As an exile in London in 1939, when even "the word liberty sounded ironical", Arturo Barea embarked on the autobiographical trilogy, 'The Forging Of A Rebel', which has come to be recognised as one of the keystones of modern Spanish literature. It is a remarkable portrait of Spain moving into the 20th century, but seemingly little-changed since Napoleon's invasion, when Barea's grandmother was a small child.
A brilliant scholarship boy, able to move between the echelons of Spanish society - witnessing at first hand, for instance, Franco's rise in Morocco during the Riff War - whilst remaining true to the lessons and allegiances of his childhood as the son of a poor widow in Madrid, Barea offers a unique insight into the profound divisions and inequalities that eventually culminated in the Spanish Civil War. But he is also exceptionally aware of the price any country at war with itself has to pay.
The result is an unfailingly humane and moving book, that spares nothing in intellectual honesty, but passionately celebrates Barea's belief in human dignity and those people in his life who allowed him to acquire and maintain such a belief.
