Borkenau Revisited

Martha Bridegam <bridegam DeleteThis @pacbell.net> wrote in message news:<406F2F19.2AE1CA69 DeleteThis @pacbell.net>...
 > Rachel wrote:
 >
  > > While rereading HtC, I finally found something conclusive on Orwell's
  > > opinion of Borkenau's book:
  > >
  > > (from footnote) "For the best account of the interplay between the
  > > parties on the Government side, see Franz Borkenau's 'The Spanish
  > > Cockpit.' This is by a long way the ablest book that has yet appeared
  > > on the Spanish war" ( 57).
  > >
  > > What I'm inferring from the note is that Orwell considered Borkenau's
  > > book excellent but nonetheless a fair distance from what Orwell
  > > himself then wrote.
  > > /R
 >
 > Do you suppose it might be in deference to Borkenau that he downplays
 > his own understanding of things at the national political level and
 > sticks to events of which he has personal knowledge?
 >
 > /M

No, I think it's because he really didn't have a sense of events
taking place at the national political level while he was at the
front. He addresses this at some point--that first, he was far enough
out in the middle of nowhere that it took months for any news or real
change to reach him, and second, small-scale practicality vastly
outweighed national interparty politics at the time. (Guess what part
of the thesis I'm on...)
/R<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Borkenau Revisited 

Rachel wrote:

 > Martha Bridegam <bridegam RemoveThis @pacbell.net> wrote in message news:<406F2F19.2AE1CA69 RemoveThis @pacbell.net>...
  > > Rachel wrote:
  > >
   > > > While rereading HtC, I finally found something conclusive on Orwell's
   > > > opinion of Borkenau's book:
   > > >
   > > > (from footnote) "For the best account of the interplay between the
   > > > parties on the Government side, see Franz Borkenau's 'The Spanish
   > > > Cockpit.' This is by a long way the ablest book that has yet appeared
   > > > on the Spanish war" ( 57).
   > > >
   > > > What I'm inferring from the note is that Orwell considered Borkenau's
   > > > book excellent but nonetheless a fair distance from what Orwell
   > > > himself then wrote.
   > > > /R
  > >
  > > Do you suppose it might be in deference to Borkenau that he downplays
  > > his own understanding of things at the national political level and
  > > sticks to events of which he has personal knowledge?
  > >
  > > /M
 >
 > No, I think it's because he really didn't have a sense of events
 > taking place at the national political level while he was at the
 > front. He addresses this at some point--that first, he was far enough
 > out in the middle of nowhere that it took months for any news or real
 > change to reach him, and second, small-scale practicality vastly
 > outweighed national interparty politics at the time. (Guess what part
 > of the thesis I'm on...)
 > /R

Can't guess. What part of the thesis are you on?

/M<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Borkenau Revisited 

Martha Bridegam <bridegam.TakeThisOut@pacbell.net> wrote in message news:<4070777A.E20907A1.TakeThisOut@pacbell.net>...
 > Rachel wrote:
 >
  > > Martha Bridegam <bridegam.TakeThisOut@pacbell.net> wrote in message news:<406F2F19.2AE1CA69.TakeThisOut@pacbell.net>...
   > > > Rachel wrote:
   > > >
   > > > > While rereading HtC, I finally found something conclusive on Orwell's
   > > > > opinion of Borkenau's book:
   > > > >
   > > > > (from footnote) "For the best account of the interplay between the
   > > > > parties on the Government side, see Franz Borkenau's 'The Spanish
   > > > > Cockpit.' This is by a long way the ablest book that has yet appeared
   > > > > on the Spanish war" ( 57).
   > > > >
   > > > > What I'm inferring from the note is that Orwell considered Borkenau's
   > > > > book excellent but nonetheless a fair distance from what Orwell
   > > > > himself then wrote.
   > > > > /R
   > > >
   > > > Do you suppose it might be in deference to Borkenau that he downplays
   > > > his own understanding of things at the national political level and
   > > > sticks to events of which he has personal knowledge?
   > > >
   > > > /M
  > >
  > > No, I think it's because he really didn't have a sense of events
  > > taking place at the national political level while he was at the
  > > front. He addresses this at some point--that first, he was far enough
  > > out in the middle of nowhere that it took months for any news or real
  > > change to reach him, and second, small-scale practicality vastly
  > > outweighed national interparty politics at the time. (Guess what part
  > > of the thesis I'm on...)
  > > /R
 >
 > Can't guess. What part of the thesis are you on?
 >
 > /M

Er...it involves HtC.
/R<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Borkenau Revisited 

Rachel wrote:

 > Martha Bridegam <bridegam DeleteThis @pacbell.net> wrote in message news:<4070777A.E20907A1 DeleteThis @pacbell.net>...
  > > Rachel wrote:
  > >
   > > > Martha Bridegam <bridegam DeleteThis @pacbell.net> wrote in message news:<406F2F19.2AE1CA69 DeleteThis @pacbell.net>...
   > > > > Rachel wrote:
   > > > >
   > > > > > While rereading HtC, I finally found something conclusive on Orwell's
   > > > > > opinion of Borkenau's book:
   > > > > >
   > > > > > (from footnote) "For the best account of the interplay between the
   > > > > > parties on the Government side, see Franz Borkenau's 'The Spanish
   > > > > > Cockpit.' This is by a long way the ablest book that has yet appeared
   > > > > > on the Spanish war" ( 57).
   > > > > >
   > > > > > What I'm inferring from the note is that Orwell considered Borkenau's
   > > > > > book excellent but nonetheless a fair distance from what Orwell
   > > > > > himself then wrote.
   > > > > > /R
   > > > >
   > > > > Do you suppose it might be in deference to Borkenau that he downplays
   > > > > his own understanding of things at the national political level and
   > > > > sticks to events of which he has personal knowledge?
   > > > >
   > > > > /M
   > > >
   > > > No, I think it's because he really didn't have a sense of events
   > > > taking place at the national political level while he was at the
   > > > front. He addresses this at some point--that first, he was far enough
   > > > out in the middle of nowhere that it took months for any news or real
   > > > change to reach him, and second, small-scale practicality vastly
   > > > outweighed national interparty politics at the time. (Guess what part
   > > > of the thesis I'm on...)
   > > > /R
  > >
  > > Can't guess. What part of the thesis are you on?
  > >
  > > /M
 >
 > Er...it involves HtC.
 > /R

Sorry, thought you meant you'd gotten to a frightfully fine point of the exegesis thereof that I was
failing to pick up.

/M<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Borkenau Revisited