Description
War Notebook
Book Summary
This book offers a multifaceted and deeply researched look at a crucial and often silenced episode of the Spanish Civil War: the declaration of the Sovereign Council of Asturias and León in 1937. The reader will find a text that transcends genres, merging historical essay, cinematic chronicle, and autobiographical reflection to construct a vivid account of anti-fascist resistance. Through a collage of evidence, from political documents to photographs, the work invites a reading experience that is both historical research and an exercise in shared memory.
What is it about?
The work delves into the context of the Spanish Civil War, focusing on the northern zone and, specifically, the moment when the Interprovincial Council of Asturias and León proclaimed itself a "Sovereign Council" on August 24, 1937. Based on this historical event, the author constructs a narrative that unfolds as an "expanded script" of the film Vaca mugiendo entre ruinas (Cow Mooing Amidst Ruins). The book is not limited to narrating war events, but explores the possibilities of working with the historical archive, combining journalistic texts, political documents, paintings, and photographs. In this way, the social and political atmosphere is reconstructed from the months prior to the declaration of sovereignty until the fall of Gijón in October 1937, offering a fragmentary yet profound vision of the resistance and defeat of the Asturian working class.
Main Themes
- History of the Spanish Civil War on the northern front, with special attention to Asturias.
- Analysis of the Sovereign Council of Asturias and León as an experience of self-government and anti-fascist resistance.
- Historical memory and the construction of a collective narrative based on archival documentation.
- The relationship between documentary film and the writing of history, exploring new narrative forms.
- The experience of defeat and evacuation as the end point of a revolutionary process.
Who is it recommended for?
This book is aimed at readers interested in the contemporary history of Spain, especially the period of the Civil War and the Republican resistance. It will also be of great interest to those looking for works that explore new ways of narrating history, combining essay, film, and archival work. It is an ideal read for historians, lovers of documentary film, and anyone wishing to delve into collective memory and processes of social resistance.
What this book contributes
- A meticulous and original account of a little-known historical episode: the declaration of sovereignty of Asturias and León in 1937.
- An innovative narrative methodology that merges cinema, literature, and historical research to create a new space of memory.
- A unique collection of historical "evidence" (documents, photographs, texts) that allows the reader direct immersion into primary sources.
- A deep reflection on how collective memory is constructed and the role of the archive in anti-fascist resistance.
Technical Specifications
- Author: Bande, Ramón Lluís
- Publisher: Editorial Pez de Plata
- Language: Spanish
- Subject: LITERARY ESSAYS, HISTORY, SPANISH CIVIL WAR
- Collection: NON-FICTION
- Binding: Paperback
- Publication date: January 2021
- Number of pages: 448
- Weight: 753 g
Editorial Review
This is a work of great value for the reader interested in the history and memory of the Civil War. Its approach, which transcends conventional historical chronicle to delve into narrative experimentation and archival analysis, makes it a unique and enriching proposal. The combination of documentary rigor with a fragmentary and cinematic structure offers a reading experience that invites critical reflection on the past and its forms of representation.