best concise book/history on the spanish revolution
Aug 18 2007 01:54
so i'm searching for the best concise book on Spain for a reading group I'm in. Many know nothing about spain, and only a little about anarchism. Others know spain pretty well. I've read a bunch of histories before, but there are many I haven't read so... I'd like to find one that could cover the problems with the CNT, the Friends of Durruti stuff, the collectivisations, etc. We already read Free Women of Spain so have that base to work off as a group. I'd like to approach it from the angle of studying anarchist organization, its successes and failures.
thanks! t
Aug 6 2008 12:15
#1
Offline
Aug 18 2007 02:30
#2
is it better than 'the cnt in the spanish revolution' cause i tried to peddle that to some friends who were seriously bored by it.
Aug 18 2007 11:01
#3
three incredibly important books are
Red Barcelona edited by angel smith - a collection of essays by experts in spanish revolutionary history particular focusing on the decline of the CNT in Barcelona before the outbreak of the Civil War and the reasons for the rise of Stalinism and brilliant discussion of the internal factional struggles in the CNT in the 20's-30's
The Agony of Modernisation by Benjamin Martin - looks at the Spanish Labour Movement from 1840's to 1937
Blood of Spain by Ronald Fraser - oral history of Spanish Revolution from all sides
- these books will definitely cure any ethused by the romanticism of the Bareclona based FAI
- around these pillars the canvas of an understanding of Spanish anarcho-syndicalism and the spanish revolution can unfold
mark
Aug 18 2007 15:32
#4
Peirats is most definitely NOT a concise writer (neither in "Anarchists..." nor "The CNT...") so I wouldn't recommend him for introductions.
I would agree that "Blood of Spain" is a good study, but its balance of interviews with non- and anti-anarchists is specifically NOT what booey is after. "The Agony of Modernisation" is also too general, with too much discussion of the growth of the UGT to be useful for booey's needs. "Red Barcelona" might be better in that direction, but it too suffers from a decidedly non-introductory trajectory--again, not suitable for booey's needs. Mark, didn't you read the initial post? Concise, more or less introductory (for those unfamiliar with Spain--and with anarchism), dealing with the CNT and the FoD, etc. The three titles you suggest fail on all counts.
My suggestions would be "Lessons of the Spanish Revolution" by Vernon Richards and "We! The Anarchists," by Stuart Christie. Both are by anarchist writers who are sympathetic AND critical of the paths chosen by the CNT. Both are short.
And booey, what's to stop you from using all the resources on this forum to supplement any clarify any questions that might arise in the reading group?
Aug 18 2007 16:57
#5
Quote:
Blood of Spain by Ronald Fraser - oral history of Spanish Revolution from all sides
not concise, but a fascinating read
Aug 18 2007 17:43
#6
we've been having problems of reading good books, but not things that grab newer members or give room for lots of discussion. For that reason I thought maybe a book about the collectivisations like Dolgoff's might be good. I haven't read the Richard's piece, but did read We, The Anarchists! Do you think the Richards piece would be too dry?
It would be good for people to know about the UGT-CNT councils and the para-CNT stuff too, but maybe something like the Richards book would be a good jumping off point.
Aug 19 2007 00:04
#7
The problem is, there isn't really any concise history that covers all the ground that you have in mind. Peirats' "Anarchists in the Spanish Revolution" is probably the best over all book, despite its weaknesses, in terms of understanding the overall political situation. But it is written from a certain factional point of view which makes it not a good source for things like understanding Friends of Durruti. Peirats invented the "anarcho-Bolshevik" smear against people who wanted to overthrow the government (like Garcia Oliver in July 1936 and FoD in 1937).
i wouldn't recommend the Vernon Richards book also because it is a highly factional account, i.e. he has a definite ax to grind.
The whole process of how the CNT ended up in the national government isn't really explained well by any work in English I'm aware of. You'd have to read Los anarquistas y el poder by Cedar Lorenzo for the detailed chronology and that hasn't been translated.
The "collectivizations" in industry were not "collectivizations" at the outset of the revolution but only later. At the outset the unions expropriated and managed industries. This is often not understood. "Blood of Spain" is essential for understanding that process, i.e. how the switch to "collectives" took place. But Gaston Leval's "The Spanish Collectives" provides the best comprehensive account of the experiment in economic self-management.
But maybe these are all details you don't want to go into.
I've got a draft of a chapter for a book I'm writing that tries to explain the Spanish revolution concisely (in about 32 pages):
http://www.workersolidarity.org/spain.pdf
This is just a draft as I'm modifying it based on new material i'm reading, if i come across new info. For example, Abel Paz's new expanded English biography of Durruti, published by AK Press, has some material i haven't seen before. but that biography is 800 pages, so it ain't concise.
Aug 19 2007 05:30
#8
yeah i was kind of reaching here, having never found such a book myself. I think perhaps it makes the most sense to come at it from a particular angle and trudge deeper. everything people are saying is helping me clarify this process so... 
Aug 19 2007 05:36
#9
booeyschewy wrote:
yeah i was kind of reaching here, having never found such a book myself. I think perhaps it makes the most sense to come at it from a particular angle and trudge deeper. everything people are saying is helping me clarify this process so... :)
Aug 19 2007 16:42
#10
geebus
Aug 24 2007 07:24
#11
syndicalistcat wrote:
I've got a draft of a chapter for a book I'm writing that tries to explain the Spanish revolution concisely (in about 32 pages):
http://www.workersolidarity.org/spain.pdf
This is just a draft as I'm modifying it based on new material i'm reading, if i come across new info. For example, Abel Paz's new expanded English biography of Durruti, published by AK Press, has some material i haven't seen before. but that biography is 800 pages, so it ain't concise
I'd say your chapter/pamphlet does a pretty good job. It summarizes just about everything pretty well. When folks ask me about reading on 1936 I typically point them in the way of it.
I'm told Bookchins "The spanish anarchists" is good. Anyone have anything to say about this one?
Aug 24 2007 10:33
#12
Quote:
I'm told Bookchins "The spanish anarchists" is good. Anyone have anything to say about this one?
It's fantastic - detailed and well-written. Bookchin throws in quite a few of his own thoughts on things, which some may/may not disagree with despite how he backs it up (particularly focusing around the idea of the passive aspect of a proletariat long-established in factory disicpline). The origins of Spanish anarchism should be less well known compared to the major events of the revolution but ironically I've not read anything that compares to Bookchin's handling of events leading up to it. It's a shame that he didn't really go any further.
As for Peirat's Anarchists in the Spanish Revolution, whilst it's a good read it has some massive flaws not least the fact that it passes only briefly over things and actually spends a lot of time talking about general spanish history, and pre-'Civil War' organisation. It's described as a more critical account, but I'd argue it doesn't come close to a real critique which would need a close dissection of what motivated and made possible the participation of anarchists to participate in government and the popular front etc. As syndicalist said, he has a passing shot at the Friends of Durrut without seemingly understanding their position.
But, I've yet to read his history of the CNT.
Aug 24 2007 12:19
#13
I rwad the Spanish Anarchists as a wee lad of but 17 and thought it alright (albit abit dull in parts) however having later read Bookchin's To Remember Spain: The Anarchist and Syndicalist Revolution of 1936, i'm wary of anything has to say about Spain. I mean straight off we see him twisting the title to suit his own ideological agenda, invented an artificial split between anarchist and syndicalist and his misrepresentation of anarcho syndicalism continues throughout.
Aug 27 2007 11:57
#14
The best book I have read on the Spanish civil war and revolution is, The Spanish Revolution, the left and the struggle for power during the civil war, by Burnett Bolloten. It's not concise though, being almost seven hundred pages long. Unfortunately, I have met few other people who have read it.
Aug 27 2007 12:17
#15
Nothing very positive to say about Bookchin's Spanish revolution writings. His bias is clear enough against the CNT and syndicalism.
For what it's worth, Sam Dolgoff's book "The Anarchist Collectives: self-management in the Spanish revolution, 1936-1939" is interesting. Sam provides original texts on the practical implementation of the libertarian ideas in Spain.
Aug 27 2007 13:22
#16
I've read all three versions of Bolloten, the last one (just called "The Spanish Civil War") being over 1000 pages including even more copious footnotes. It is quite good, as were the two previous versions, but definitely not concise. Bolloten's work is not meant for someone with only a passing interest in the Spanish events and I, for one, would never recommend it as a text for a study group.
Bookchin's "The Spanish Anarchists" is just about the only book on Spain that tackles the issue of the tensions between anarchists and syndicalists. Pointing out that not all anarchists are, or wanted to be, organized into a syndicalist union may be a result of Bookchin's "bias," but the fact remains that membership in, and support of, the CNT (and/or the FAI) was not coterminous with being an anarchist, and not all cenetistas were anarchists.
Sep 5 2007 23:34
#17
Its not a book, and its difficult to get a hold of, but if you can find it, Catalan National television did a doc on Spanish anarchism called "The Living Utopia".
As an intro its fuckin brilliant, although its only two hours so it dosnt go into great detail on the what went wrong, or even mention the FoD...
Anyone seen it?
Sep 6 2007 03:50
#18
It's actually not that great. Oral history (in this case nostalgic memories) can be inspiring, but this show isn't.
Sep 6 2007 22:14
#19
rebelworker wrote:
Its not a book, and its difficult to get a hold of, but if you can find it, Catalan National television did a doc on Spanish anarchism called "The Living Utopia".As an intro its fuckin brilliant, although its only two hours so it dosnt go into great detail on the what went wrong, or even mention the FoD...
Anyone seen it?
It would also be worth trying to get hold of a copy of "Noticias de una Guerra", a documentary put together mainly from old newsreel footage, with a few reconstructions where nothing else was available. It's about the Civil War as a whole, and doesn't push any particular line, but it includes footage about the revolution, some of it from anarchist sources. It's also a very well-made and watchable film.
http://www.cornerhouse.org/film/info.aspx?ID=2351&page=0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgTwS6JyKUw&mode=related&search=