Desperta Ferro ... back numbers

As regular blog readers will know, I am very enamoured with the Spanish military history magazine, DESPERTA FERRO. I bought my first issue in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria during our Christmas cruise and my next three copies when we revisited the city during our recent cruise.

I was looking at the magazine's website and realised that there were four back issues that covered periods of particular interest to me ... so I ordered them! They were delivered in less than a fortnight and I have been looking though them with great interest.

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DESPERTA FERRO – ESPECIALES (No. 36): EJÉRTICOS DE LA GUERRA CIVIL (I): EL EJÉRTICO ESPAÑOL EN 1936 (ARMIES OF THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR (I): THE SPANISH ARMY IN 1936)

• Ejército y sociedad. De la Restauración a la República (Army and Society: From the Restoration to the Republic) by Alfonso Iglesias Amorín
• En vísperas de la catástrofe. Las Fuerzas Armadas en julio de 1936 (On the Eve of the Catastrophe: The Armed Forces in July 1936) by Roberto Muñoz Bolaños
• La reforma militar de Manuel Azaña (Manuel Azaña’s Military Reform) by Justo Alberto Huerta Barajas
• Marruecos y las raíces del africanismo (Morocco and the Roots of Africanism) by Daniel Macías
• La industria militar española a comienzos del siglo XX (The Spanish Military Industry at the Beginning of the Twentieth Century) by Manfredo Monforte Moreno
• Entre el antimilitarismo y la defensa de la República. La Unión Militar Republicana Antifascista (Between Antimilitarism and the Defence of the Republic: the Republican Antifascist Military Union) by Eduardo González Calleja
• El orden y la ley. Las fuerzas de seguridad republicanas (Order and Law: The Republican Security Forces) by Sergio Vaquero Martínez
• Conspiradores en uniforme. Las tramas militares contra la República (Conspirators in Uniform: Military Plots against the Republic) by Francisco Alía Miranda
• La travesía del fénix. El desarrollo de la aviación military (The Phoenix’s Journey: The Development of Military Aviation) by Marcelino Sempere Doménech
• Vidas paralelas. Los generales Domingo Batet y Manuel Goded (Parallel Lives: Generals Domingo Batet and Manuel Goded) by Fernando Puell de la Villa
• El difícil camino de la modernidad. El armamento español en 1936 (The Difficult Road to Modernity: Spanish Armaments in 1936) by José Vicente Herrero Pérez
• La división de las Fuerzas Armadas ante la sublevación (The Division of the Armed Forces in the Face of the Uprising) by Alberto Ayuso García

DESPERTA FERRO – ESPECIALES (No. 40): EJÉRTICOS DE LA GUERRA CIVIL (II): EL EJÉRTICO ESPAÑOL DE ÁFRICA (ARMIES OF THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR (II): THE ARMY OF AFRICA)

• El Ejército de África en julio de 1936 (The Army of Africa in July 1936) by Jesús Albert Salueña
• Las primeras columnas en la Península (The First Columns on the Peninsula) by Joaquín Gil Honduvilla
• El reclutamiento en el protectorado (Recruitment in the Protectorate) by Mimoun Aziza
• Regulares, mehalas y Tiradores de Ifni (Regulares, Mehalas, and the Ifni Tirailleurs) by Alberto Guerrero Martín
• Lógica colonial y guerra civil (Colonial Logic and Civil War) by Alba Llavina Ros
• La Legión en Guerra (The Legion at War) by José Luis Rodríguez Jiménez
• El retorno del “moro”. Nacionalismo, estereotipos y propaganda (The Return of the “Moor”: Nationalism, Stereotypes, and Propaganda) by Xosé M. Núñez Seixas
• Las unidades coloniales en el Ejército sublevado (Colonial Units in the Rebel Army) by David Alegre Lorenz
• La vida cotidiana del soldado marroquí (The Daily Life of the Moroccan Soldier) by Alí al Tuma
• La caballería de Regulares en combate, el Tabor de Alhucemas n.º 5 (The Regulares Cavalry in Combat: the Alhucemas Tabor No. 5) by Jesús Martínez de Merlo
• Mohamed ben Mizzian. El único general español de origen marroquí (Mohamed ben Mizzian: The Only Spanish General of Moroccan Origin) by Fernando Puell de la Villa
• “Hombres de Mola” y “hombres del sur”. Los africanistas en el franquismo (“Mola’s Men” and “Men of the South”: Africanists in Francoism) by Roberto Muñoz Bolaños

DESPERTA FERRO – ESPECIALES (No. 44): EJÉRTICOS DE LA GUERRA CIVIL (III): LAS MILICIAS REPUBLICANAS (ARMIES OF THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR (III): THE REPUBLICAN MILITIAS)

• Paramilitares. Las milicias izquierdistas de preguerra (Paramilitaries: Left Wing Militias before the War) by Eduardo González Calleja
• Cubriendo el vacío. La disolución ejército y la organización de Milicias (Filling the Void: The Dissolution of the Army and the Organization of Militias) by Fernando Hernández Sánchez
• El Quinto Regimiento de Milicias Populares (The Fifth Regiment of Popular Militias) by Juan Andrés Blanco Rodríguez
• El Comité Central de Milicias Antifascistas de Cataluña (The Central Committee of Antifascist Militias of Catalonia) by Manel López Esteve
• Milicianas. Mujeres reales detrás del mito (Women Militians: Real Women Behind the Myth) by Sofía Rodríguez López
• “Sangre de la juventud”. Las milicias socialistas y de la JSU (“Blood of Youth”: The Socialist Militias and the JSU) by Fernando Hernández Sánchez
• Euzko Gudarostea. Las milicias nacionalistas vascas (Euzko Gudarostea: The Basque Nationalist Militias) by Roberto Muñoz Bolaños
• La revolución en el frente. Las milicias anarquistas en Levante (The Revolution at the Front: Anarchist Militias in Levante) by Julián Vadillo Muñoz
• Líster y Mera. La forja de los mandos de Milicias (Líster and Mera: The Forging of Militia Commanders) by Luis A. Ruiz Casero
• En defensa de la revolución. La formación del Consejo de Aragón (In Defence of the Revolution: The Formation of the Council of Aragon) by Assumpta Castillo Cañiz
• Retaguardia republicana. Comités y violencia revolucionaria (The Republican Rear Guard: Committees and Revolutionary Violence) by Fernando Jiménez Herrera
• Armas para el pueblo. Balance de las milicias en combate (Arms for the People: An Assessment of the Militias in Combat) by Daniel Raya Crespi

DESPERTA FERRO – HISTORIA MODERNA (No. 54): LA GUERRA RUSO-TURCA 1877-1878 (THE RUSSO-TURKISH WAR 1877-1878)

• La gran crisis de Oriente (The Great Eastern Crisis) by Lucien Frary
• De los Balcanes al Cáucaso. Campañas de la Guerra Ruso-Turca (From the Balkans to the Caucasus: Campaigns of the Russo Turkish War) by Andrei Pogăciaș
• La reforma del Ejército ruso, 1856-1877 (The Reform of the Russian Army, 1856–1877) by Roger R. Reese
• El asedio de Plevna (The Siege of Plevna) by Ömer Turan
• La última cruzada. El paneslavismo durante la gran crisis de Oriente (The Last Crusade: Pan Slavism during the Great Eastern Crisis) by Denis Vovchenko
• Las batallas del paso de Shipka (The Battles of the Shipka Pass) by Alexander Statiev
• El Tratado de Berlín, la mecha que prendería la Primera Guerra Mundial (The Treaty of Berlin, the Fuse That Would Ignite the First World War) by Lucien Frary

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There's lots here to get my teeth into ... and to think about.

More issues of Desperta Ferro

Whilst on my recent cruise I bought three issues of DESPERTA FERRO, having bought an earlier issue in January.

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DESPERTA FERRO – ANTIGUA Y MEDIEVAL (No.94): LA CONQUISTA DEL GUADALQUIVIR FERNANDO III EL SANTO (THE CONQUEST OF THE GUADALQUIVIR FERNANDO III THE SAINT)

• Un reino preparado para la guerra. La Castilla de Fernando III (A kingdom prepared for war. The Castile of Ferdinand III) by José María Monsalvo Antón
• El colapso almohade y el fracaso de Ibn Hud (The Almohad collapse and the failure of Ibn Hud) by Maribel Fierro
• Como un león imparable. Las conquistas del alto Guadalquivir (Like an unstoppable lion. The conquests of the upper Guadalquivir) by Juan Carlos Castillo Armenteros
• Çercados y arrequexados. La conquista de Córdoba (Encircled and harried. The conquest of Córdoba) by David Porrinas González
• El avance sudoriental y la toma de Jaén (The southeastern advance and the capture of Jaén) by Juan Francisco Jiménez Alcázar
• Los derrotados. La sociedad de al-Ándalus frente a las conquistas de Fernando III (The Defeated. The society of al-Andalus in the face of the conquests of Ferdinand III ) by Alejandro García Sanjuán
• Et venieron ý muchas gentes. La repoblación del valle del Guadalquivir (And many people came there. The repopulation of the Guadalquivir valley) by Clara Almagro Vidal
• El asedio de Sevilla (The Siege of Seville) by Francisco García Fitz
• Price: €7.50 (approximately £6.50)

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DESPERTA FERRO – CONTEMPORÁNEA (No.74): GUADALCANAL: EL ASALTO DE LOS MARINES (GUADALCANAL: THE MARINES' ASSAULT)

• El final de la expansión japonesa (The end of Japanese expansion) by Aldric Hama and Jason Morgan
• El compromiso ganador. Los planes y preparativos de la Operación Watchtower (The winning engagement. The plans and preparations of Operation Watchtower) by Trent Hone
• Amanecer en Guadalcanal. El desembarco de los marines (Sunrise on Guadalcanal. The landing of the marines) by John Domagalski
• La batalla de la isla de Savo (The Battle of Savo Island) by Mark W Stille
• La carga suicida del Destacamento Ichiki (The suicidal charge of the Ichiki Detachment) by Rubén Villamor Serrano
• De Trípoli a Guadalcanal. La 1.ª División de Marines (From Tripoli to Guadalcanal. The 1st Marine Division) by Roberto Muñoz Bolaños
• La batalla de Bloody Ridge (The Battle of Bloody Ridge) by Martijn Lak
• Matanikau. El río de la muerte (Matanikau. The River of Death) by Dave R Holland
• Price: €7.50 (approximately £6.50)

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DESPERTA FERRO – ESPECIALES (No. 46): LA ARMADA ESPAÑOLA (IX). ULTRAMAR, UNA MARINA GLOBAL SIGLO XVIII (THE SPANISH NAVY (IX). OVERSEAS, A GLOBAL NAVY IN THE 18TH CENTURY)

• La Real Armada y la defensa de las Indias. Desafíos y estrategia (The Royal Navy and the Defense of the Indies: Challenges and Strategy) by Rafael Torres Sánchez
• Corsarios y guardacostas en la persecución del contrabando caribeño (Corsairs and Coastguards in the Pursuit of Caribbean Smuggling) by Vera Moya Sordo
• La financiación de la Armada en los reinos de Indias (The Financing of the Navy in the Indies Kingdoms) by José Manuel Serrano Álvarez
• La batalla naval de La Habana (1748) (The Naval Battle of Havana (1748)) by Francisco Amor Martín and Amós Farrujia Coello
• La reorganización de la Armada española en ultramar durante el siglo XVIII (The Reorganization of the Spanish Navy Overseas during the 18th Century) by Guillermo Nicieza Forcelledo
• Jorge Juan, Antonio de Ulloa y la expedición geodésica al ecuador (Jorge Juan, Antonio de Ulloa, and the Geodesic Expedition to the Equator) by Francisco José González González
• Guardianes del mercurio. El naufragio del Guadalupe y la flota de azogues de 1724 (Guardians of Mercury. The Shipwreck of the Guadalupe and the 1724 Mercury Fleet) by Carlos León Amores and Cruz Apestegui Cardenal
• Navíos, fragatas y galeones. La construcción naval en los reinos de Indias durante el siglo XVIII (Ships, frigates, and galleons. Shipbuilding in the Indies' realms during the 18th century) by Iván Valdez-Bubnov
• La marinería y maestranza de la Real Armada en las Indias (The seamanship and shipyard of the Royal Navy in the Indies) by Alberto Hoces-García
• El Real Astillero de La Habana (The Royal Shipyard of Havana) by José Manuel Serrano Álvarez
• La conquista de Roatán, 1782 (The Conquest of Roatán, 1782) by Víctor García González
• Las compañías comerciales de Caracas y Filipinas (The commercial companies of Caracas and the Philippines) by Álvaro Aragón Ruano
• Price: €8.50 (approximately £7.50)

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These are high quality publications, printed in colour on glossy paper, and the quality of the illustrations – particularly the maps – is excellent. I thoroughly recommend them and will certainly buy future issues.

Desperta Ferro

Whilst Sue and I were in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, she wanted to visit a tabac to buy some cigarettes. As there was a very high step up into the shop, I decided to stay outside and browse the magazines that were on sale at a small newspaper kiosk.

Whilst I was standing there looking, the owner - who spoke excellent English - asked me if I was looking for anything in particular, and when I replied that I was interested in wargaming and military history, he suggested that I ought to have a look at a very glossy magazine entitled DESPERTA FERRO*: HISTORIA MILITAR Y POLITICO DEL MUNDO MODERNO, SIGLOS XVI - XIX (which translates into English as AWAKE IRON: MILITARY AND POLITICAL HISTORY OF THE MODERN WORLD, 16TH-19TH CENTURIES).

I bought the latest issue (No.79) which was entitled CONTRAARMADA: EL CONTRAATTAQUE INGLÉS 1589 which was devoted to the story of England's disastrous post-Spanish Armada attack on Spain in 1589.

The magazine contained the following articles:

• El interludio de la Contraarmada (The interlude of the Counter Armada) by Porfirio Sans Camañes
• "Nuestro sencilla flota de barcos pesqueros": Finanzas, hombres y recursos de la Contraarmada ("Our simple fleet of fishing boats": Finances, men and resources of the Counterfleet) by Phillip Williams
• La Monarquía Hispánica frente a la Contraarmada (The Spanish Monarchy against the Counter-Armada) by Guillermo Nicieza Forcelledo
• La defensa de La Coruña (The defence of La Coruña) by Maria del Carmen Saavedra Vázquez
• La red de espionaje naval de Felipe II (Philip II's naval espionage network) by Guillermo Nicieza Forcelledo
• El desembaro inglés en Peniche y la defensa de Lisbon (The English landing in Peniche and the defense of Lisbon) by Augusto Salgado
• La retirada de la Contraarmada (The retreat of the Counter-Armada) by Alberto Raúl Esteban Ribas
• Los Doce Apóstoles: El rearme naval español (The Twelve Apostles: The Spanish naval rearmament) by José L Casabán

The magazine is printed on heavy, glossy paper, and this issue includes numerous colour illustrations and seven detailed maps.

I wish that there was an English language edition of this magazine or a similar English publication that was available for sale online or in High Street outlets. I’m sure that it would sell well.

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DESPERTA FERRO is published by Desperta Ferro Ediciones SLNE, Paseo del Prado, 12 – 1.°dcha, 28014 Madrid, and costs 7.50 Euros (approximately £6.60).

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* Desperta Ferro! (Awake Iron!) was an Medieval Aragonese battle cry used by the Almogavars. These were light infantry raised from the farmers and shepherds who lived in the countryside, woods, and frontier mountain areas of Aragon and then – somewhat later – from Catalonia, Castile, Valencia, and Portugal.