From an American perspective, the Abraham Lincoln Brigade is arguably the most famous group of soldiers to fight in the Spanish Civil War. Hollywood screenwriter Alvah Bessie (who was later blacklisted as part of the Hollywood Ten) was a foot soldier with the Brigade and kept a riveting handwritten diary of his activities in four pocket notebooks. Carefully transcribed for the first time, these journals begin with his arrival in Spain in January of 1938, then depict his training, battlefield experiences, work on the ...
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From an American perspective, the Abraham Lincoln Brigade is arguably the most famous group of soldiers to fight in the Spanish Civil War. Hollywood screenwriter Alvah Bessie (who was later blacklisted as part of the Hollywood Ten) was a foot soldier with the Brigade and kept a riveting handwritten diary of his activities in four pocket notebooks. Carefully transcribed for the first time, these journals begin with his arrival in Spain in January of 1938, then depict his training, battlefield experiences, work on the battalion newspaper, and departure almost a year later. This never before published raw material formed the basis of Bessie's classic 1939 book Men in Battle, but in several ways these journals are even more vivid than that memoir. Bessie's notebooks reflect the fast pace of a soldier's life as he jots down impressions, often while under fire. He and his comrades stumble into a fascist camp and must flee for their lives. They endure the shelling and bombing from the forces commanded by General Francisco Franco. Ernest Hemingway visits to provide moral support and cigarettes. The squad must lead Spanish recruits as young as fifteen into a sea of deadly fire. Bessie learns that his best friend has been killed. Not simply a combat record, the notebooks also record songs the soldiers sang, diagrams of loyalist and fascist positions and combat formations, arguments among the men about politics and the conduct of the war, opinions of their officers, and the desire of many to go home. Alvah Bessie's Spanish Civil War Notebooks lend a fresh perspective to one of the most important conflicts of the 1930s, and to a historically crucial opening chapter of World War II.
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Add this copy of Alvah Bessie's Spanish Civil War Notebooks to cart. $16.73, very good condition, Sold by Open Books Ltd rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Chicago, IL, UNITED STATES, published 2002 by University Press of Kentucky.
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Seller's Description:
Very good. Signed and inscribed by editor. Open Books is a nonprofit social venture that provides literacy experiences for thousands of readers each year through inspiring programs and creative capitalization of books.
Add this copy of Alvah Bessie's Spanish Civil War Notebooks to cart. $52.44, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2002 by University Press of Kentucky.
Add this copy of Alvah Bessie's Spanish Civil War Notebooks to cart. $70.00, very good condition, Sold by Lavendier Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Foster, RI, UNITED STATES, published 2002 by University Press of Kentucky.
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Seller's Description:
Very Good. Size: 80x8x136; The University Press of Kentucky; Lexington, 2002. Hardcover. A Very Good, illustrated boards and burgundy cloth spine with gilt lettering on spine, binding sturdy and intact, trace handling marks, bit of rubbing to board and spine edges, some scattered foxing to text block edges, paperclip rusty discoloration bottom last couple of pages, previous owner embossed stamp bottom half title page, without Dust wrapper. A nice and clean copy. 8vo[octavo or approx. 6 x 9], 156pp., notes, indexed, b&w illustrations. We pack securely and ship daily w/delivery confirmation on every book. The picture on the listing page is of the actual book for sale. Additional Scan(s) are available for any item, please inquire.
Add this copy of Alvah Bessie's Spanish Civil War Notebooks to cart. $142.16, good condition, Sold by Goodwill Industries of S.W.FL. rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Fort Myers, FL, UNITED STATES, published 2002 by University Press of Kentucky.
