Drawing on recently released military documents and previously unpublished photographs, this enthralling record is the first-ever account of New Zealand's role in the Spanish civil war that lasted from 1936 through 1939. Volunteers from more than 50 countries took sides, including New Zealanders who worked for the Spanish cause both abroad and at home. With contributions from some of New Zealand's leading writers and historians, this volume tells the all-but-forgotten stories of the remarkable heroes who chose to enter into a crucial conflict that became a ruthless rehearsal for World War II.