Norman Bethune (1890-1939) was a man who had everything, and yet had nothing. Although he had achieved international prominence as a surgeon, he was unhappy in his personal life and deeply frustrated by a failed attempt to introduce medicare to Canada. An uncompromising humanitarian in search of a cause, Bethune became immersed in the Spanish Civil War. In Bethune in Spain, Roderick Stewart and Jesús Majada recount Bethune's achievements in Spain and the events that led to his decision to assist the Loyalist forces. The narrative contains Bethune's letters and reports, some of them reproduced here for the first time, as well as newspaper articles, and interviews with him. It covers his creation and operation of a mobile blood transfusion unit, his rescue of fleeing Loyalist civilians during the Malaga-Almeria road tragedy, and his efforts to aid children orphaned by the War. It also deals with the gruelling public-speaking tour Bethune undertook on his return to Canada in 1937 to plead for intervention in support of democracy in Spain and to raise awareness of atrocities committed against civilians by the fascist-backed Spanish Nationalists. Illustrated with photographs from Bethune's seven months in Spain, Bethune in Spain is a poignant portrait of an early advocate for universal health care, an unwavering communist, and a crusader for the Spanish Republican cause.

Roderick Stewart is the author of three books on Norman Bethune: The Mind of Norman Bethune (1990), Norman Bethune (1974), and Bethune (1973). He has written high school history textbooks and edited books for major Canadian publishers. He currently lives in Richmond Hill, Ontario.

Roderick Stewart's profile page

Jesús Majada, a writer and retired teacher of Spanish literature, lives near the city of Málaga in southern Spain.

Jesús Majada's profile page

“Stewart and Majada work with Bethune’s firsthand accounts to vividly reconstruct the lesser-known days of slaughter after the fall of Málaga (Picasso’s birthplace), as a civilian population in full retreat was bombed from the air and shelled from the sea

“The book includes many excerpts from Bethune's radio broadcast transcripts, fundraising speeches, personal correspondence, and even poetry, along with copious photographs taken during his seven months in Spain. These provide not only a feeling of immediacy to the events described but give the reader a strong sense of Bethune's voice and complex personality.” Publishers Weekly

“This account of Bethune’s commitment to his beliefs, of his pioneering service established in the face of considerable odds, is an inspiring read for any doctor.” Iain Macintyre, Surgeon’s News