See,George Orwell's Homage to Catalonia is an amazing look at the Spanish
Civil War from one of its participants written within six months of the
incidents described. This is an important book for historians of the period
as well as an important piece of writing for those who love the fiction and
ideas of Orwell as one can easily see their development through his
experiences in Spain. The sections on the fighting in Barcelona between the
Anarchists and the Communists (instead of against their true enemy, the
Fascicts) as well as the subsequent suppression of the POUM are among the
most riveting. He is always clear about his personal biases and he is not
writing as an historian but as an observer who has been betrayed yet is
still hopeful. The flashes of humour are among the many surprises in this
very personal account of the devastation of a country and the growth of a
writer.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0156421178/qid=1047527164/sr=2-3/ref=sr_2_3/103-8357565-5279023
