The Miraculous Horde and other stories

Ralph Bates's short stories from the Spanish Civil War

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Printing Details

First edition, first printing. Hardback in dustwrapper. 20 × 13cm, 315pp.

"The Spanish war has been the theme of many books; but very few authors have commanded the deep understanding of Spain that Ralph Bates possesses—an understanding of which The Olive Field was a complete example. In The Miraculous Horde, Mr Bates is again concerned with Spain before and during the Civil War. The title-piece describes the adventures of a young revolutionary in Catalonia, providing a panorama of events in Spain as they affected an individual, a family, and a community. 43rd Division is an exciting an account as one could desire of guerrilla fighting in the Pyrenees. This tale of 'Alpine' warfare provides Mr Bates with a magnificent theme. In The Yoke he describes the life of a village in Franco's territory. Jarama Ballad is an account of a cheerful disreputable soldier in the front line, a bandido indisciplinado, and Brunete Ballad tells of the adventures of some Belgian volunteers, girls disguised as men, who play their part as machine gunners in the civil war".

Condition

A good copy. The book has foxing to the page edges, and light intermittent foxing to the text pages but remains in strong readable condition. The dustwrapper has been neatly price-clipped, is a little tanned to the spine and with some light marking to the rear panel but is otherwise in good condition and is now within a protective sleeve.

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