Line #22 Literature/MineWereOfTrouble


1	[[quoteright:349:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/trouble.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:349:''[[Creator/AEHousman The thoughts of others]]\
3	Were light and fleeting,\
4	Of lovers meeting\
5	Or luck, or fame.\
6	[[TitleDrop Mine were of trouble...]]'']]
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8	->''It is hard now to recall the atmosphere of 1936. When I came down from Cambridge in June of that year the pattern of European politics was confused and obscure. The foundations of peace seemed in danger of collapse, but as yet few were convinced that [[UsefulNotes/WorldWar2 another World War]] was inevitable, or could foresee the alignment of the Powers if it should happen...Such was the state of Europe when I came down from Cambridge, not yet twenty-one years of age, with a Degree in Classics and Law, a restless temperament, no money, and what the Trinity College Magazine once described as a 'deplorable tendency to simper.'''
9	-->-- '''Peter Kemp, the prologue.'''
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11	''Mine Were of Trouble'' is an [[{{Autobiography}} autobiographical]] tale by Peter Kemp of his experiences fighting as a soldier in the UsefulNotes/SpanishCivilWar.
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13	After completing a law degree at Cambridge and finding himself not yet ready to settle down into his chosen career as a barrister, Kemp decides to travel to Spain to join Generalissimo UsefulNotes/FranciscoFranco in the fight against communism. Motivated more by a sense of adventure than any ideological leaning, he still firmly decides to join the Nationalists after hearing of the atrocities perpetrated by the Reds. While this makes it a great deal more difficult to actually get to Spain, considering the Non-intervention pact (which seems to only apply to the Nationalist side) he manages to forge journalist documents to make his way through France and into the country.
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15	Once there, despite not knowing a word of Spanish, he joins the traditionalist Requeté militia, working his way through the ranks until he becomes an officer. Discouraged by the lack of action, he transfers to the legendary Spanish Foreign Legion, where his heroic actions distinguish him to the point of being one of the few foreigners to earn a private audience with the Generalissimo himself.
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17	After the war's end, Kemp eventually becomes an agent for the British Special Operations, fighting for his country in numerous commando raids in Europe and the Pacific... but these are beyond the scope of the book, appearing in his subsequent memoirs, ''No Colours or Crest,'' and ''Alms For Oblivion.''
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19	Originally published in 1957, ''Mine Were of Trouble'' was out of print for over 60 years until [[https://twitter.com/MysteryGrove Mystery Grove Publishing Co]] began publishing the work in both physical and ebook format. You can buy a copy [[https://www.amazon.com/Mine-Were-Trouble-Nationalist-Account/dp/B08673MBF1/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=mine+were+of+trouble&qid=1704856590&sr=8-1 here]] ([[MemeticMutation and don't forget to leave a review!]])
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21	!!''Mine Were of Trouble'' contains examples of:
22	* TheDeterminator: At the tail end of the war, Peter takes a grenade blast straight to the face, absolutely shattering his jaw. Instead of being led away on a stretcher, he ''walks'' the four hundred yards to HQ, where he overhears the doctors saying he only has hours to live. Refusing to accept this, he sits up in bed to catch their attention, and they agree to send him to the hospital in the first ambulance. With the help of skilled surgeons, and multiple operations ''without anesthetic'' he eventually makes a full recovery.
23	* DirtyCommunists: The Republicans' actions before and during the war are not sugar-coated in any way. They regularly commit atrocities against soldiers and civilians alike, to the point that when it comes time to organize prisoner exchanges they have few, if any, Nationalists to trade.
24	* DontCelebrateJustYet: The Nationalist victory in Santander is proclaimed a little prematurely, and as a result a Nationalist pilot and his friend fly into town, bringing plenty of booze to celebrate. After landing the plane and finding themselves surrounded by blue-clad soldiers, they greet them with "Viva Franco!" and "Arriba Espana!" Unfortunately for them, these men turn out to be Republicans and they're promptly arrested.
25	* FirstNameBasis: The Spaniards have trouble pronouncing Kemp's last name because of the double consonants, so they simply use his Christian name, Peter, despite him being an officer.
26	* ForegoneConclusion: Naturally, Peter Kemp survives and the Nationalists are victorious. Francisco Franco reigns for the next forty years.
27	* LiteraryAllusionTitle: The book's title is a line from ''I To My Perils,'' by Creator/AEHousman.
28	* PropagandaMachine: One of the most effective weapons in the Reds' arsenal. Their control of the Press and their welcoming of foreign journalists generates plenty of international sympathy. They also have recruitment drives worldwide, creating volunteer units called International Brigades. Meanwhile, the Nationalists consider all journalists spies and make no effort to recruit outside of their borders. Not that this discourages Kemp in any way.
29	* RapePillageAndBurn: The Red Army's MO. One town that Kemp ends up staying in tells him about how their priest was murdered by the Reds by being nailed to a cross. He was actually lucky; other towns report their priests being ''burned alive.''
30	* ShootTheDog: Kemp interrogates a deserter from the Republican side, an Irish civilian sailor who got left behind by his crew and ended up being pressed into an International Brigade. While Kemp believes his story, he's unable to convince his Colonel, who orders that the man be shot. Kemp at least makes sure the man dies a quick, painless death.
31	* SpiritualAntithesis: Serves as one to [[Creator/GeorgeOrwell George Orwell's]] ''Literature/HomageToCatalonia'', with both of them being memoirs of the Spanish Civil War, but told from opposite sides of the conflict. Both writers are English men who start off with virtually no Spanish, and both suffer grievous wounds towards the end of the war. While Kemp already experienced military training in England and has to practically sneak his way into the country, Orwell makes his way in easily with help from the International Brigades, and has to be trained before being sent to the front lines. Most notably, while Kemp is shocked and appalled by the violence exacted against the church by the Republicans, Orwell is captivated by it and gives it his full approval.
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Context Literature / MineWereOfTrouble