When I started reading this I thought it was a translation because there was something about the writing style that reminded me of translated books by Isabel Allende. Turns out the author is American, and when I think about it, the first name 'Dave' is probably not a traditional Spanish or Basque name so maybe that should have given me a clue. There are great swathes of history that I know nothing about, so the title Guernica meant nothing to me, although many of you may be aware that the Spanish town in the Basque region was heavily bombed by Hitler's German Air Force acting in support of General Franco in 1937. There was no specific military purpose for destroying the town and many innocent civilians lost their lives during the prolonged raid. The Spanish artist Picasso (who I have heard of) was outraged by the bombing and within the same year produced a large mural as an anti-war statement. Picasso and his painting 'Guernica' are mentioned many times and a rev...