The following people have been of enormous help during the research and writing of this book and it gives me great pleasure to be able to thank them here: Francisco Sánchez Montoya, Dr Miguel Botella, Manolo Martínez, Paco González, Ángel Olmedo, Diego Peral, Antonio Moya, Sargento Primero Rosado, Abdelkrim Bentato, David Smith, Rafael Paniagua Sánchez, Jim Carmody, Anthony Ham, Toby Follett, Cordula Reinhart, Paul Sapin, José ‘El Taponero’, Emilio Silva, Peter Carroll, Mary Dowley, Marlene Sidaway, Christopher Ross, Paul Preston, Gerald Blaney, Clive Maltby, Michael Alpert, Vicente Botella and Mike Ivey.
La Asociación para la Recuperación de la Memoria Histórica, el Instituto Cervantes de Tetuán, el Cuartel de Regulares No. 3 de Ceuta, and the International Brigade Memorial Trust were all generous in their assistance. Sadly, the Fundación Francisco Franco failed to cooperate or respond in any way, despite my approaches.
Thanks also to Natasha, for her invaluable contribution; to Sarah, for another exceptional effort; and to Salud – sin tí, ya sabes, nada de esto hubiese sido posible.