Bethune in Spain

Before his more famous activities as a battlefield surgeon with the Communist Army in China, Norman Bethune donated his medical expertise to the Republicans during the Spanish Civil War. Stewart, co-author of Phoenix: The Life of Norman Bethune, and Majada, a writer and retired teacher of Spanish literature, describe the frustrations of Bethune's early career, including his fight for socialized medicine in Canada. Once in Spain and having realized that the most significant factor in loss of life in the war was the distance from the battlefield to transfusion facilities, Bethune and a few other Canadian volunteers created and operated a mobile blood transfusion unit. Witnessing the forced march of refugees on the M%C3%A1laga-Almer%C3%ADa road, he attempted to treat as many as possible with minimal supplies while under attack by Nationalist forces. From this experience, he became a passionate advocate for children orphaned by war. The book includes many excerpts from Bethune's radio broadcast transcripts, fundraising speeches, personal correspondence, and even poetry, along with copious photographs taken during his seven months in Spain. These provide not only a feeling of immediacy to the events described but give the reader a strong sense of Bethune's voice and complex personality. (May)