Picasso's War

On May 11th, 1937, only two weeks after the insurgent Nazi Condor Legion bombed Guernica, Spain, Pablo Picasso commenced painting his famous masterpiece. While Picasso's War celebrates Picasso's work of art, "Guernica," it also paints a biography of Picasso, the passionately flawed man. Picasso who couldn't stay faithful to one woman; Picasso who saved everything ever given to him. As a painter, his art was as polarizing as cilantro. In 1981 the famous painting still had to be protected from terrorists with armed guards.
Coincidentally, Martin was standing in from of "Guernica" on September 11th, 2001.
The biggest surprise for me was learning of Herbert Southworth, an unsung hero of the Guernica saga. He had a clerical job at the Library show more of Congress and he was convinced he could get to the bottom of who actually bombed Guernica. Despite denials, he needed to convince the American public of Franco's threat to Democracy. show less

A lucid and interesting account of Picasso's masterpiece "Guernica," the act of barbarity that caused its creation, and its lingering worldwide impact as a symbol of human atrocity and suffering. Would have been vastly improved by photos of the many artworks and architectural structures discussed, and the last quarter (maybe the last third, even) feels padded. An easy read, though, and worthwhile.