General Escobar's War: A Novel of the Spanish Civil War - Softcover

Jos� Luis Olaizola

4.05

122 ratings by Goodreads

9781621640523: General Escobar's War: A Novel of the Spanish Civil War

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1621640523 ISBN 13: 9781621640523

Publisher: Ignatius Press, 2016

View all copies of this ISBN edition:

"The best Spanish novel about the Spanish Civil War."
— �lvaro Mutis, Author, The Adventures and Misadventures of Maqroll, winner of the Neustadt International Prize for Literature

Winner of Spain's prestigious Planeta Prize for fiction, this historical novel takes the form of an imagined diary by General Antonio Escobar, the highest-ranking officer of the Republican Army remaining in Spain at the end of the Spanish Civil War, while he awaited trial and execution.

Besides being a vivid reminder of how destructive political passions can be, General Escobar's War is also a profoundly intimate portrait of an inspiring man. By his decisive action on July 19, 1936, Escobar, then a Civil Guard colonel and a man of profound religious conviction, succeeded in thwarting the military uprising in Barcelona.

Although his father was a hero of the Spanish-American War in Cuba, his daughter was a nun, and one of his sons was a Falangist fighter, Escobar freely chose to defend the Republic in accordance with his oath to support the legally constituted government.

The author gives a rare perspective of the Spanish Civil War, free of partisanship and ideology, through a soldier who, in Spain's great historic schism, chose to take a deeply uncomfortable stance because he believed his duty called him to do so.

"A wonderful book that explores the experience of a brave and honorable soldier, a faithful Catholic. His true story, here fluently translated, is told with moving sensitivity and an admirable lightness of touch."
-- Lucy Beckett, Author, Postcard from the Volcano, and winner of the Aquinas Award for Fiction

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

About the Author:

Jos� Luis Olaizola is an award-winning Spanish author of more than 70 books. He is known throughout the Spanish-speaking world for his works on great historical figures such as El Cid, HernAn CortEs, and BartolomE de las Casas. Fire of Love, his novel about Saint John of the Cross, is also published by Ignatius Press.

Review:

"Many books are called brave without cause, but this one is the genuine article a truly courageous and insightful work. The reader is forced to consider the heartbreaking choices faced by anyone who has lived to see his country so cruelly divided."
-- Fiorella De Maria , Author, We'll Never Tell Them

"Like all good historical fiction, this novel brings the past to graphic and disturbing light. It also shows the dignity of the human person in the midst of the ugliness of war."
-- Joseph Pearce, Author, Wisdom and Innocence: A Life of G.K. Chesterton

"The fatalistic first person narrative is haunted by Escobar's resigned courage as he clings to his honor and his faith in a time when both were dangerous."
--Michael Richard, Author, Tobit s Dog

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.