#helen graham

“Our modest task…is to organise the apocalypse.” 

Can you tell I read this after finishing Labyrinth? I studied the Spanish Civil War in school but, like most taught history, the nuances and interesting parts were skipped over. The education system made the events of 1930s Spain seem incredibly dull. Zafon’s ‘Shadows’ series, Hemingway and C.J Sansom’s ‘A Winter in Madrid’ taught me otherwise. 

I’m going to Barcelona in August so I picked up Graham’s book to refresh my mind. This is an excellent overview of the Civil War and its aftermath. One can’t help but notice the similarities between 1930s Spain and now. The parallels are striking: a culture war, establishment anger at left wing social reforms and far right solidarity across borders. Parallels are often drawn between the Trump era and 1930s Germany. The Franco era has lessons for all of us. 

If you’re looking to start learning more about the Spanish Civil War, this is the first book you should pick up.