Guerre Civile
1938, an unusual French language text book centred around the Spanish Civil War
Author
Publisher
Printing Details
First edition. Hardback, bound in green cloth with printed titling to spine and upper board. 18 × 12cm, 132pp + ads.
An extraordinary and somewhat unsettling educational artifact from the precipice of the Second World War. Written by masters at Marlborough College, this textbook teaches the French language through a fictionalized narrative of the Spanish Civil War (then in its final year).
The glossary is particularly revealing of the era's mindset, focusing on military terms like une grenade (hand-grenade) and un pétard (a stick of dynamite) for the 'constant use' of the 1930s student. A rare survival that captures the intersection of early 20th-century pedagogy and contemporary geopolitical trauma.
Condition
Good, solid condition in original green cloth. The binding shows some mottled fading and rubbing to the extremities, but remains secure. Internally very clean. Features the original 'Publisher's Specimen' stamps and a later ownership stamp from the Montessori Training College.
Books are currently zero-rated for duty (as of April 2026), so the price shown is the price you pay.
Price
£30.00
