Spanish Civil War 1936–39 (1): Nationalist Forces Book Review
By David L. Veres
| Date of Review | August 2014 | Title | Spanish Civil War 1936–39 (1): Nationalist Forces |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author | Alejandro de Quesada | Publisher | Osprey Publishing |
| Published | 2014 | ISBN | 9781782007821 |
| Format | 48 pages, softbound | MSRP (USD) | $17.95 |
Review
Nearly eight decades have passed. And the Spanish Civil War still stirs pain, passions and propaganda. That's why honest historians insist on sifting fact from fiction.
Such is clearly the case with Spanish Civil War 1936–39 (1): Nationalist Forces – number 495 in Osprey's popular "Men-at-Arms" series.
Author Alejandro de Quesada tackles a complicated, convoluted subject – and superbly shoehorns contents into just 48 pages.
After background notes and chronology with map, coverage dispassionately spans all Spanish Nationalist forces:
- National Army
- Colonial Troops
- Foreign Volunteers
- Air Force
- Navy
- Security Forces
Subsequent sections summarize Nationalist domestically manufactured and imported small arms – rifles, pistols, submachine guns and machine guns.
Engrossing anecdotes and fascinating photos tincture text. Enjoy the entertaining "Irish Brigade" coverage! Fourteen pages of color plates and commentaries summarize the sweep of Spanish Nationalist service dress. Sidebars, charts and extended captions augment the account. And additional comments reference other Osprey books for further detail. A selected bibliography and index neatly wrap things up.
Seeking a handy entrée to the Spanish Civil War's Nationalist combatants? Start here. Then line-up behind me for the pending "Republican" volume!
Recommended!
My sincere thanks to Osprey Publishing for this review sample!