Homage to Catalonia

Summary

Homage to Catalonia is George Orwell's personal account of his service in the Spanish Civil War, a classic of war writing and of political honesty. In December 1936 Orwell went to Barcelona, intending to write newspaper articles, and joined the militia of the POUM, a small anti-Stalinist Marxist party, because that was the group his British contacts could arrange. He describes Barcelona in its revolutionary phase: workers in control, everyone addressed as 'comrade', no tips, no class distinctions, and he felt something worth fighting for. He was sent to the Aragon front, where for months the war was mostly cold, boredom, lice, firewood and hunger, with few shots fired and rifles that barely worked. He describes his comrades, Spanish and British, with warmth and humor. On leave in Barcelona in May 1937 he found the city changed and caught up in street fighting between the anarchists and POUM on one side and the Communist-dominated government forces on the other; he spent days guarding a building. Back at the front at Huesca, he was shot through the throat by a sniper and nearly died. While he recovered, the government outlawed the POUM, falsely accused it of being a Fascist fifth column, arrested its members, and murdered its leader. Orwell and his wife Eileen had to hide and escape to France. Orwell carefully distinguishes what he saw from what he believes and warns readers to be aware of his bias. The experience taught him how propaganda and lies could rewrite events, a lesson that shaped Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four. The book sold poorly at first but later became one of his most respected works. Orwell's account of the boredom and discomfort of trench life is as memorable as his account of battle, and his tribute to an Italian militiaman he met only once is among his finest passages. With US protection running to the end of 2033, the record retells the Aragon front and the May Days rather than excerpting them.

Top Lessons

• Truth in war

  Orwell warns readers of his bias and separates seeing from believing.

• Propaganda

  He watches newspapers lie about the POUM.

• Comradeship

  He honors ordinary soldiers whose courage and decency outlast political lies.

Verified Quotes

Medical Lens

Orwell gives a detailed account of being shot through the throat and his treatment in Spanish hospitals.

• Chapter 12

  Orwell's throat wound and recovery.