VOICES AGAINST TYRANNY: Writing of the Spanish Civil War

by John--Ed. Miller ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 31, 1986

A collection which includes some well-known luminaries of the literary, art and cinematic worlds writing with pith and poignancy of a war that still intrigues the Western world. In its way, it represents at a distance a watershed of romance and political idealism which, upon closer examination, is suborned by the duplicity and betrayal of leaders and nations of all sorts. Whether war has much to teach us of peace or of anything is questionable, but listening to the voices of Picasso, Hemingway, Lorca, Orwell, Bunuel, Neruda, Dali, Auden, Malraux and others is always interesting and frequently quite touching. Most of these writers were sympathetic to the Republican cause, but there are others like Eliot, Pound and Shaw who were neutral or pro-Franco. The horrors of left and right are all here, and one is haunted by the stories of ignominy and bravery. Arthur Koestler's imprisonment and his imminent execution--postponed from day to day--indicate the stubborn courage of many protagonists in this strange preliminary to WW II. This is a comparatively short book, but its power is not to he found in its length, but in its pungency. These passionate writers make you taste their fear and loneliness, and they are frank enough to reveal their own weaknesses. For the Bunuel piece alone, this book is a gem. Those who have only a cursory knowledge of the struggle will find this collection the perfect introduction to the last of the wars in which honest men went like knights errant to fight for an idea of freedom. The tragic waste in Spain is part of the charnel house of man's history, an old wound that will hurt for many years to come. However, there is much about this book that makes one proud to be a human being, whatever the flaws.

Pub Date: July 31, 1986

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Scribners

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1986

Categories: NONFICTION