Crónica Desde Guernica. George Steer, Correspon

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Crónica Desde Guernica. George Steer, Correspon L I B RO S Crónica desde Guernica. tres ediciones en castellano dos premios de la ONU, abor- George Steer, correspon - (Caracas, 1963; Madrid, dan una gran diversidad de sal de guerra. 1978; Ta falla, 2002) de su temas: (“A Green History of obra cumbre The Tree of the Planet”, “The A g e i n g Nicholas RANKIN. Gernika (El árbol de Future”, “Plants of Power”, Guernica). Sin embargo, no “Mapping the Wo r l d ” , ocurría lo mismo con su bio- “ C ow b oys and Indians”, Traducción de Paloma grafía. Aspecto éste, que va a “Americanization”, “The Gil Quindós, Madrid, ser subsanado, en parte, con C o l u m bus Encounter” y 2005. Siglo XXI. la publicación de la obra de “Bury My Heart at Wounded Rankin por la prestigiosa edi- Knee”). ISBN: 84-323-1183-9, torial Siglo XXI. De esta La idea de escribir una bio- 328 pp. forma se va a acercar al gran grafía sobre Steer le fue suge- público su figura y su obra, rida por el reconocido histo- para lo que se ha contado con riador Paul Preston durante la una gran promoción a través conmemoración del 60 ani- de la prensa escrita, la radio y versario del bombardeo de la televisión, así como a tra- Guernica. Tras cinco años de vés de conferencias y ruedas i nve s t i gación terminó de de prensa. escribirla en 2002 y se la Crónica desde Guernica es dedicó al hijo del protagonis- el segundo libro del veterano ta. En este contexto, suele ser locutor británico Nick Rankin habitual, que los escritores se (1950). Su primera obra, tam- identifiquen con su biografia- bién fue publicada en la do, y Rankin, no es la excep- misma editorial, Dead Man’s ción. Además, en su caso, hay Chest. Travels alter Robert que tener en cuenta que existe Louis Stev e n s o n, (1987) y un cierto paralelismo entre el versó sobre los viajes de autor y Steer, ambos tuvieron R o b e rt Louis Steve n s o n . una infancia africana, estudia- Rankin, que vivió sus prime- ron en Oxford, ejercieron el periodismo y escribieron Este año se ha publicado en ros años en Kenia y se licen- ció en Oxford, ha viajado y libros. España Crónica desde vivido en Sudamérica, África Si analizamos el título ele- Guernica. George Steer, y Europa. Actualmente reside gido para la versión española corresponsal de guerra , que en Londres y está casado con –en el que se ha omitido una es la traducción de la obra la novelista Maggie Gee, con parte: La extraordinaria vida inglesa Te l eg ram fro m la que tiene una hija de 18 de–, podemos pensar en una Guernica. The extraordinary años. Ha pertenecido durante obra sobre la noticia que des- l i fe of George Steer, Wa r más de 20 años a la Unión veló al mundo anglosajón lo C o r re s p o n d e n t, (Faber and Nacional de Periodistas del ocurrido el 26 de abril de Faber, London, 2003). Hasta Reino Unido, y es el Jefe de 1937 en Guernica y sobre la ahora Steer era conocido, en Producción y de Arte en el biografía de su autor; y sin nuestro país, en el ámbito Canal Internacional de la embargo, sólo el 25% está académico y entre los nacio- BBC. Sus programas de dedicada a la Guerra Civil nalistas vascos a través de las radio, por los que ha obtenido española y de él, aproximada- 217 SANCHO EL SABIO mente la mitad al conflicto grafía de los nombres, un parecido físico–, en una fami- bélico en el País Vasco repu- mapa de África en 1939 y una lia cristiana y liberal. Se crió blicano. Por tanto, se trata de veintena de fotografías (entre entre periódicos, siendo su un título comercial, que intro- las que se nota la ausencia del padre el director del Daily duce el simbólico nombre de Guernica de Picasso, presente D i s p a t ch. Cuando apenas Guernica, como ya lo hizo el en la edición inglesa). El libro tenía once años le enviaron a propio Steer, a modo de sínte- hubiese resultado más com- la escuela de Seaford en sis de la Guerra Civil y de pleto con la fotografía de I n g l a t e rra, después disfru t ó referencia picasiana al cuadro Steer en Radio Emisora de una beca en el prestigioso más famoso del siglo XX. El Bilbaína denunciando el College de Winchester (donde título no se justifica ni cuanti- bombardeo de la villa foral, ganó un premio de ensayo de tativa ni cualitativamente, y con varios mapas, y sobre Literatura inglesa y dirigió la sería más adecuado, G. L . todo, con una detallada cro- revista The Wykehamist) y en Steer. Periodista, escritor y nología. En cuanto las fuentes 1928 ingresó en el Christ soldado, o parafraseando al (orales, hemerogr á fi c a s , Church de Oxford, donde original Crónica desde Addis documentales, epistolares), el obtuvo el Bachiller en Artes Abeba. George Steer, corres - autor las ha utilizado de todo con excelentes calificaciones, ponsal de guerra.No en vano, tipo, siendo las más importan- licenciándose en Clásicas con el personaje más citado, apar- tes los libros que escribió el doble matrícula de honor.A te del protagonista, es el propio Steer. Respecto a la principios de 1931 participó emperador abisinio Haile bibliografía consultada tene- en la fundación de la Selassie y, mientras se nos mos que decir que sorprende Sociedad de África de la hurta el texto completo del el buen uso de la bibliografía U n iversidad de Oxford. A famoso artículo de Steer en anglosajona, pero se echa en pesar de ser el alumno más The Times el 28 de abril de falta un uso más exhaustivo brillante de su promoción, 1937 sobre el bombardeo, de la bibl i ografía española tenía fama de intratable. –que sí podemos encontrar en sobre la Guerra Civil. En pró- Físicamente era menudo, H. Southworth (La destruc - ximas ediciones, sería con cara de pícaro, cabello ción de Guernica. imprescindible la inclusión de rebelde color castaño y bigote Periodismo, diplomacia, pro - las documentadas aportacio- pelirrojo. Se casó dos veces, paganda e historia, Ibérica de nes realizadas por C. Landa, la primera en Abisinia (mayo Ediciones y Publ i c a c i o n e s , L. Sebastián, y F. M. Vargas del 36) con la corresponsal Barcelona 1977, pp. 22-24)–, en el libro El papel de los francesa Margarita Herrero, se reproduce íntegramente su corresponsales en la Guerra de padre español y madre artículo sobre Addis Abeba Civil española. Homenaje a inglesa, que falleció cuando bajo los italianos en T h e G e o rge Steer ( G e rn i k a - iba a dar a luz a finales de Spectator el 12 de marzo de Lumoko Udala, 2003). enero de 1937 en Londres. A 1937 (pp. 113-116). El libro narra con tono ella le dedicó su mejor libro Crónica desde Guernica se novelesco y a veces poético la The Tree of Gernika. Tr e s estructura en 12 capítulos de vida del “inglés sudafricano” años después contrajo matri- muy diferente extensión, un George Lowter Steer. Nuestro monio con Esmé Barton, hija p r ó l ogo, un breve epílog o , protagonista vino al mundo el del que fuera embajador bri- agradecimientos y fuentes, y 22 de noviembre de 1909 en tánico en Etiopía. Esta cere- un siempre necesario índice Sudáfrica y creció muy monia se celebró en Londres analítico. Además, contiene influenciado por su madre con la asistencia del empera- 218 una oportuna nota sobre la –con la que guardaba un gran dor etíope y del jefe de Esmé, L I B RO S a la sazón el director del MI5. dentes de las colonias) de los jes y de la importancia de la En 1940 nació su primer hijo años 30 y 40”. Steer, recién propaganda bélica. El sexto George en Londres, del que regresado de Oxford, realizó libro –The A b y s s i n i a n fue padrino Haile Selassie, y las prácticas en el sudafricano Campaigns: The Offi c i a l en octubre del 42 vino al Cape Argus (1932-33), para Story of the Conquest of mundo en Sudáfrica su hija trabajar más tarde en los el Italian East Africa (HMSO, Caroline. Steer fallece el 24 Yorkshire Post y The Times 1942)– fue editado por el de diciembre de 1944 en Fagú ( 1 9 3 5 - 3 7 ), T h e Sp e c t a t o r gobierno británico con evi- (La India) en un accidente de (1935-38), M a n ch e s t e r dentes fines propagandísticos automóvil. Guardian (1938), el sudafri- y es la mejor síntesis sobre las Su vida, profesionalmente cano Daily Dispatch (1938) y operaciones militares en el h a blando, como hemos el londinense Daily Telegraph África italiana a principios de comentado anteriorm e n t e , (1939-40). Entre 1938 y 1939 1941. Sus dos obras inéditas combinó tres perfiles: el publicó varios folletos sobre fueron The life of Sir Charles periodista, el escritor y el África que eran una recopila- Crece sobre la vida del pro- militar. Éstos se dieron conse- ción o de sus artículos de pietario del periódico sudafri- c u t ivamente, pero también prensa o de sus conferencias. cano Daily Dispatch, e Into hubo intersecciones y parale- Además de periodista fue Another Mould relativo a la lismos.
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