Excellent...a splendid monument to scholarship. Always absorbing, frequently moving...it fills a crucial gap in the historiography of the Spanish civil war. * The Sunday Times *
I cannot commend it enough. The story of those who fought to tell the story, at risk to their own lives and against the natural grain of their readers, is a cracker of a subject. [Preston] unpicks the tangles of lies, allegations and half-truths; revives reputations that have unjustly faded; and presents us with an overview that is lucid, unhurried and fresh to read -- Nicholas Shakespeare * Daily Telegraph *
A pioneering investigation of those foreign correspondents who did so much to influence world opinion at the time ... Preston sweeps the reader along with the lucidity of his prose, his passionate commitment to the subject, and, above all, his concern to rescue the reputations of those unjustly neglected and courageous figures who worked alongside far more famous names such as Hemingway, Dos Passos, Kim Philby and Martha Gellhorn. * Literary Review *
Paul Preston has become a hugely influential historian of the Spanish Civil War, not only for his scholarship, but for his eye for detail and skill as a storyteller. In We Saw Spain Die these talents come to the fore, aided not only by the richness of the material, but also Preston's deep enthusiasm for his subject.
-- Jason Webster * New Statesman *
This testament to their testimony could not have been supplied by a more erudite expert. Preston is a peerless historian of Spain, and the only one who writes as readably as a professional journalist * Independent *
A work of impressive scholarship. * BBC History Magazine *
What marks out his work is not just an understanding of the period ... but also an ability to choose an angle from which to make old history seem new. * The Herald *
There is much to inspire in the courage and commitment of these journalists and Preston has done us proud in telling their stories * Morning Star *
A copper-bottomed tour de force * Catholic Herald *
Compelling .... required reading for anyone in Spain or war reporting. * The Tablet *
Anyone interested in the personal experiences of foreign journalists in the Spanish Civil War should start with this book * Times Higher Education *
This meticulous history book adds an invaluable insight into these events as documented in the heat of the struggle and as such is highly recommended. * Socialist Review *
Essential reading * Good Book Guide *
Passionate and absorbing * The Guardian *
A splendid monument to scholarship. Absorbing, funny, frequently moving ... it fills a crucial gap in the historiography of the Spanish conflict * Sunday Times *
A fascinating book on two levels. It's a great political adventure story laced with sex, politics and death but it is also a profound book about journalism ... meticulously researched. * Tribune *
Excellent * Daily Telegraph *
