For a long time, political prisons were considered primarily male. In this book, Irène Gimenez demonstrates that this is a construct. Through interviews with former political prisoners held in the dictatorship's jails, internal documentation from prisoner support organizations, and some archives of the repression, the author shows that prison was initially a place of confinement for women activists, but also a place where spaces for solidarity and resistance were built. After studying the conditions of these activists' imprisonment, she shows that until 1963, the regime imprisoned its opponents in common criminal prisons. It was in the 1960s that the status of political prisoner became a demand and ultimately a recognized status. The prison system reflects the ruthless nature of the dictatorship: torture, isolation... Despite these conditions, the prisoners manage to forge bonds and networks of solidarity, for example by pooling their possessions and building relationships that eventually become strong friendships. These friendships become an important form of resistance to the prison system.
Political Prisoners in Spain
Irène Gimenez
CNRS Editions 2026 EUR26 430 pp.
War: Myth and Reality
Two books of different kinds-one a militant essay, the other a historical synthesis-serve as reminders of the cruelty of war.
Smedley Butler was a general in the U.S. Army. Born in 1881, he led several expeditions between the beginning of the 20th century and the 1930s. He reportedly refused to participate in a coup against Roosevelt in 1933. It was there that his awakening to the horrors of war began. He published his essay *War Is a Swindle*, explaining that war is waged primarily because industrialists profit from it. This book quickly became a manifesto for the American League Against War and Fascism, led by the American Communist Party. It was as if the man had simply traded one form of propaganda for another... all while acknowledging that war does indeed serve certain interests and that the belligerents have no regard for the truth.
A group of historians, in 23 chapters, explores the stakes of the First World War, but above all, debunks a number of falsehoods. As they note, truth is the first casualty of war.
But they are not writing simply to please the reader. The war is merely an indirect consequence of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Similarly, Jaurès alone, through his activism, could not have prevented the war; perhaps he would not even have wanted it and would have joined the Sacred Union. Contrary to popular belief, it's true that no one went off to war with a light heart, but very few actually opposed it. Thus, with supporting figures, the image of soldiers executed as examples takes a hit: in total, fewer than 800 soldiers in France, yet France far surpasses the other belligerents in these executions. On a purely military level, it also confirms certain aspects: the Americans entered the war to help France achieve victory, whereas Germany could not have continued the carnage for much longer... 23 invigorating entries, quite enjoyable to read given their provocative nature.
War is a Racket. War is a Scam
Semdley D. Butler
Konfident 2026 94p. EUR6.90
The Myths of the First World War
Michel Goya and Jean Lopez
Perrin 2026 414 p. EUR23
https://monde-libertaire.net/?articlen=8940
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Source: A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
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