MARY CONWAY revels in a powerful reminder that human lives are not defined by physical perfection
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A memoir of unadorned honesty
Children preparing for evacuation during the Spanish Civil War
[Wikipedia Commons/estate of Olga Brocca Smith]
PAUL DONOVAN recommends the fine performances in this account of the pre-war meeting between the US president and the British king
TECLYN AROD relishes an intimate celebration of jazz improvisation that mixes local and national musicians
The missing sister, the vengeful WAG, cruise ship claustrophobia, and reanimated Avengers
Three great releases of lost concerts by Duke Ellington Orchestra, John Taylor & Stan Sulzman, and Joe Henderson
To rescue Kahlo from the clutches of the corporate art market, we need to acknowledge the overt and covert political dimensions of the work, demands GAVIN O’TOOLE
The Fighter Who Fell in Love – A Spanish Civil War Memoir
By James R Jump
The Clapton Press £9.99
THERE have been numerous books about the Spanish Civil War but Jimmy Jump’s memoir is unique in that it is based on his meticulously kept diaries at the time.
There is no retrospective re-evaluation, imagined heroics or dimly recalled events; his memoir has all the ingredients of a drama unfolding, told with humility and honesty.
Jump was a budding journalist and would-be poet, so writes with a keen eye coupled with deeply held convictions. His memoir is laced with humorous anecdotes, tragic and tear-jerking moments, giving the reader a detailed picture of what life on the ground was like for these courageous men and women who were prepared to sacrifice their lives for the principles of justice and democracy in the struggle against fascism.
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