Catalonia in the Spanish civil war

[Red_or_Dead]

Ok, I heard a lot about this, but I havent been able to find any good information on the web. I know that there is a book from George Orwell, Homage to Catalonia, that deals with the situation in Catalonia in the Spanish civil war, but I didnt find it in my local library.

So, does anyone have any information on this subject?

[Random Precision]

Homage to Catalonia deals mainly with the actual fighting in the trenches, which took place outside of Catalonia. Although, the latter end of the book does focus on the May Days, political repression of the POUM and such, to me this is not the most important thing that occurred there. But I would highly encourage you to read it nevertheless. It's online at http://www.george-orwell.org/Homage_to_Catalonia/index.html

I actually wrote a fairly extensive essay on the role of the anarchists (CNT/FAI) in the industrial collectivization, i.e. workers running industry for themselves. Due to copyright restrictions by the organization I submitted it to, I'm unfortunately barred from posting it on this forum. However, here are some of the most important sources I used:

- Robert Alexander's The Anarchists in the Spanish Civil War is a two-volume history that deals with all anarchist activity in the war, and has excellent sections on the industrial and rural collectivization that occurred in Catalonia
- Burnett Bolloten's The Spanish Civil War: Revolution and Counterrevolution is a fairly massive tome, but it gives an excellent account of the course of the revolutionary changes that occurred in Catalonia
- The Blood of Spain by Ronald Fraser is an oral history of the war that also covers Catalonia rather well, and it's primary-source material which is a plus
- Gaston Leval's Collectives in the Spanish Revolution is an excellent account of the structure and function of industrial and agrarian collectives, by a French anarchist who saw them firsthand. It's online at http://libcom.org/library/collectives-spanish-revolution-gaston-leval
- The Revolution and Civil War in Spain by Pierre Broué and Emile Témime also is a good account of the revolution that places it in the context of the ongoing war against the fascists.

Most of the books you can probably get at the nearest university library, or through inter-library loan if you're willing to make the effort.

[Red_or_Dead]

Thanks. I went through Homage to Catalonia a bit, looks interesting.

I will try to find the others too.

[Intelligitimate]

I recommend Spain! The Unfinished Revolution if you want a non-Trot/anarchist perspective, from someone who was actually there.

[Bilan]

Is that a Stalinist perspective on it, by chance?

Also, Durruti: The People Armed.
Discusses Catalonia a fuck load.
There's also some classic texts out there that I couldn't remember the name of for the life of me!

[Intelligitimate]

"Stalinist" is meaningless, bullshit term thrown around by the pseudo-Left trash here.

[Red_or_Dead]

"Stalinist" is meaningless, bullshit term thrown around by the pseudo-Left trash here.

Not really.


Anyway, Stalinist, Trotskyist, Anarchist... WHatever. All books are on my list.