Scan barcode
sadiecyanide's review against another edition
4.0
I fell in love with Laurie Lee's writing a few years ago, reading 'Cider with Rosie'. I begun reading Lee because he was from a village close to where I live, in Gloucestershire. Cider with Rosie, did not disappoint my want for nostalgia for my beloved Stroud(ish), however I stopped here for a while before reading 'As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning', which I knew would have very little to say about the rolling hills of Slad. However I started seeing a Spanish guy, and so, with a little more relevance to my life again, the literary journey continued.
I read 'A moment of War' in a little over a week and for the most part enjoyed it. It is not the same as the other two books, it evokes, in Lee's rich descriptive, poetic prose the atmosphere of war, and particularly of a country at war with itself. It is in stark contrast to 'As I walked out', it could barely be recognised as the same country, the searing heat, swapped for the bitter searing cold, the jovial, welcoming, slightly bizarre characters turned to hostile, terrified and sick. The inns are exchanged for barracks, his violin for a gun.
The book is not an action packed war adventure, far from it. It is a seemingly honest account of a winter spent in Spain in the grips of war. And I am glad of it. Lee's words painting a vivid picture of the realities of this war, which my British curriculum education all but forgot, and all through the eyes of a British writer, who I understand (and not critically) to be a mere tourist of war, rather than any kind of hero.
The book is highly eroticised in places. Once could argue that much of Lee's writing is rich in eroticism, however in this book I must have noticed it more. Perhaps only appearing more shocking on a backdrop of bullets and bombs than breezey Gloucestershire meadows and wine-soaked Spanish bars.
Overall I enjoyed this book very much, and the trilogy marks one of my favourite literary adventures. As I walked out, perhaps being my favoured of the three (and hence the 4 x stars for this particular book), but I still strongly recommend it, it is a brilliant, if dark book.
I read 'A moment of War' in a little over a week and for the most part enjoyed it. It is not the same as the other two books, it evokes, in Lee's rich descriptive, poetic prose the atmosphere of war, and particularly of a country at war with itself. It is in stark contrast to 'As I walked out', it could barely be recognised as the same country, the searing heat, swapped for the bitter searing cold, the jovial, welcoming, slightly bizarre characters turned to hostile, terrified and sick. The inns are exchanged for barracks, his violin for a gun.
The book is not an action packed war adventure, far from it. It is a seemingly honest account of a winter spent in Spain in the grips of war. And I am glad of it. Lee's words painting a vivid picture of the realities of this war, which my British curriculum education all but forgot, and all through the eyes of a British writer, who I understand (and not critically) to be a mere tourist of war, rather than any kind of hero.
The book is highly eroticised in places. Once could argue that much of Lee's writing is rich in eroticism, however in this book I must have noticed it more. Perhaps only appearing more shocking on a backdrop of bullets and bombs than breezey Gloucestershire meadows and wine-soaked Spanish bars.
Overall I enjoyed this book very much, and the trilogy marks one of my favourite literary adventures. As I walked out, perhaps being my favoured of the three (and hence the 4 x stars for this particular book), but I still strongly recommend it, it is a brilliant, if dark book.
margaret21's review against another edition
3.0
It would be wrong to say I 'enjoyed' this book, as it's an utterly bleak portrayal of Laurie Lee's life as one of the miscellaneous band of European intellectuals and working-class idealists who fetched up in Spain to do their bit to help the International Brigade in the Spanish Civil War. These men spent much of their time hungry, often baffled, bored and ill-led. Winter was bruisingly cold, and the towns and villages where they existed with half-starving Spaniards had withered to a state worse than simple poverty. Trust was in short supply. The experience was depressing to those who'd gone to Spain fired by the wish to make a grand gesture and personal sacrifices.
No, I didn't 'enjoy' this book. But I'm glad I've read it as a contribution to my understanding of a bitter period of Spanish history.
No, I didn't 'enjoy' this book. But I'm glad I've read it as a contribution to my understanding of a bitter period of Spanish history.
literarianist's review against another edition
4.0
“But still my situation didn’t disturb me too much, but rather injected me with a sharp sting of adventure. I was at that flush of youth which never doubts self-survival, that idiot belief in luck and a uniquely charmed life, without which illusion few wars would be possible. I felt the seal of fate on me, and a certain grim intoxication, alone in this buried silence. But macabre as things were, I had no idea then how very near to death I was . . .”
facoffee1984's review against another edition
5.0
After reading As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning, I was left with the urgency of wanting to know more.
A Moment of War is the evocative story of how wrong things can get when they go almost horribly wrong.
This book also hinted at the reason why the Republicans lost the Civil War: disorganised, badly equipped, siloed, and poorly led.
A Moment of War is the evocative story of how wrong things can get when they go almost horribly wrong.
This book also hinted at the reason why the Republicans lost the Civil War: disorganised, badly equipped, siloed, and poorly led.
emilybh's review against another edition
4.0
Laurie Lee could have written about the most mundane topic imaginable, and I would still read it, as long as the story is encased in his narration: his language falls, rises and gathers in beautiful colours and startling shapes.
bums's review against another edition
4.0
A Moment of War - 4/5
Laurie Lee's memoir of the Spanish Civil War (1936-39) which is, as the book often highlights, considered by some to be the prologue to the Second World War, though not to dismiss the impact and brutality of this conflict however.
This book is more removed from the political side of the conflict than [a:George Orwell's|3706|George Orwell|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1588856560p2/3706.jpg], [b:Homage to Catalonia|9646|Homage to Catalonia|George Orwell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1394868278l/9646._SY75_.jpg|2566499] but similarly covers the boredum, dirtiness and pointlessness felt by soldiers, only for it to be so quickly interupted by sudden action. It also covers some of the absurdity of the Republican side of the war, whose complete disorganisation, conflicting beliefs on Spain's future and their inablitiy to agree on a strategy to defeat Franco was one of the main causes of their eventual defeat.
The Spanish Civil War is still viewed by many as the first true fight back against the spread of European Fascism by not just Spainards, but the International Brigaders of which Laurie Lee was a part.
"Without recognition, often ridiculed, they saw what was coming, jumped the gun, and went into battle too soon."
Laurie Lee's memoir of the Spanish Civil War (1936-39) which is, as the book often highlights, considered by some to be the prologue to the Second World War, though not to dismiss the impact and brutality of this conflict however.
This book is more removed from the political side of the conflict than [a:George Orwell's|3706|George Orwell|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1588856560p2/3706.jpg], [b:Homage to Catalonia|9646|Homage to Catalonia|George Orwell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1394868278l/9646._SY75_.jpg|2566499] but similarly covers the boredum, dirtiness and pointlessness felt by soldiers, only for it to be so quickly interupted by sudden action. It also covers some of the absurdity of the Republican side of the war, whose complete disorganisation, conflicting beliefs on Spain's future and their inablitiy to agree on a strategy to defeat Franco was one of the main causes of their eventual defeat.
The Spanish Civil War is still viewed by many as the first true fight back against the spread of European Fascism by not just Spainards, but the International Brigaders of which Laurie Lee was a part.
"Without recognition, often ridiculed, they saw what was coming, jumped the gun, and went into battle too soon."
carrotex's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
reading_on_the_road's review against another edition
3.0
This is beautifully written, but I'm not sure just how autobiographical it is and can't help feeling that a certain amount of poetic licence has been taken. For one thing, a movement that defied Franco's forces for so long must surely have been better organised and more effective than is shown.
Lee seems to have been drawn to volunteer in the Spanish Civil War on a whim, and to spend his time in the republican forces either under arrest or meandering around the country.
So a nice read, but I'm not sure it has told me anything about either Lee or the situations he experienced.
Lee seems to have been drawn to volunteer in the Spanish Civil War on a whim, and to spend his time in the republican forces either under arrest or meandering around the country.
So a nice read, but I'm not sure it has told me anything about either Lee or the situations he experienced.