The book’s legacy
A family manuscript that has also reached readers interested in history, literature and the memory of songs.
This selection brings together publications that mention or draw on Alegres soldados and literary connections with Alfredo González Díez’s life. Each entry explains the connection and links to the source.
01 · Responses to the book
Works that use the book as a source in various fields of research.
La División Azul y el Holocausto de los judíos europeos: entre historia y memoria
Xosé M. Núñez Seixas · Historia y Política, no. 26, pp. 259–290.
The article uses the book to study portrayals and memories of Blue Division members. It reproduces a caricature by Muñoz Césaro from Alegres soldados and lists the book in its bibliography.
Where to find it: illustration on p. 280; bibliography on p. 287.
Read the article (PDF) ↗Caterina Riba · Universitat de Vic.
The thesis cites Alfredo when analysing the song Montañas nevadas and its presence in a poem by Marçal about education under Franco. The thesis refers to chapter XXXII, page 256, of Alegres soldados.
Where to find it: page 42 of the digital file; bibliographic reference at the end of the thesis.
Read the thesis (PDF) ↗Jerónimo González Yanes.
The book explicitly mentions Alfredo and his book when reproducing the poem Enfermera, originally published in Hoja de Campaña of the Blue Division.
Where to find it: p. 115. Alfredo includes the poem; this reference does not attribute its authorship to him.
Read the book (PDF) ↗02 · The author and his homeland
Literary encounters and explicit mentions of Alfredo and his book.
Julio Llamazares · Alfaguara reissue, 2006.
The Blue Division veteran who shows the traveller the “Bosque Rojo” sign at his house in Ranedo is very likely Alfredo. The family photograph of the Krasnyj Bor sign and his biography support this interpretation; Llamazares does not name him.
Where to find it: “La fronda del Bosque Rojo” and “El puente de Valdepiélago”, Second Day; “La terraza de la fonda Orejas”, Third Day.
Read the passages and supporting documents →Lorenzo Silva · Booket.
Lorenzo Silva explicitly names Alfredo González Díez and Alegres soldados in the acknowledgements of Niños feroces.
Where to find it: “Agradecimientos” section.
View the quotation and the book →03 · Circulation
Articles and digital resources that document the circulation of the work.
Antonio Mena Calvo · Coro San Fernando website.
It describes Alegres soldados as an account of historical episodes linked by the volunteers’ song repertoire.
The date 2019 refers to publication on this website; the article’s original publication date has not been established.
Read the article ↗Carlos García · Blog Cabildo · 12 February 2014.
The review discusses the book and its song repertoire, particularly its connection with Carlos Gardel.
Reading note: the review confuses episodes from Alfonso Armada’s biography with Alfredo’s. It is included as a mention of the book, with that caveat.
Read the review ↗The Wikipedia articles on Himno de Riego and La hija de Juan Simón include references to Alegres soldados. They show how the manuscript has circulated and been consulted.