of some songs, there is little focus on them, and understandably so, since the book tends to stray more towards purely military history. The lack of musical discussion means as well that one of my favorite 20th Century communists is practically snuffed, Ernst Busch (as are Pete Seeger and Guthrie, who both have done their time singing of Spain.) Some of the discussion of Stalin and the east is editorialized, often straying nearly into outright demonization, but it does not really reach the levels of the average western historian. Tremlett maintains a proper historical tone regarding many of the disputes between anarchist and statist accounts, with both sides shown in some form of brutal honesty- though the communists moreso, due to the brigade’s ties to the Comintern. Orwell’s accounts are taken with some minor cynicism, but so are Hemingway’s, generally. In terms of more technical aspects, the book is insanely readable, with brief chapters which usually focus on topics, then a look into what is occurring in the war chronologically. All in all, a rather well made account of those who martyred themselves early in the fight against fascism.
May 4, 2021
Giles Tremlett has written a well researched and comprehensive history of the International Brigades which manages to encapsulate the magnitude and complexity not only of their role in the Spanish Civil War but also their legacy.
If you want to learn more about the International Brigades and the history of the Spanish Civil War, read this book.
If you want to learn more about the International Brigades and the history of the Spanish Civil War, read this book.
October 27, 2021
As Paul Preston says on the cover, this is a long overdue and definitive history of the International Brigades contribution to defending the Spanish Republic following the military rebellion of July 1936.
Although the familiar high profile volunteers such as Laurie Lee, John Cornford, Robert Capa and George Orwell (not a 'Brigader') are mentioned, Giles Tremlett focuses more on the unsung heroes from a range of nations and backgrounds. Their first-hand accounts bring to life the horror of modern mechanised warfare which they were among the first to experience. However, he also mentions those volunteers who, unprepared for the reality of trench warfare and aerial bombardment, chose to desert or even change sides.
The chronological narrative employed by Tremlett also serves as an excellent briefing on the development of the Spanish Civil War, particularly with the growth of the International Brigades from hastily organised militias to battle-hardened and effective fighting forces.
The author explores in great detail the crucial involvement of Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany in arming and supporting Franco's nationalists and the failure of Britain, France and the USA to challenge this illegal intervention. At the same time, he describes at great length Soviet support for the beleaguered Republic and throws interesting light on the future roles of leading International Brigaders in post-1945 Eastern European regimes. I do however think it's a shame that Tremlett goes on to rehash the unproven allegations that Jack Jones, International Brigader and future TGWU leader, was in the pay of Moscow.
Nevertheless, this is a fascinating and inspiring history of the original anti- fascists and is highly recommended.
Although the familiar high profile volunteers such as Laurie Lee, John Cornford, Robert Capa and George Orwell (not a 'Brigader') are mentioned, Giles Tremlett focuses more on the unsung heroes from a range of nations and backgrounds. Their first-hand accounts bring to life the horror of modern mechanised warfare which they were among the first to experience. However, he also mentions those volunteers who, unprepared for the reality of trench warfare and aerial bombardment, chose to desert or even change sides.
The chronological narrative employed by Tremlett also serves as an excellent briefing on the development of the Spanish Civil War, particularly with the growth of the International Brigades from hastily organised militias to battle-hardened and effective fighting forces.
The author explores in great detail the crucial involvement of Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany in arming and supporting Franco's nationalists and the failure of Britain, France and the USA to challenge this illegal intervention. At the same time, he describes at great length Soviet support for the beleaguered Republic and throws interesting light on the future roles of leading International Brigaders in post-1945 Eastern European regimes. I do however think it's a shame that Tremlett goes on to rehash the unproven allegations that Jack Jones, International Brigader and future TGWU leader, was in the pay of Moscow.
Nevertheless, this is a fascinating and inspiring history of the original anti- fascists and is highly recommended.
May 8, 2026
The Spanish Civil War is often dubbed as a prelude to World War II. However, based on this book, it may be more accurate to say that the violent struggle in Spain was a world war that took place within one country. By focusing on the quixotic tale of the International Brigades and the urgent need to create a volunteer force in the raging battle against fascism, the author is able to beautifully explore a largely forgotten conflict through a uniquely global lens. Never before in history has there been such a diverse assemblage of hardliner communists, radical anarchists, political exiles, reckless adventurers, devout ideologues, and unemployed drunkards, that joined together to fight for a common cause.
February 4, 2026
Bit too general a history for me (and that’s my fault for not thinking it wouldn’t be) but a good commercial-friendly overview of the International Brigades.
PS anarchists are stoooopid
PS anarchists are stoooopid
October 18, 2021
Very comprehensive and detailed history of the International Brigades.
August 9, 2022
What the international brigades did in the Spanish Civil War was defend a democratically elected socialist government from the forces of fascism. This Fascist Nationals revolted against this and enlisted the aid of the Nazis and Italian Fascists who used Spain as a testing ground for Blitzkrieg assaults, tank warfare, and new airplanes later used to conquer many countries. Spain was a prelude to World War II and Guernica's bombing by the Condor Legion was a small scale demonstration of what was to come. The International Brigades were composed of foreigners who came from all over the world to fight the fascists in a battle they could not win due to a lack of any military aid accept from the Soviet Union. I found the brigades to be mostly organized by communists who wanted to turn Spain into another Soviet Union with a repressive government as shown by how people who were eliminated by the high command. It was a good book for those interested in how politics leads to bloody wars.
September 17, 2026
An insightful history that delves deeply into the experience and lives of the International Brigades, as well as their contribution against fascism.
Understandably the book is a bit heavy on battle descriptions, which may appeal to some, not to others. At times it can be easy to get a bit lost in troop movements as there is only one map provided, sometimes in previous chapters. I found chapters on the journalists covering the war and the nurses who tended to the wounded particularly interesting.
I am glad to have read this book, my curiosity piqued when I saw the memorial to the Frenchmen who served in the International Brigades in Paris. I will look to learn more about the Spanish Civil War as a result.
Note: stopped halfway due to it being too meaty for the work commute!
Understandably the book is a bit heavy on battle descriptions, which may appeal to some, not to others. At times it can be easy to get a bit lost in troop movements as there is only one map provided, sometimes in previous chapters. I found chapters on the journalists covering the war and the nurses who tended to the wounded particularly interesting.
I am glad to have read this book, my curiosity piqued when I saw the memorial to the Frenchmen who served in the International Brigades in Paris. I will look to learn more about the Spanish Civil War as a result.
Note: stopped halfway due to it being too meaty for the work commute!
Want to Read
October 26, 2020Saw a review of the book in the 24 October edition of the Economist Magazine.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 18, 2021
I found this book to very informative and revealing. Thoroughly well researched this book is essential reading for anyone interested in the Spanish civil war or 20th century European history.
September 15, 2021
“Long live the Popular Front! Long live the union of all anti-fascists! Long live the Republic of the people! The Fascists shall not pass! THEY SHALL NOT PASS!”
Dolores Ibarruri Gomez aka La Pasionara
This book is a historical account of the International Brigades formed on the Republican side of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). The International Brigades was a military formation organised by Spanish Communists and the Comintern, to send international volunteers into battle against the Nationalist (including Fascists) side led by General Franco.
Where the volunteers came from was truly international in scope. While the majority came from European countries, many also heralded from places as far afield as Latin America and China. Many were adventurers. Many were people in search of a country to call their own. But a notable number of them genuinely saw the rise of Fascism in Spain as a harbinger for a greater menace in Europe and the world at large. They therefore took it upon themselves to fight against it.
Most of the combat training the first volunteers got was the frontline, which had predictably hazardous results. Getting arms for the International Brigades was also a big logistical problem due to the strict non-intervention international agreement of most of the Western European powers. However, the Nationalists had no such trouble in ground based arms, air power, or troop numbers due to the very obvious and barely disguised intervention of the Fascist powers of Germany and Italy. It is also known today that none other than the quartermaster of the International Brigades was a Fascist themselves, meaning inside mismanagement or outright sabotage of the supply side of this force almost certainly occurred. The early efforts by the brigades were often ramshackle, uncoordinated, and various in professionalism. Arguably, the lack of combat experience was more of a problem than the lack of good weapons. However, the presence of some former WW1 servicemen helped to ameliorate this problem. But over time their combat experience grew as the Brigades experienced more and more trials by fire.
The author puts a lot of effort in this book to pick up as many personal stories of the former brigaders as possible. This is in many ways a double-edged sword, since it can be hard for the reader to take account of all of them and the bigger picture. I guess it all depends on personal preference. Certainly, there are several personal stories that deserved to be told. The stories of the political commissars are largely stories of loyal and hard-nosed Communist operatives who have gone obediently from one campaign to another. More worryingly many of the Communistic operatives in command of the brigades were all too prone to Stalinist paranoia, leading to fruitless purges and shootings of Brigaders all too often. This mindset also led to clashes with Spanish Anarchists who represented a large force on the side of the Republicans.
Overall, I did enjoy this book but I must emphasise that it was not an easy read. This was a bit of a pain from my perspective since the book is about a subject that I have held a long running fascination for. I find it absolutely fascinating that idealists would be willing to fight for their internationalist world view to protect those in the path of advancing tyranny. This has been a resurgent theme in the wake of international volunteers travelling to Iraq and Syria to help the Kurds fight against ISIS around 6 years ago. But the efforts against ISIS, do not appear to have been on the scale of the International Brigades. I think what the author did well was to highlight the triumph and the tragedy of the International Brigades. In the end when the International Brigades were fighting like hell to stop the advance against Barcelona, the Spanish Republic decided to send them home. This was in part a futile gesture to appeasing European powers to show that the Spanish Republic was rejecting help from volunteers, while the Fascist powers weren’t playing by the rules. Not for the first time, the appeasers didn’t listen. If I was to give the author some constructive advice, I would ask him to look and learn from the prose of good narrative histories. If you are looking for a grand scope picture of the Spanish Civil War, then I highly recommend Anthony Beevor’s book “The Battle for Spain”. But as a tribute to the those who risked and gave their lives for democracy, this is an honourable contribution.
Dolores Ibarruri Gomez aka La Pasionara
This book is a historical account of the International Brigades formed on the Republican side of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). The International Brigades was a military formation organised by Spanish Communists and the Comintern, to send international volunteers into battle against the Nationalist (including Fascists) side led by General Franco.
Where the volunteers came from was truly international in scope. While the majority came from European countries, many also heralded from places as far afield as Latin America and China. Many were adventurers. Many were people in search of a country to call their own. But a notable number of them genuinely saw the rise of Fascism in Spain as a harbinger for a greater menace in Europe and the world at large. They therefore took it upon themselves to fight against it.
Most of the combat training the first volunteers got was the frontline, which had predictably hazardous results. Getting arms for the International Brigades was also a big logistical problem due to the strict non-intervention international agreement of most of the Western European powers. However, the Nationalists had no such trouble in ground based arms, air power, or troop numbers due to the very obvious and barely disguised intervention of the Fascist powers of Germany and Italy. It is also known today that none other than the quartermaster of the International Brigades was a Fascist themselves, meaning inside mismanagement or outright sabotage of the supply side of this force almost certainly occurred. The early efforts by the brigades were often ramshackle, uncoordinated, and various in professionalism. Arguably, the lack of combat experience was more of a problem than the lack of good weapons. However, the presence of some former WW1 servicemen helped to ameliorate this problem. But over time their combat experience grew as the Brigades experienced more and more trials by fire.
The author puts a lot of effort in this book to pick up as many personal stories of the former brigaders as possible. This is in many ways a double-edged sword, since it can be hard for the reader to take account of all of them and the bigger picture. I guess it all depends on personal preference. Certainly, there are several personal stories that deserved to be told. The stories of the political commissars are largely stories of loyal and hard-nosed Communist operatives who have gone obediently from one campaign to another. More worryingly many of the Communistic operatives in command of the brigades were all too prone to Stalinist paranoia, leading to fruitless purges and shootings of Brigaders all too often. This mindset also led to clashes with Spanish Anarchists who represented a large force on the side of the Republicans.
Overall, I did enjoy this book but I must emphasise that it was not an easy read. This was a bit of a pain from my perspective since the book is about a subject that I have held a long running fascination for. I find it absolutely fascinating that idealists would be willing to fight for their internationalist world view to protect those in the path of advancing tyranny. This has been a resurgent theme in the wake of international volunteers travelling to Iraq and Syria to help the Kurds fight against ISIS around 6 years ago. But the efforts against ISIS, do not appear to have been on the scale of the International Brigades. I think what the author did well was to highlight the triumph and the tragedy of the International Brigades. In the end when the International Brigades were fighting like hell to stop the advance against Barcelona, the Spanish Republic decided to send them home. This was in part a futile gesture to appeasing European powers to show that the Spanish Republic was rejecting help from volunteers, while the Fascist powers weren’t playing by the rules. Not for the first time, the appeasers didn’t listen. If I was to give the author some constructive advice, I would ask him to look and learn from the prose of good narrative histories. If you are looking for a grand scope picture of the Spanish Civil War, then I highly recommend Anthony Beevor’s book “The Battle for Spain”. But as a tribute to the those who risked and gave their lives for democracy, this is an honourable contribution.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 28, 2023
The International Brigades were composed of volunteers from – at the time – eighty sovereign countries and 25 colonies and territories. Ideologically they were diverse – Socialists, Nationalists, Anarchists, and Communists – but they all had one thing in common and that was anti-fascism. The commanders of these volunteer units were dominated by Russian Communists that had long party affiliations and were trained in Moscow. The historian, Eric Hobsbawn, then a student in Cambridge and a left leaning socialist, would call this time the “Age of Extremes.”
The list of personalitles reads like a who’s who: Orwell, Hemingway, Tito, Willy Brandt, Nehru, Simone Weil, Eric Arthur Blair, Mark Sharron (Trotsky’s American Body Guard), and Wilhelm Von Thoma, Tank crew trainer and later a Panzer Commander in WW II; et. al.
This book is comparable to a small unit actions study. In my opinion, the one weakness of this book is a shortage of Maps, forcing the reader to Google or a hard bound Atlas and the use of a magnifying glass.
In perfect hindsight, we all know that the Spanish Civil War was a training and innovation ground for WW II. There were a few who understood this and studied the lessons of the Jarama Valley and Pindoque Battles. The San Martin Road, battle for the San Martin Bridge and a location called Suicide Hill that would be called “The Verdun of Spain” by the volunteers that had fought in WW I.
This book is a study in both ideology and leadership. The author details the weaknesses, strengths, and capabilities of the Volunteer Brigades and Composite Battalions. He details how some were cool and calm under fire, reckless, ruthless, or cowardly. He details how Russian Support and, how the Communist International had a long view of what they expected for an outcome and took steps beginning as one month after the Civil War began to implement and insert its vision of hierarchy, leadership, justice, training and politics into the Spanish republic. Communist Commanders had no compunction about using Anarchists and Nationalists as cannon fodder. In true Communist fashion, mistakes, negligence and failure were all lumped into categories of Sabotage and Treason – the sentence was always death.
Hemingway, Orwell, and the Abraham Lincoln Battalion get their own chapter – and they are fascinating. Although Orwell is mentioned early in the introduction, he plays in and out at various times throughout the book. Robert Capa and his lover Taro get about 20 pages.
The International Brigades bore the brunt of the fighting and the casualty counts detailed in the battle analysis and appendix are frightening. It is also astounding at the sheer number of volunteers that poured in the country and how quick the Republicans were able to constitute a unit – albeit one that was ill-trained, ill-equipped, and ill-led. The International Brigades are largely responsible for stabilizing the battle lines until the country finally fell in 1939. Because of poor record keeping, it is estimated that more than 35,000 volunteers went to Spain to fight Franco’s Nationalists.
This is absolutely the best book on the Spanish Civil War and should be a reference in your home library that will provide emphasis and an essential orientation for transition to WW II.
52 chapters although some chapters are just a few pages. The book proceeds almost monthly in chronological order from August of 1936 to February of 1939. The book has an extensive set of notes, tables, bibliography and index for a total of over 690 pages.
The list of personalitles reads like a who’s who: Orwell, Hemingway, Tito, Willy Brandt, Nehru, Simone Weil, Eric Arthur Blair, Mark Sharron (Trotsky’s American Body Guard), and Wilhelm Von Thoma, Tank crew trainer and later a Panzer Commander in WW II; et. al.
This book is comparable to a small unit actions study. In my opinion, the one weakness of this book is a shortage of Maps, forcing the reader to Google or a hard bound Atlas and the use of a magnifying glass.
In perfect hindsight, we all know that the Spanish Civil War was a training and innovation ground for WW II. There were a few who understood this and studied the lessons of the Jarama Valley and Pindoque Battles. The San Martin Road, battle for the San Martin Bridge and a location called Suicide Hill that would be called “The Verdun of Spain” by the volunteers that had fought in WW I.
This book is a study in both ideology and leadership. The author details the weaknesses, strengths, and capabilities of the Volunteer Brigades and Composite Battalions. He details how some were cool and calm under fire, reckless, ruthless, or cowardly. He details how Russian Support and, how the Communist International had a long view of what they expected for an outcome and took steps beginning as one month after the Civil War began to implement and insert its vision of hierarchy, leadership, justice, training and politics into the Spanish republic. Communist Commanders had no compunction about using Anarchists and Nationalists as cannon fodder. In true Communist fashion, mistakes, negligence and failure were all lumped into categories of Sabotage and Treason – the sentence was always death.
Hemingway, Orwell, and the Abraham Lincoln Battalion get their own chapter – and they are fascinating. Although Orwell is mentioned early in the introduction, he plays in and out at various times throughout the book. Robert Capa and his lover Taro get about 20 pages.
The International Brigades bore the brunt of the fighting and the casualty counts detailed in the battle analysis and appendix are frightening. It is also astounding at the sheer number of volunteers that poured in the country and how quick the Republicans were able to constitute a unit – albeit one that was ill-trained, ill-equipped, and ill-led. The International Brigades are largely responsible for stabilizing the battle lines until the country finally fell in 1939. Because of poor record keeping, it is estimated that more than 35,000 volunteers went to Spain to fight Franco’s Nationalists.
This is absolutely the best book on the Spanish Civil War and should be a reference in your home library that will provide emphasis and an essential orientation for transition to WW II.
52 chapters although some chapters are just a few pages. The book proceeds almost monthly in chronological order from August of 1936 to February of 1939. The book has an extensive set of notes, tables, bibliography and index for a total of over 690 pages.
December 25, 2022
Giles Tremlett had to thread a couple of needles in writing this book, and he did so masterfully, creating something that is both accessible enough to be an introduction to the subject and thorough enough, in conjunction with its extensive citations and references, to be the basis for more detailed study, although it might not contain the level of detail of a more specialized or focused academic work.
First, and most difficult, was the challenge of remaining politically neutral or at least addressing the political aspects of the war and of the International Brigades' organization and operation with as much detachment as possible, given the vileness of their enemies and the lesser, but significant, vileness of some of their allies. He was able to do this -- approaching, in particular, the May 1937 violence in Barcelona with a refreshing candor and not neglecting the participation of numerous International Brigade veterans in repressive Communist regimes in Eastern Europe in the postwar era -- without losing sight of the essential righteousness of their cause.
Secondly, while the structure of this book focuses mainly on the organizational aspects of the International Brigades, with interactions between the organizing Communist Party officials, Spanish government ministers and senior officers, and field grade International Brigade officers being heavily documented in order to create a story of the International Brigades as a whole, Tremlett is sure to take time to tell the stories of individual volunteers, capturing their reasons for volunteering, backgrounds, relationships with their families and communities and their often violent fates. He also delves just enough into the military aspects of the conflict to provide a background for developments within and among the volunteers, illustrating these with several helpful maps, although this is certainly not a military history and several key elements -- notably the logistical support situation and the development, or not, of the Ejercito Popular's ability to conduct the war effectively -- are glossed over.
Lastly, for a book of over 500 pages plus extensive endnotes, the author manages to maintain a journalistic ability to move things along, dividing the work into relatively short chapters that facilitate episodic reading and coming to a point quickly - both of which I appreciated as someone who doesn't always have the time to sit and read for hours. This adds to its approachability.
Strongly endorse.
First, and most difficult, was the challenge of remaining politically neutral or at least addressing the political aspects of the war and of the International Brigades' organization and operation with as much detachment as possible, given the vileness of their enemies and the lesser, but significant, vileness of some of their allies. He was able to do this -- approaching, in particular, the May 1937 violence in Barcelona with a refreshing candor and not neglecting the participation of numerous International Brigade veterans in repressive Communist regimes in Eastern Europe in the postwar era -- without losing sight of the essential righteousness of their cause.
Secondly, while the structure of this book focuses mainly on the organizational aspects of the International Brigades, with interactions between the organizing Communist Party officials, Spanish government ministers and senior officers, and field grade International Brigade officers being heavily documented in order to create a story of the International Brigades as a whole, Tremlett is sure to take time to tell the stories of individual volunteers, capturing their reasons for volunteering, backgrounds, relationships with their families and communities and their often violent fates. He also delves just enough into the military aspects of the conflict to provide a background for developments within and among the volunteers, illustrating these with several helpful maps, although this is certainly not a military history and several key elements -- notably the logistical support situation and the development, or not, of the Ejercito Popular's ability to conduct the war effectively -- are glossed over.
Lastly, for a book of over 500 pages plus extensive endnotes, the author manages to maintain a journalistic ability to move things along, dividing the work into relatively short chapters that facilitate episodic reading and coming to a point quickly - both of which I appreciated as someone who doesn't always have the time to sit and read for hours. This adds to its approachability.
Strongly endorse.
January 24, 2022
A remarkable feat of storytelling that seamlessly weaves together hundreds of sources, this book tells the fascinating story of the International Brigades, the men and women from all over the world who in 1936 anwered the call to defend the Spanish Republic against fascism.
As the author says, 'There was nothing perfect about the Brigaders and attempts to paint them as saints only serve to highlight their failings. These were (mostly) men at war. They killed and were killed. Some fought bravely, others did not. Some were noble and brave in their actions, others were cruel, cowardly or callous. Some fought for an ideal, others for an adventure. … All fought, however, against the most destructive and malevolent force unleashed by twentieth-century Europe’s violent politics and history.'
And although the war was lost and the Republic failed, it would soon become obvious to the rest of the world that the Spanish Civil war was only the first battle against fascism. Its eventual defeat was a triumph and redemption, albeit belated, for the International Brigades.
The book took me on sweeping journey and as I reached the end of its more than five hundred yet easily turned pages, I couldn’t help but shed a tear.
As the author says, 'There was nothing perfect about the Brigaders and attempts to paint them as saints only serve to highlight their failings. These were (mostly) men at war. They killed and were killed. Some fought bravely, others did not. Some were noble and brave in their actions, others were cruel, cowardly or callous. Some fought for an ideal, others for an adventure. … All fought, however, against the most destructive and malevolent force unleashed by twentieth-century Europe’s violent politics and history.'
And although the war was lost and the Republic failed, it would soon become obvious to the rest of the world that the Spanish Civil war was only the first battle against fascism. Its eventual defeat was a triumph and redemption, albeit belated, for the International Brigades.
The book took me on sweeping journey and as I reached the end of its more than five hundred yet easily turned pages, I couldn’t help but shed a tear.
January 29, 2023
The most comprehensive book I’ve ever read on the International Brigades.
Giles Tremlett brilliantly goes over every aspect of the Brigades, whether good or bad, throughout the war in amazingly well conceived chronological chapters.
Tremlett uses all kind of people, famous or not, from all parts of the world, to retrace their engagement, their resilience, their courage and even their desperation in a fight they fought with heart and commitment against unfavourable odds. From the enthusiasm of the first weeks, the defence of Madrid, the communist infiltration to take full control, to the last battle of the Ebro and their dissolution and even the future engagement of the survivors in the upcoming WWII, Tremlett masterfully tells in fascinating details this important part of the Spanish Civil War.
Of course, I would recommend reading a more general book first - Hugh Thomas’ The Spanish Civil War for example- to fully grasp the stakes and the whole process of the conflict. And if the International Brigades’ involvement caught your interest then you simply must read this book.
Giles Tremlett brilliantly goes over every aspect of the Brigades, whether good or bad, throughout the war in amazingly well conceived chronological chapters.
Tremlett uses all kind of people, famous or not, from all parts of the world, to retrace their engagement, their resilience, their courage and even their desperation in a fight they fought with heart and commitment against unfavourable odds. From the enthusiasm of the first weeks, the defence of Madrid, the communist infiltration to take full control, to the last battle of the Ebro and their dissolution and even the future engagement of the survivors in the upcoming WWII, Tremlett masterfully tells in fascinating details this important part of the Spanish Civil War.
Of course, I would recommend reading a more general book first - Hugh Thomas’ The Spanish Civil War for example- to fully grasp the stakes and the whole process of the conflict. And if the International Brigades’ involvement caught your interest then you simply must read this book.
May 28, 2023
This is a seriously long read. Having read a number of works dealing with this chapter of XXth century history and grown up in an environment where monuments to the International Brigades are common I still had difficulty grasping the importance of these men and women to the conduct of the Civil war in Spain. Accepting that they were volunteers who often travelled to Spain against the wishes of their governments and were sanctioned afterwards, it is still awe inspiring.
There is no sense that the war was futile or that the lives of the Brigadists were thrown away in vain. Tremlett attempts to show how important they were as "shock troops", both in defence and attack. Unfortunately not even their heroism and the heroism of the Spanish republican troops could prevail against the fascist forces arrayed against them and the result was forty years of Franco's repression of Spain.
This is a well researched and well written account and provides a fitting testament to the International Brigades.
There is no sense that the war was futile or that the lives of the Brigadists were thrown away in vain. Tremlett attempts to show how important they were as "shock troops", both in defence and attack. Unfortunately not even their heroism and the heroism of the Spanish republican troops could prevail against the fascist forces arrayed against them and the result was forty years of Franco's repression of Spain.
This is a well researched and well written account and provides a fitting testament to the International Brigades.
June 28, 2023
Always meandering. Sometimes gripping.
Not a bad book by any means. It just lacked a story, or a thread to keep a narrative. As it was it mostly felt like a bunch of general events and battles about brigadiers.
It took a long time to finish and I thought about putting it down but ultimately persevered.
It should be given some leniency since the topic is quite narrow. No surprise there. Still, it could probably do with another editing. It certainly does seem to be well researches but is maybe an example of less is more.
I listened to it as an audiobook which probably didn’t help.
The narrator, Laurence Bouvard did a fine job.
Not a bad book by any means. It just lacked a story, or a thread to keep a narrative. As it was it mostly felt like a bunch of general events and battles about brigadiers.
It took a long time to finish and I thought about putting it down but ultimately persevered.
It should be given some leniency since the topic is quite narrow. No surprise there. Still, it could probably do with another editing. It certainly does seem to be well researches but is maybe an example of less is more.
I listened to it as an audiobook which probably didn’t help.
The narrator, Laurence Bouvard did a fine job.
July 28, 2026
This is an outstanding book focussing on the role of the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War. It is not just an account of the battles and engagements but also personal stories and provides a gripping picture of the motivations of the men and women who went to Spain to defend the republic, in many cases clearly regarding this as the last chance to defeat fascism before the looming Second World War. The account doesn`t shy away from the growing disillusionment as Communism in its Stalinist form showed itself to be just as oppressive and dictatorial as fascism.
There are plenty of maps and photographs and this is highly recommended
There are plenty of maps and photographs and this is highly recommended
May 5, 2021
A great insight into an overlooked piece of modern history. The tragedy of the Spanish Civil War was as much the pain and suffering of the people involved as it was that Fascism won and WW2 was the result. This book captures the everyday of the war. Sourced from various countries, it includes personal diaries and papers. This gives a wonderful sense of intimacy with those who actually took part. The phenomenon of the International Brigades has some striking resonance with some global movements today. A good read for anyone interested in history.
June 2, 2021
I liked this book, the Spanish civil war is a difficult topic to explore and this author chooses to tell it through the lives, loves and ideologies of the international brigaders. It’s a day by day, battle by battle account. Concentrating more on the personal experience. It does not spend much time on the major players or the strategic/ political/ ideological politics of the war, considering how long the book is. The book is more of a story about a certain time in history when people were prepared to fight, kill and die for their view of the world.
January 10, 2022
This is clearly a well researched and thorough blow-by-blow account of the Spanish civil war and it’s really my fault for buying that kind of military history book and not looking at what I was buying more closely first. What I wanted was a social/political history of the Spanish civil war, a period of time I was aware of but didn’t really know a lot about, rather than (in my opinion) tedious descriptions of guns and tanks.
There’s some of the political stuff and it is well-written if you’re a war buff and that’s the kind of book you’re after, it just dragged a bit for me.
There’s some of the political stuff and it is well-written if you’re a war buff and that’s the kind of book you’re after, it just dragged a bit for me.
March 12, 2021
Loved this book. It tells the story from the perspective of the volunteers, their ideology, the challenges, the successes, the disappointments, the tragedies, and the aftermath. The retrospective recognition that the war was the rehearsal for WW2 was interesting but something I already knew. What has sent me on the search for more information is the role some of the former Brigaders played in communist Eastern Europe during the Cold War.
February 8, 2022
An excellent work cataloguing the foreign fighters that came to fight against fascism in 1930s Spain. Mr. Tremlett does a superb job of both explaining the broader war, and the specifics of these folks who came to fight. He does so without a lot of his own inputs, pulling instead on an exhaustive list of journals, archives, and publications to let those who fought in the International Brigades have their say.
September 1, 2022
Phenomenon book, so we'll researched and written bringing to life the the men of foreign brigades who fought for a ideology of equality for all men and women and against fascism and capitalist enterprises who treated poor ppl in Spain like serfs. So many brave men giving their lives for a cause now forgotten by most of the 21st century. This book ensures they will not be forgotten by the sands of time. Recommend it to all
August 9, 2024
A very good and well researched book. Personally i would have preferred if it leaned more into the politics of it and how people got involved with it but it's still great. My biggest flaw with the book is that in the last chapter it reverts to the old anti-communist nonsense of using words like "regime" when talking about yugoslavia and words like "stalinist" as if that is an actual thing. It is still a great book
October 27, 2026
Tremlett knows Spain, I’ve read a few of his other books.
He doesn’t shirk from recording the stupidity and brutality of the war. There are points in the early stages of the conflict where the biggest shock is that both sides remain in the fight.
I remain in awe of the men and women who gave up everything to confront fascism in the knowledge that if they failed the horrors being inflicted on the Spanish people would soon fall across Europe and the world.
A long but compelling read.
He doesn’t shirk from recording the stupidity and brutality of the war. There are points in the early stages of the conflict where the biggest shock is that both sides remain in the fight.
I remain in awe of the men and women who gave up everything to confront fascism in the knowledge that if they failed the horrors being inflicted on the Spanish people would soon fall across Europe and the world.
A long but compelling read.
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