In this superb, shattering book of testimonies, Pete Ayrton has organised the best of all introductions to the Spanish Civil War. It's not a history, but the experiences of 38 men and women - some famous names, others little known - as the twentieth century for the first time showed its true face in western Europe: the dazzling hope, the betrayals and the disillusions, the merciless cruelty and the desperate heroism. Malraux, Sartre, Laurie Lee, Arthur Koestler and George Orwell are among the witnesses here. Not all were on the anti-Fascist side; some were not even born, but now look back on the fate of their older generation with pity and horror. They and the survivors in this book are asking what remains of it all beyond the pain. -- Neil Ascherson<br />From the reviews of No Man's Land:
'The essential collection of writing from the First World War * Times *<br />The real strength of No Man's Land is the sheer diversity of the voices it offers, especially those from fronts often overlooked or considered peripheral in the United States and Britain. * New York Times *<br />As diverse in attitudes as it is in geography ... a tribute to the art of translation ... marvellous. * Times Literary Supplement *<br />Splendid ... the war, in all its calculated cruelty, its human impact, its formidable weapons of death and destruction and - yes - its futility, is captured brilliantly in this remarkable, wide-ranging anthology. * Herald *<br />Superb ... an impressive anthology that bears an extraordinary cargo of human experience, and is an enlightenment for those who think only of the western front when they remember the first world war. -- Helen Dunmore * Financial Times *<br />Trail-blazing .... * Independent *