Spain in Arms: A military history of the Spanish Civil War 1936-1939

Whilst I was away, Andrew Rolph – the author of BARBAROSSA: KICKING IN THE DOOR and KHARKOV, MAY 1942 – THE LAST DISASTER – sent me a spare copy of E R Hooton's SPAIN IN ARMS: A MILITARY HISTORY OF THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR 1936-1939 that he had on his shelves.

The book is described as a military history, and unlike almost every other book I have read about the Spanish Civil War, it is exactly what it sets out to be. It covers the operational and strategic actions of both sides in what I found to be an easy to understand style as well as examining the evolution of the armies that took part in the war. It also gives an account of the involvement of foreign troops in the fighting and the impact that the supply of foreign military equipment had on combat.

The book is split into six chapters:

1. Testing the Blades: The Madrid Front
2. The New Armies
3. Decision on the Northern Front
4. High Tide for the Republic: Brunete and the Aragon Offensive
5. The Pendulum Swings: Teruel and the Aragon Offensive
6. The Last Acts: Ebro and Catalonia

I already had a Kindle copy of this book, and I did consult it during the writing of my forthcoming ¡ARRIBA ESPANA! INCLUDING THE PORTABLE SPANISH CIVIL WAR WARGAME RULES. I found it particularly helpful when I was writing the scenarios that are included in my book.

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SPAIN IN ARMS: A MILITARY HISTORY OF THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR 1936-1939 was written by E R Hooton and published in 2019 by Casemate Publishers (ISBN 978 1 61200 637 6).