An Anarchist's Story: The Life of Ethel MacDonald

by Chris Dolan

In 1936, with civil war sweeping through Spain, Ethel Macdonald – a working-class girl from Motherwell – was to become, for a year, one of the world's most famous voices. She was perhaps the first example of an 'embedded reporter', sending dispatches and broadcasts back from the Spanish Anarchist camp in Barcelona to the UK. But she made no pretence of 'impartiality' or balance of opinion; she was a lifelong anarchist, utterly committed to her cause.

Mystery surrounds Ethel Macdonald, from her birth certificate to the last days of her life. When Ethel suddenly fell silent in Barcelona she became the focus of an international search and intergovernmental negotiations. In 1937 the optimism of the previous year had gone. Ethel had been imprisoned, escaped, and was in hiding in a foreign country in the grip of war. Dubbed on newspaper headlines 'The Scots Scarlet Pimpernel', she was imprisoned by her erstwhile comrades, the very people she had been fighting alongside; and now that she was silenced and in danger, she became even more of an enigma.

This book, exactly a century after her birth, uses contemporary accounts, her own words and those of her close associates to unravel the extraordinary mystery of Ethel Macdonald and examines the unique impact that she had during this fascinating period of European history.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Autobiography

224 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2009

Reviews

[John Pendrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me it has opened a new world and on my Scottish doorstep and into Spain. I read Bakunin and Kropotkin years ago when I was a student in Edinburgh. I put up a few red and black posters but this history is both new and alive for me. Peaceful anarchy is once again on my mind from Ethel to Chomsky.

I am glad to put this book down because the story of a real nice woman anarchist from Glasgow leaves me so depressed. I might have wished to be with her in Spain trying to defeat Fascism and Stalinism and I would be defeated too. It is arguable as to what she achieved. Peaceful anarchism is a lost cause - anarchists don't argue with governments because that would legitimises them.

Anarchists do not believe in “The Government of No One” they believe in “Self Government.”

She wrote:

“Despite all the forces that stand in our way, working people of true heart and real bravery will continue to fight for Justice and Equality...The revolution will one day happen! The low rumble of an eruption beginning deep down will eventually burst!”

She published a little regular pamphlet in Glasgow, “The Word”. I hope to read a few copies in The Mitchell Library.

Chomsky is an intellectual anarchist. He rejects coercive control and though living in present society challenges its norms and is consciously anti authority.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I stumbled upon this book by accident whilst looking for books about the Spanish Civil War and was interested as it was about a woman. I'd never previously heard of Ethel MacDonald and also didn't have a proper understanding of anarchism.

Like thousands of "international brigaders", Ethel was a woman with deeply-held beliefs who travelled to Spain, virtually without money, to help the workers of Spain in their struggle for freedom. Although you don't learn a great deal about Ethel herself, I found this a moving insight into aspects of the Spanish Civil War. And who she was as a person was brought to life for me one day, by a twist of fate. One day, returning home by train from work, much earlier than usual, I was interrupted in my reading of this book by an elderly Scottish lady who said she'd met Ethel and that their two families had known each other! We only had five minutes to talk about Ethel as a person, but it confirmed the author's presentation that Ethel was a very private woman and committed to her politics. One of life's coincidences that I'll never forget.

I've gone on to read more about the Spanish Civil War, which has helped to put Ethel's story more into context.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of a really unusual and interesting life. A young Glasgow woman, Ethel MacDonald travels to Barcelona during the Spanish Revolution in the 1930's and ends up being the English-speaking voice for the anarchist factions on radio to the outside world. It seems quite a bizarre turn of events. The best of this book for me was the descriptions of the Spanish Revolution and the explanation of what Anarchism really stood for. It's a useful introduction to that period of history and the Spanish Civil War.

As a true story the book has to miss out a lot of Ethel's life, simply because it is unknown, and I have a number of questions that will never be answered. Much of the narrative is based on other witnesses of these troubled times in Spain in order to paint more of the picture of what she might have experienced. I guess this an appropriate way to document historic events with all views and evidence is tied back to the sources. But I find this seemed to take away some of the drive and urgency that I might expect of this historic situation. Maybe I’m just one of those people who isn’t at ease reading books of history.

[Lee Humphries · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love everything about this book. Firstly how Chris Dolan didn't intend to write about Ethel & then discovered who she was and decided to write about her life and experiences. Secondly it's sad to think how little is known of Ethel's contributions to the social revolution as Orwell's 'Homage to Catalonia' is a more prominent book. However, I think this book stands out to me equally if not more because the fact she was a woman traveling with her friend to a country in civil war.
I think she was a brave soul and had a great heart. I really admire her courage & convictions and the way she was determined to help so many people. If you only read one book on the Spanish Social Revolution I would recommend this one. I can see similarities between Ethel & Emma Goldman.
Also worth watching the documentary about Ethel on you tube.

[John Meffen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Motherwell anarchist goes to Spain in order to fight fascism, why would anyone not want to read this book.

[Stuart Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a little frustrating at first as the narrative was very much dependent on imaginative reconstruction of events, due to the apparent paucity of information on MacDonald's early life. It improved greatly when covering the period during the Spanish Civil War when she worked as a journalist in Barcelona, as various articles she had written are quoted which gave a strong impression of her character and beliefs. MacDonald was in the city at the same time as George Orwell although the two never met, making this an interesting companion piece to Orwell's Homage to Catalonia.

There were a few sections where the text seemed a little inaccurate. Guernica is said to have been utterly destroyed by the Condor Legion's air raid, but was in fact very badly damaged, with some factories remaining in functional order. I was also surprised by the assertion that Antony Gormley's Angel of the North sculpture was inspired by an Anarchist poster from the 1930s, for which I have been unable to find any evidence. No sources are quoted so I am uncertain what the basis for this claim was.

On the whole, however this was an interesting read covering a little known aspect of European History. It certainly shows that there was more to Anarchism than the stereotype of the bomb-throwing saboteur.

[Rog Harrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read about a woman from Glasgow who went to Spain during the civil war.