Readership: Anyone interested in the First World War and the Spanish Civil War; historians of empire; military historians.
Sebastian Balfour, Professor of Contemporary Spanish Studies, London School of Economics and Political Science
"... an impressive, scholarly and readable account of an oft-neglected area of military history ... Professor Balfour has constructed a captivating and personal narrative of Spain's Moroccan wars ... will surely appeal to all military historians interested in the Spanish army and colonial warfare. Those looking for a study that stretches beyond the battlefield will also find much of interest here." - War in History
"Balfour provides a campaign history that is critical, non-Eurocentric, thematic, analytical and based on a wide range of sources. This focus will attract a broad readership interested in war as a phenomenon stretching beyond battles and military kit." - War in History
"Sebastian Balfour's book is a solid study, based on massive archival work. This is especially laudable considering how unforthcoming the traditionally secretive military establishment is in opening up such avenues of investigation." - Journal of Southern Europe and the Balkans
"Deadly Embrace is not only a well-written and thoroughly documented book but also a necessary and vital contribution to the study of the turbulent and often violent first four decades of twentieth century Spain." - Francisco J. Romero Salvadó, Reviews in History
"Sebastian Balfour's Deadly Embrace: Morocco and the Road to the Spanish Civil War is a solid piece of research following on from his last book, The End of Spanish Empire, 1898-1923 (1997) ... Balfour renders fresh much familiar material, with original interpretations of figures obscured by their reputations ... he offers an important interpretative revision of the bulk of the campaigns of 1924-27 against Abdel Krim and his 'Republic of the Rif', underlining the calculated use of poisonous gases ... his argument is innovative and very convincing." - Enric Ucelay-Da Cal, Times Literary Supplement
The Colonial War1: The Invasion of Morocco 2: Calm Sea and Furious Wind 3: A Disaster Foretold? The Spanish Defeat at Anual 4: The Forging of a Colonial Army 1921-30 The Brutalisation of the Colonial War5: The Secret History of Chemical Warfare against Moroccans 6: A Divided Army; Military Castes and Factions in the Colonial Army 7: The Moorish Other 8: Cultures, Conditions and Corruption in the Colonial Army The Colonial Army from Republic to Civil War 1931-399: Repression and Conspiracy 10: The Reconquest of Spain
