Chris Hall

Chris (Christopher) Hall is a former librarian and trade union representative who has studied at the universities of Newcastle, Northumbria and Manchester Metropolitan, and is an expert on the Spanish Civil War, as well as Interwar Europe more widely.

His publications include ‘Disciplina Camaradas’ interviews with three International Brigaders and a member of Orwell’s fellow volunteers in the POUM. This man Stafford Cottman was the person Ken Loach based his main character on in his film ‘Land and Freedom, ‘Revolutionary Warfare’ about the improvised left wings militias who sprung up at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War and ‘In Spain with Orwell’ the story of the volunteers who fought alongside George Orwell in Spain.

His last book was ‘The Nurse who became a Spy’ which told the remarkable story of Madge Addy a Manchester women who served as a nurse in the Spanish Civil War and was a special agent in France in World War II.

Out in January 2026 is his new book titled 'British Volunteers and the Spanish Civil War :The Passionate Cause 1936-39'. This new work tells the story of ordinary men and women from Britain, Ireland and the Commonwealth who went to Spain to fight and die in what was effectively the opening campaigns of World War II, while others served in the medical services and thousands were involved in humanitarian efforts. Ninety years ago the Spanish Civil War began and was the first armed international resistance against Hitler and Mussolini. The British Government did nothing while thousands of ordinary people came to the aid of the Spanish Republican Government in various ways this is their story.

Chris is a member of the IBMT (International Brigade Memorial Trust) and was a national committee member for many years and was a speaker at the Len Crome conference on ‘George Orwell ‘Homage to Catalonia’ 75 Years On’. He is also a member of the Orwell Society and the Battlefields Trust.