I read this memoir of Orwell's time fighting in the Spanish Civil War against the Facist Franco regime while I was visiting Barcelona. I knew almost nothing about the history of Spain and Catalonia during this period and it was particularly moving to read about the events of 1936-1937 as documented in this book while I was touring some of the very locations which were at the center of the events chronicled herein. A pleasantly straightforward and short account from the author's perspective which contradicts much of what was reported in the international media at the time. Highly recommended reading.