Tuesday, 15 May 2012
Professor Prestons appearance on "Start the Week"- Radio 4 programme presented by Andrew Marr.
Paul Preston is at it again. In response to a question from Andrew Marr about the anarchist split with the Stalinists described by Georg Orwell in 'Homage to Catalonia', Preston made further derogatory comments about Orwell. He claimed that Orwell's contribution to historiography was about as important as Spike Milligan's book 'Adolph Hitler, my part in his downfall' was to the history of the 2nd World War. Marr's response was 'ouch' and he quickly moved the discussion on. Preston cannot refrain from attacking Orwell who he disdainfully described as a foot soldier with no vision. No mention of Orwell's membership of the ILP and joining the POUM.
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I admire much of Paul Preston's work, especially his documenting the ferocity of the Franco regime, but I'm disheartened by his minimizing of Stalinist repression on the Republic side during the Spanish Civil War, and his dismissal of Orwell's Homage to Catalonia.
Professor Preston appears not to used to criticism. His physical way of pushing an anarchist questioner at the Manchester People's History Museum out of the way last month was astonishing. The problem is that as an historian he is envious of Orwell's book 'Homage to Catalonia', because it is an eye witness account of events in the Spanish Civil War that he knows will outlive anything the dear Professor writes or utters now.
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