Talk of the Nation, August 1, 1996 · Join Ray Suarez for a look at the history of the Spanish Civil War. Some scholars regard the war as the first real commitment to fighting Fascism worldwide. Ray will talk with a historian and a man who's compiled the letters of the men who fought in the Abraham Lincoln Brigade about this often-overlooked conflict, and what it's meant in the larger context of world history. Guests: Cary Nelson Professor of English University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana Editor Madrid 1937: Letters of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade From the Spanish Civil War (Routledge, 1996) Urbana, IL Dr. Paul Preston Professor of International History London School of Economics and Political Science Author The Coming of the Spanish Civil War (Routledge, 1994) London, England Listeners call in