War Without Mercy: A Pocket Essential History of the Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939

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Gordon Kerr

War Without Mercy

Name: War Without Mercy
Price: 22.99 AUD
Availability: PreOrder
ISBN: 9780857305923

A Pocket Essential History of the Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939

Gordon Kerr

$22.99

Paperback

Forthcoming
Pre-Order now

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English

Miscellaneous
01 April 2026

History; European history; 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000; Military history; Spanish Civil War

More than eighty-five years after it ended in defeat for the Republicans and victory for the Nationalists headed by General Francisco Franco, the Spanish Civil War remains a subject of debate and contention. We live in a time of political polarisation, with opposing sides holding entrenched and unalterable positions and War Without Mercy sheds light on the consequences of such circumstances. It also presents a detailed but concise picture of this turbulent and pivotal moment in European history.

The Spanish Civil War was a war of firsts: the first in which civilians were targeted, through the bombing of cities. It was also the first 'photogenic' war in history, the growth in photo-journalism bringing images of the fighting and of the huge number of refugees that were created by the conflict to the newspapers and newsreels of other European countries. New weapons, technologies and strategies were tried out, rehearsing for the increasingly inevitable war on European soil.

War Without Mercy examines the origins of this deadly conflagration which date back to the nineteenth century and which finds its causes in the issues of mass suffrage, social welfare reform, and land reform, as well as in the increasing tensions between urbanism and rural tradition. The course of the war is laid out, including descriptions of the major battles and incidents, incorporating details of the bombing of major cities, most harrowingly, of course, the bombing of civilians at Guernica, famously depicted in Pablo Picasso's painting of the atrocity. The reaction of the other nations of Europe is also examined

the 'non-intervention' promulgated by Great Britain and France, and the direct intervention of the fascist nations, Germany and Italy, in support of the Nationalist cause, support that took the form of troops, planes and armaments.

By: Gordon Kerr
Imprint: Miscellaneous
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 198mm, Width: 129mm,
ISBN: 9780857305923
ISBN 10: 0857305921
Pages: 192
Publication Date: 01 April 2026
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Gordon Kerr worked in bookselling and publishing before becoming a full-time writer. He is the author of several titles including A Short History of Europe, A Short History of Africa, A Short History of China, A Short History of Brazil, A Short History of the First World War, A Short History of the Vietnam War, A Short History of the Middle East, A Short History of Religion and The War That Never Ended. He divides his time between Dorset and Southwest France.