The Frozen Towers of Teruel: A Novel Set in the Spanish Civil War

The Battle of Teruel 1937, is sometimes referred to as the Spanish Stalingrad. Fought in freezing temperatures, often as low as -20º and in frequent snow blizzards, it is said that more men died due to the weather than as a result of enemy action. A new medical condition, known as Teruel feet, was recognised, as a result of so many amputations due to frost bite. In total, almost 100,000 combatants lost their lives, as the Spanish Republic fought to capture its first provincial capital. Originally conceived to relieve the pressure on Madrid, the attack caught the Nationalists totally by surprise, and provided, just briefly, during Christmas of 1937, a glimmer of hope for the people of the Loyalist Zone.

This novel focuses on the role of the war journalists who came to cover the Spanish conflict. Into the Battle of Teruel, rushed two reporters from rival London newspapers. Famous writer H H Stoneham was working from the Republican lines, whilst his former lover, Katerine Miller, was over on the Nationalist side. They were both desperate to provide their readers back home with the latest information from the battle, which they knew could mark the turning point of the war. Often, they showed little regard for their own safety.