The Real Band of Brothers : First-Hand Accounts from the Last British Survivors of the Spanish Civil War

Personal stories from the soldiers who volunteered to fight for a cause they passionately believed in The Spanish Civil War, which raged from 1936-9, was a brutal and intense war which claimed well over 500,000 lives. Rightly predicting that the rise of Fascism in Spain could develop into a more global conflict, almost 2500 British volunteers travelled to Spain under the banner of the International Brigade to fight for the Spanish Republic in an attempt to stem the tide. Now, fewer than twenty of these volunteers remain. Theirs is a unique story, of men and women volunteering to lay down their lives for a cause, believing passionately that the Spanish Republic's fight was their fight too. Acclaimed oral historian Max Arthur has tracked down the survivors of this conflict, and interviewed them for their unique perspective, their memories of their time fighting and the motives which compelled them to fight. From Surrey art student to Union leader, Egyptologist to IRA activist, these survivors have incredible, compelling and sometimes harrowing tales to tell of their experiences, revealing their ideologies, pride, regrets, and feelings about the legacy of the actions they took. For most young people there was a feeling of frustration, but some were determined to do anything that seemed possible, even if it meant death, to try to stop the spread of Fascism. It was real, and it had to be stopped. Jack Jones - Volunteer, 94 For myself and many others like me, it was a war of principle, and principles do not have national boundaries. Jason Gurney - Volunteer, 98