The Spanish Civil War through the eyes of Americans on the front lines


 
   

Modern Warfare in Spain

American Military Observations on the Spanish Civil War, 1936–1939
 
374 pages; 6" x 9" ; 11 B&W Photos; 11 Maps; Notes; Index

Clothbound
$35.00   $28.00
Available: November 2011
978-1-59797-556-8

Description:

During the Spanish Civil War, foreign military officers wrote highly elaborate reports of their experiences at the front. One was attaché Col. Stephen O. Fuqua of the U.S. Army, who had once held the rank of major general. His presence was highly unusual, for most military observers were less-experienced captains, majors, and lieutenant colonels.

Fuqua’s reports contained important observations about Spanish armament and troop movements, and he managed to acquire Nationalist propaganda and information despite being situated entirely within Republican military lines. His reporting was considered so valuable that during World War II, Fuqua was tapped to be Time’s military commentator.

Editor James W. Cortada brings Fuqua’s—and others’—insightful observations to light. The result is a volume of such immediacy that the reader feels transported to a time of great historical uncertainty amid the twentieth century’s great “dress rehearsal” for fascism and the conflagration of World War II.

About the Author(s)/Editor(s)

James W. Cortada is the author of a dozen books on Spain, including Spain in the Nineteenth-Century World: Essays on Spanish Diplomacy, 1789–1898, and two previous publications on the Spanish Civil War. He is also the author of dozens of articles on modern European and Spanish history. He lives in Madison, Wisconsin.

Reviews/Endorsements:

"An impressive first-hand account of military aspects of the Spanish Civil War by an exceptional observer. A thorough and accurate presentation by Cortada."—Joan Maria Thomàs, professor of history, University Rovira-Virgili, Spain

"The most informative and objective volume of original military reports ever published in any language on the Spanish Civil War, the conflict that introduced World War II–type combined arms operations. Indispensable reading."—Stanley G. Payne, coeditor of the Journal of Contemporary History and author of Civil War in Europe, 1905-1949

"Drawing from the detailed wartime reports of American military attaché Col. Stephen O. Fuqua and his staff, James W. Cortada has created a work that is sure to become essential reading for those interested in the history of the Spanish Civil War."—José E. Álvarez, associate professor of history, University of Houston-Downtown