Why a Booktrail?
1930s: War is not usually written by the losers….
Uncertain Glory
What you need to know before your trail
Uncertain Glory is set in and around Barcelona during the Spanish Civil War. It’s not your usual account of this time and period since it’s written from the point of view of the losing socialist / anarchist side. As everyone knows, history is written by the winners and the losers don’t normally get a look in.
Joan Sales wanted to make a difference – she wanted to write a book for those who fought on the side of the Barcelona socialists.
First published under the Franco regime in 1956 in a shortened form. The complete and uncensored version wasn’t published until 1971.
Travel Guide
The Spanish Civil War
Three people, three very different people get mixed up in the chaos of the Spanish Civil War. What is your role in the war? Does it depend on where you live, who your family are and is there simply a certain element of chance?
The Catalan History Museum is a good place for any kind of research into the past.
Young lawyer Lluίs joins up and goes to war on the Aragonese front. He’s left behind a girl in Barcelona, Trini, who is at home writing letters to their childhood friend Juli. These letters form the main part of this part of the story and in them she shares snippets of what life is like in the city and how it has changed, how is changes every day. Juli fights on the Aragonese side too but soon switches to the side of the Facists.
Despite the chaos and the bloody nature of the war, the gory battles and the constant hardship, another side of the war is outlined via the character of Cruells, another man in love with Trini. He illustrates the quieter side of the front where the brigade is recuperating between battles. This is the side of war we never normally see – where there is some kind of order, peace and even food.
Booktrail Boarding Pass: Uncertain Glory
Author/Guide: Joan Sales Destination: Barcelona Departure Time: 1930s
Back to ResultsWhere Next?
