by Jose E. Alvarez, Greenwood Press, ISBN: 0-313-30697-4, 282 pgs, 16 photos, 9 maps.

This is the history of the Spanish Foreign Legion from its formation on January 28, 1920 through the end of the Rif Rebellion. A brief history of Spain’s involvement in Morocco from 1859 until the formation of the Legion is contained in Chapter 1. The book deals in minute detail with the organization and TOE of the Legion. It also covers a great many encounters, from skirmish to full battle, from the point of view of the Legion.

It contains, in great detail, the actions of Milan Astray and Franco with regard to their involvement in the Legion. It acquaints the reader with most or perhaps, all of the Legion’s heroes.

Betrothed is structured rather like a textbook, in that footnotes are gathered at the end of each chapter, and are copious, making up at least one-third of the volume. There are 8 appendices, and 8 pages of bibliography.

I found this book to be a bit of a slow read. Perhaps my ignorance of place names in Morocco was a factor. A number of the chapters consist of a catalogue of small encounters that list a location name and the numbers and, sometimes, names of legionnaire officers and enlisted men wounded and killed. Since one or more of the Banderas of the Legion were in combat most of the seven-year period covered by the book, this can become a bit confusing. The maps are of little help, being bare bones and on a scale too large to show most of the place names referred to in the text.

Since the book is about the Legion, often an action takes place in a bit of a vacuum, since they were sometimes the vanguard of the Spanish army, and sometimes reserves, or flanking troops. The close relationship between the Regulares, the Mehil-La, and the Legion is often illustrated, however. The regular Spanish army in Morocco is somewhat glossed over. Apparently, there are no sources on the numbers of Riffians in the various encounters, because there numbers are seldom listed. We are always told what company of what Bandera of the Legion is involved.

What does the book do right? It shows the folly of the Spanish attempts to utilize blockhouses to hold the Riffian frontier, after the method of the British in the second Boer War. The Spanish blockhouses were too few, too far apart, and poorly situated, resulting in numerous ruinous attempts to rescue the demoralized soldiers isolated in the tiny purgatories.

Even though the Legion was not involved, it gives a more detailed account of the Annual disaster than any other I have read. The report on the Alhucemas Bay amphibious landings that led to the defeat of Abdul el-Krim, are exhaustive, as are the listing of units landed there.

Fans of the Raisuli and Mr(s). Pedicaris will be pleased to see that he is an actor in this Rebellion, though it is difficult to tell what side, other than his own, he is on at any time.

The incubation of the Spanish Civil War is a necessary adjunct to any report of the Spanish Foreign Legion. Why Franco was a hero to the Spanish people is explained here. The cockiness, and the scorn that the Legion officers felt for the government, is also well shown. The danger of isolated military leaders becoming heroes with enough clout to flaunt the government is spelled out quite plainly.

Is the book of use to a Colonial war gamer? I would have to answer a qualified yes. There are enough descriptions of attacks on blockhouse to make some nice skirmish games. There are also just enough larger battles described well enough to make scenarios from them. The Legion was often guarding convoys through mountain passes, which always makes a good game. If you already play the Spanish Civil War, you already have figures which can be used: Spanish Foreign Legion; Regulares, mounted and foot; Nationalist infantry; and an FT-17.

Don’t put it at the top of your list, but don’t cross it off, either.