Individual Wars, Spanish & Portuguese History, Feminism, Women's History

Defying Male Civilization

Name: Defying Male Civilization
Author: Mary Nash
ISBN: 9780912869162

by Nash, Mary

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Overview

DEFYING MALE CIVILIZATION examines women's role and experiences in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). It addresses the significant contributions made by anonymous women at the homefront as well as the heroic accomplishments of female political leaders and women who fought at the warfronts. Based on Dr. Nash's interviews with women activists from the Spanish Civil War and her extensive research, this book introduces readers to the complex reality of war and revolution from a gender perspective. It examines women's efforts to organize themselves against fascism and the experiences and circumstances that caused them to begin questioning their traditional role in society and the restrictions imposed on them because of their gender.

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Editorials

Booknews

Nash (history, U. of Barcelona) reexamines the Spanish Civil War from the perspective of the women who fought against Franco and the fascists. She discusses how revolutionary rhetoric and imagery reflected the shift of Spanish women's traditional feminine roles to active homefront heroines, soldiers, and political organizers. Her work is based on extensive research and interviews with women activists during the time, and its balanced treatment equally emphasizes achievements as well as limitations. Paper edition (unseen), $22.50. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

American Historical Review

"Mary Nash is a major expert on the subject of Spanish women and the Spanish civil war, and she has dedicated over twenty years to unearthing data on the topic. This book is the culmination of those many years of research, and Nash's goal of examining the 'dynamics of gender power relations' is carried out with skill and rigor....This meticulously edited text is short of miraculous, given the fact that so many historical sources were destroyed or hidden away after the war. It is only since General Francisco Franco's death in 1975 that information on women in the war has surfaced. Nash has been instrumental in changing the phantom role of women activists from the Spanish civil war through her painstaking and tireless research, and by publishing this book, she has performed an invaluable historical service." (American Historical Review, April 1998)