The Odyssey of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade: Americans in the Spanish Civil War

Rating:
Summary: An Excellent look at The Abraham Lincoln Brigade
Review: Before reading Mr. Carroll's gripping book about the Abraham Lincoln Brigade I knew nothing about this group of brave individuals. Many right-wingers would like to have the public believe that the Abraham Lincoln Brigade did not exist at all, or rather that their role was minimal at best in the Spanish Civil War. Mr. Carroll presents us with an introduction to the Abraham Lincoln Brigade, its members, their beliefs, and conflicts. In essence, it is a personal look at people who fought in a vicious war. Too often war and the passing of time has allowed certain events and people to be forgotten. Now, thanks to Mr. Carroll, the "Odyssey of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade" will expose the adventures of these brave people to a new generation. It was not easy to make a decision to join the Abraham Lincoln Brigade in the years leading up to World War II. Some of the members faced hostility upon their return to the United States. Mr. Carroll's book is full of informative and detailed explanations on the Brigade. I learned quite a bit from this book and I would like to thank Mr. Carroll for writing this book. It is important that the Abrahma Lincoln Brigade never be forgotten.

Rating:
Summary: Those who forget history...
Review: I sought this book out because over time, as an amateur historian, I have become fascinated by certain subjects and the Spanish Civil War is definitely one of them, not simply because of the clash of ideologies that were in full force, but because looking at it through the complete prism of the twentieth century one can understand why the SCW was a microcosm of what became the Second World War. It's like Spain was a petrie dish for the major powers to test out new methods of warfare, new technology, and new methods of propaganda.

Since the causes of fascism and communism are equally repellant in this country, with perfect justification, it's interesting to read an account where the tendency is to route for neither side. I guess since the U.S. and U.S.S.R. were allies later on against the Nazis it makes it somewhat of an easier choice, but not when the evidence about the Party in America is revealed.

Not really a complete overview, the book focuses much more on individuals and their personal stories which gives the book much more of a human quality to it. I would have liked a little more of the general history. It's a good read for a seriously overlooked event in modern times.

Rating:
Summary: Title of book
Review: Just looking at the title, I am curious why it was chosen. There was no Abraham Lincoln Brigade in the Spanish Civil War. It was the Abraham Lincoln Battalion which was part of the XV International Brigades. John C. Howell, [e-mail]

Rating:
Summary: Title of book
Review: Just looking at the title, I am curious why it was chosen. There was no Abraham Lincoln Brigade in the Spanish Civil War. It was the Abraham Lincoln Battalion which was part of the XV International Brigades. John C. Howell, [e-mail]

Rating:
Summary: Interesting Individual Stories
Review: Mr. Carroll's book about the saga of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade is an interesting insight into a part of American history that is lost. What is most interesting is his stories of the men and women who choose to fight and die in Spain and the reasons that they did. As a collection of personnel stories this book excels. These men and women went to Spain notwithstanding the antagonism of their country and the countries surrounding Spain and then returned to a suspicious nation that treated them as part of the red menace.

However, if one is expecting to get a history of the Spanish Civil War, or even an overview of the war, one will be disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: Superb account of American heroism
Review: This extremely readable book tells the story of the 2,600 American volunteers who fought for the Spanish Republic in the years 1936 to 1938. They fought against Franco; they also fought against Hitler's and Mussolini's armies; they also fought against the Governments of Britain, France and the United States, which did so much to assist the forces of fascist aggression.

"But the remarkable thing was that though fully conscious of the odds against us and though suffering staggering losses in long, drawn out gruelling campaigns, we all went back to the front time after time ... always with a belief in the possibility of victory." This was the testimony of Milton Wolff, the last commander of the Lincoln-Washington battalion. As Carroll wrote, "the Americans remained in action, constantly facing superior firepower. As in previous engagements, they demonstrated remarkable courage and stamina; they held difficult positions against overwhelming odds." They were finally withdrawn from Spain after the two-month Battle of the Ebro in late 1938: "the Americans under Wolff held fast and waited. They were still there when a relief column came to replace them; only then did they withdraw from the lines."

Within the Republican forces, it was the Communists who fought longest and hardest against Franco. What is amazing is that they fought so well for so long against such odds, not that they lost. How could they have fought any better? If they had followed the line of revolution now, war later, Franco would surely have won more quickly and easily. This approach would have lost them the support of those in Spain who wanted the Republic but were not yet ready for revolution. This approach would have made support or even genuine neutrality from other Governments even less likely. It would have increased the intensity of German, Italian, British, French and US Government support for Franco. It is quite possible that the British, French and US Governments would have abandoned even the pretence of neutrality and joined in the attack on Spain, just as they had in 1918-1922 when they jointly attacked the Soviet Union.

The British, French and US Governments used Hitler and Mussolini as their hired goons to attack Spain, just as they tried to use them later to attack the Soviet Union. (And just as they now use other goons in other countries.) In June 1940 when Roosevelt accused Mussolini of stabbing France in the back, former brigade commissar John Gates replied truly, "It was you who stabbed Republican Spain in the back. It was you, and the British and French rulers, who provided Mussolini with the dagger that he has now proceeded to plunge into your own backs."

When the Brigade left, La Pasonaria spoke: "We shall not forget you and when the olive tree of peace puts forth its leaves again, entwined with the laurels of the Spanish Republic's victory - come back! ... Come back to us. With us those of you who have no country will find one, those of you who have to live deprived of friends will find friends, and all of you will find the love and gratitude of the whole Spanish people who, now and in the future, will cry out with all their hearts: Long live the heroes of the International Brigades!"

She said, "They gave up everything, their loves, their countries, home and fortune; fathers, mothers, wives, brothers, sisters and children, and they came and told us: "We are here. Your cause, Spain's cause, is ours - it is the cause of all advanced and progressive mankind.' You can go proudly. You are history. You are legend."

After the war, they fought on against the enemies of Spain and of all progressive mankind in America. Bill McCarthy said in 1990, "We have to do our fighting right here. There's no use being discouraged because victory is ours if we fight for it." Milton Woolf, who had not completed high school, said, "Spain was only one battle. World War Two was only one battle, what's going on in Central America, South Africa, the Middle East now is another battle, and we're into those things. Struggle is the elixir of life, the tonic of life. I mean, if you're not struggling, you're dead."

'Say not the struggle nought availeth.' Spain (not Munich) gave Britain the time and opportunity to rearm. Spain damaged Mussolini so much that his intervention on Hitler's side was more hindrance than help. Franco too could do little to help his sponsors. Veterans of the Brigade fought Franco to the end. After his death, his monstrous regime crumbled away to nothing. The veterans worked in the movements against the US's war of aggression on Vietnam, against US support for apartheid, against the US arms buildup, and against the US's wars against Nicaragua and Iraq. They did not retire; they were not defeated.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: Well, I guess I should start out with the strenghts of this book. It is a great source for excerpts of first person accounts from the American volunteers in the Spanish Civil War. But thats about it.

1st, Carroll can't write, his style sounding like a research paper I wrote in 8th grade.
2nd, He brush's over very important issues, such as the Communist betrayal of the POUM/CNT-FAI, making the Communists sound like hero's, when infact the move possibly was what lost the war.
3rd is that Carroll is quite often contridictory in his assertions and assumptions, and quite often, when trying to make the Lincolns sound valient, he makes them sound like Sheep, a word I used quite often in my annotations.
4th, and most important is the amount of content. At best, only 1/3 of the book is actually about Spain. More than half is devoted to the lives of the men interviewed once they left Spain, something I really don't care much about.

So overall, I'd say the book was a major let down. I started it hoping to get more insight into a war I am very interessted in, and came out of the book with probobly the opposite view that it intented, that the Americans were no help at all, and might even of been a hinderance.