A resonant piece of working class history, this book is a living link to four extraordinary stories. Why did these young men put their lives on the line and go to Spain to fight with the International Brigades? How did they all end up in the same prison cell? And what is their legacy today?
James Maley, George Watters, Donald Renton and Archibald Williams were members of Machine Gun Company No. 2 of the XV International Brigade. This is the first book to focus on a small group of men who, from different starting-points, ended up on the same battleground at Jarama, and then in the same prisons after capture by Franco’s forces.
Their remarkable story is told both in their own words and in the recollections of their sons and daughters, through a prison notebook, newspaper reports, stills cut from newsreels, interviews, anecdotes and memories, with a foreword by Daniel Gray, author of 'Homage to Caledonia: Scotland and the Spanish Civil War'.
'Our Fathers Fought Franco' is a collective biography that promises to add significantly to the understanding of the motives of those who ‘went because their open eyes could see no other way’.
The launch will include a special performance by The Wakes, a Folk'n'Roll band from Glasgow. Their ambition is to make music with a social conscience. Music that matters. Their songs are born from political and social struggle, of protest and of heartache, and of the joys of life. Their song 'These Hands' is about Willy Maley's father and his involvement in the Spanish Civil War.
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READ MOREGlasgow's Book Fair, Books at the Botanics, is held every month in the Hopkirk building at Glasgow's Botanic Gardens!
READ MORELin Rose Clark will launch her book Swift Blaze of Fire: The Life Story of Bob Hilliard at Lynch's Bar on Friday 2nd May.
READ MORELaunching a new book, Glasgow 1975: the murder of Hector Smith and the battle against the far-right in 1970s Scotland, author Liam Turbett will talk through the events of this turbulent year.
READ MOREJoin Bookface Sip & Swap at Rickshaw & Co. for a fun afternoon sipping drinks, swapping books, and supporting Refuweegee!
READ MOREJoin The Witches of Scotland Podcast hosts Dr Zoe Venditozzi and Dr Claire Mitchell for a discussion and talk based on their new book How to Kill a Witch at Provan Hall!
READ MOREEnjoy coffee, croissants and fizz, swap books, and chat with Kate Foster at Bookface Sip & Swap on Saturday 31st May!
READ MOREJoin the New York Times best-selling author Matty Matheson as he shows you the magical insanity of creating his latest cookbook Soups, Salads, Sandwiches!
READ MOREWorld star oboist Albrecht Mayer reads from his deeply moving autobiography The Wonder of Sound: How the Power of Music Healed Me and enchants with his oboe playing.
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