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Franco's International Brigades, by Christopher Othen

Discussion in 'Biographies and Everything Else' started by ColHessler, Apr 23, 2019.

  1. ColHessler

    ColHessler Member

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    Length: 337 pages, including index

    This book is about those foreigners who fought on the Nationalist side in the Spanish Civil War. Othen starts us off with the British pilot Cecil Bebb who flew Franco from the Canary Islands to mainland Spain to take the lead in the Nationalist campaign, and how Bebb was recruited to do it. Bebb and some other Englishmen were just mercenaries, but a few genuinely were either rightist or Christian crusaders who saw the Spanish republic as a monster to be slain.

    The biggest contingents to join Franco's side were Portuguese fascists, the Irish Brigade of Eoin O'Duffy, and individuals from as far afield as Finland and South America with their own motivations to go to Spain on the "wrong" side. The Moroccans who joined Franco's side were mostly there because Republican planes, trying to bomb Franco's HQ Morocco, hit a mosque instead. The effort to get them across to the mainland required German and Italian planes. Their famous efforts like Legion Condor and the Italian Army forces are covered as well.

    Othen doesn't spare anyone his bile, with just about all the foreign volunteers getting some kind of unkind adjective used in his description, even if it's just commenting about weight or baldness. He does however let us know that some of these men, such as Peter Kemp, who had been with the Carlists, went on to fight against fascism in WWII.

    This little known chapter of the war is covered well by Mr. Othen, and this would be a good addition to your library.
     
    lwd, von Poop and A-58 like this.
  2. A-58

    A-58 Cool Dude

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    Sounds like a good read. Will put it in the rotation. Much has been written about the “Premature Anti/Fascists”, but next to nothing about who helped Franco except the Germans and Italians. Looking forward to it. Thanks for the tip
     
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  3. ColHessler

    ColHessler Member

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    You're welcome.
     

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