Fascinating and unvarnished account of Orwell's time fighting in the Spanish Civil War, although as he himself admits he did very little actual fighting during his period in the trenches. His experience of war tended to be more one of observation: of disorganisation and spite and comradeship, but mostly of politics. It's fair to say that most of his observations here come though a political lens, but it is a self-aware one that contrasts actual behaviour and an honest assessment of feeling with the expectations of ideology. He can't help but spend some chapters in analysis, picking out exactly what's going on (far) behind the lines, though I have to admit that all the acronyms could be a little tedious and needed close attention so as not to mix up factions. His brilliant taking-apart of the propaganda and false history that was apparently swallowed whole and without question by his fellow countrymen and journalists, however, is particularly impressive.