Surely, if you've not read For Whom The Bell Tolls and A Moment of War, you've at least heard of them. Popular fiction based against the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War is rare, so I offer you another novel and I'm guessing that you're not familiar with this one.

The Freedom Tree by James Watson is a book that I first read when I was about 15 years old. This was long before the Spanish Civil War had any meaning to me, but it obviously made some impression on my young mind, as I remember it still. Considering my memory. that's praise in itself!

The story follows the life of Will Viljoen, a teenager from Jarrow on Tyneside as he journeys to Spain to fight for the Republic, inspired by his father's last letter home before he was killed in the fighting. The true horrors of the war conflict with his own understanding and Will is propelled into manhood. (the Freedom Tree itself is the Sacred Oak of Guernica, which represents the freedom of the Basques. I don't actually know whether there is such a tree, but it appears plausible. The author does not give any historical note as to its existence.)

The novel is categorised as teenage fiction. As such, compromises are made to the target readership, the novel is short, the story zips along, there's no Sven Hessel gore or bad language, and you get the briefest incites into anyone other than the main character.

For Whom The Bell Tolls is still the best Spanish Civil War novel I've read. A Moment of War was a good descriptive piece of literature, but essentially it is not a war novel. The Freedom Tree is a worthwhile read. The author is making a political statement to teenagers though, so be prepared for good Republican volunteers and nasty Moroccan Regulares.