Harry Owens is Hispanic, coauthor of "Brigade: an Irishman's Fight Against Fascism" (Currach Press, 2006), the book containing the proceedings of the last surviving Irish International Brigade Bob Doyle.
The Castilian version of the prologue to the novel "War must have" can be found at the end of this post.
The Castilian version of the prologue to the novel "War must have" can be found at the end of this post.
This writer has the effect on me, that like Goytisolo, reading him provokes my own thoughts, it leads me off into subtle considerations and ideas of my own. He describers the life of today's generation of English graduates who migrate northwards, only to return later and find at home the same dead-end, minimum wage work which leads nowhere, and barely covers day to day existence.
Life in a London squat, joining the anti-globalisation struggle in Britain, and coming back to encounter the flame of a childhood fascination that links the heroine with the lives of Spain's forgotten generation, here creates a world more real than any on TV. The strange way in which the right book can find you, how contacting one of the generation of the Second Republic can develop a network of people, of experiences and events, is written in just the way that these things happen in our lives.
In my own case, the bookshop was in la calle Arenal nearly thirty years ago, and when I came home to Dublin with the book, I found one of my colleagues had been a friend of Arturo and Ilse Barea, who had written that dramatic account of life at the heart of besieged Madrid, during their postwar emigre life in London. For the special people and events in our lives, the hand of Providence can bring together men and women from across the decades, so that our friends and comrades today may be in their teens or in their nineties.
The two themes raised in this book are: firstly our need to remember and to record the past, to repeat it to ourselves if nobody else will listen, so that it doesn't simply evaporate with the disappearance of the last witnesses. Secondly, and just as urgent, what matters is that the struggle is going on, whether we take part in it or not. Some of us are the victims, the exploited, those cut off from dignity and our share in the riches of the world, while others have so much that we may dying from over-consumption, yet our governments still refuse to share power and wealth with the excluded.
I remember arriving in Madrid one night, and coming down la Castellana to see the lines of tents for the hundreds who were sleeping out to force their socialist government to honour Spain's pledge to give the 0.7% for third world development. They were not just students nor political activists, they were also the thousands of ordinary Madrilenos, who were going to work or home to cook for their families, then coming back to spend the nights in tents, a part of a national upsurge across the whole country, a campaign unique to Spain, and a marvel to us all in that year.
Bob Doyle, the last surviving Irish member of the International Brigades, writes that "Whether my comrades sacrificed their lives in vain on English soil depends on the younger generations. If they continue the struggle for a better world, then our sacrifice will not have been in vain, but an inspiration." For me, the people who are able to imagine, to create and to carry out a campaign as widespread and yet peaceful as those thousands did, remain the true inheritors of the international solidarity which was called forth by an isolated republic's resistance to military oppression seventy years ago.
It is not just about winning, it is above all about trying. Ideals are not for preaching, they are for living. This is especially so in a Spain that is finally facing the question of its own troubled history, and is once again in the front lines, between Europe and Africa, between those who are rich and those who should not be poor. My trust is not in the Great Leaders but in the unknown people, like those portrayed here so effectively, in their weaknesses as well as their warmth, and in those generous souls who could inspire us, sleeping on the Castellana at night. You are our hope, the Ones Who Have felt the spirit of the commands for action inscribed in Isaiah, chapter 58. And I Remain intrigued, and Moved Fascinated by this book's sensitively crafted descriptions of Our Hopes and frailty, of Our Defects, But Also of Life's Possibilities.
Harry Owens, Dublin, March 2008.
This writer has the same effect on me that Goytisolo, inspires reading my own thoughts, I drive on subtle considerations and ideas shared. Describes the life of the current generation of English university students are going to emigrate north, only to return later and back home encounter with the same dead Output: minimum wage that will lead nowhere and that barely covers their basic needs.
Life as a squatter in London, together with the anti-globalization struggle in Britain, and the return to meet with the flame of a childhood fascination with heroin linking the lives of a forgotten generation of English, created in these pages a more authentic than any on television. Strange quality that is the perfect book to find you, how to contact someone from the generation of the Second Republic can generate a network of people, facts and experiences, in "War must have" all this is written just the way that such things happen in our lives.
For me, the bookstore was in Arenal street for almost thirty years, and when I returned to Dublin with the perfect book, "The forging of a rebel, I discovered that one of my colleagues was friends with Ilse and Arturo Barea, author of this dramatic episode in the heart of Madrid under siege, written during his life as an immigrant in postwar London. For the facts and the most unique, the hand of Providence can bring together men and women through the decades, so our friends and comrades today can be both adolescent and nonagenarians.
The two major issues of this work are: first, we need to remember and preserve the past, remember it for ourselves if no one listens, so it does not simply evaporate with the disappearance of the last witnesses. Second, and just as urgent, it is essential that the fight continues, whether we take part in it or not. Some of us are victims, the exploited, the expulsion of the dignity and our share of the world's wealth, while others have so much that we can die from over-consumption while our governments continue to refuse to share power and wealth excluded.
remember my arrival in Madrid one night, and down the Castellana to see the shops of hundreds of people sleeping on the street to force the Socialist government to fulfill its promise to allocate 0.7% to aid third world development. It was not just students or political activists, as well as thousands of locals who went to current work or home to cook for their families and then return to spend the night in tents, part of a movement that spanned the country, a unique campaign in Spain, and a wonder to us all that year.
Bob Doyle, the last surviving Irish member of the International Brigades, writes: "To my comrades sacrificed their lives in vain on English soil depends on future generations. If they continue the struggle for a better world then our sacrifice will not have been in vain, but an inspiration. "For me, people who are able to imagine, create and develop a campaign as comprehensive and peaceful even as did those thousands of locals, are the true inheritors of international solidarity claimed a republic isolated to military oppression seventy years ago.
is not only about winning, mostly a matter of trying. The ideals are not to preach, are to be experienced. This is particularly so in a Spain that finally is addressing the issue of his own troubled history, and is once more on the front lines between Europe and Africa, among whom are rich and who should not be poor. I do not trust the great leaders but the ordinary people, portrayed here very effectively on its weaknesses as its enthusiasm, and generous souls who can inspire us, spending the night in the Castellana. You are our hope, who have felt the force of the call to action contained in Isaiah, chapter 58. And I remain intrigued, fascinated and touched by the sensitivity and craft with which this book describes our hopes and our fragility, our shortcomings, but also our life choices.
Harry Owens, Dublin March 2008.
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