Paradise in Hell: Alcohol and Drugs in the Spanish Civil War

Paradise in Hell studies the role played by alcohol, morphine, cocaine, cannabis and amphetamines in the Spanish Civil War. The book analyses the moral discourses that were produced around these substances, the policies implemented by civil and military authorities, the consumption by combatants and civilians, and the role they played in the war effort. From these four perspectives, Paradises in Hell explores the everyday experiences of soldiers and civilians, the physical, psychological and emotional effects of war, the rituals of camaraderie, and the impact that the absence of these substances had on the morale of soldiers and civilians. The book also gives special attention to the role these substances played in the development of respectable, tough and cocky masculinities, in the construction of a sense of national community and everyday nationalism, and in the dehumanisation of the enemy in a way that legitimised violence.

About the Author

Jorge Marco is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Politics, Languages, and International Studies at the University of Bath.