Many positive reviews of the book came from Orwell's friends and political allies, such as Geoffrey Gorer and John McNair respectively. Veterans of World War I, such as Herbert Read and Gerald Brenan, praised the book for its vivid depiction of life on the frontlines of a war. Read commented that, except for a lack of artillery bombardment, Orwell's "physical miseries" in Aragon seemed worse than his own in Ypres; while Brenan related to his descriptions of war's "immense boredom and its immense charm, the sense of being a human being again among other human beings." Irene Rathbone likewise wrote that he had captured the feelings of the men that fought in the World War, commenting that he was "in essence" a part of that same generation. Other positive reviews came from staunch anti-communists in Conservative and Catholic circles, who had opposed the Spanish Republic from the outset. A review for the conservative magazine The Spectator concluded that the "dismal record of intrigue, injustice, incompetence, quarrelling, lying communist propaganda, police spying, illegal imprisonment, filth and disorder" was evidence that the Spanish Republic had deserved to fall. The book also received a positive review from Austrian journalist Franz Borkenau, who wrote that Homage and his own book The Spanish Cockpit formed a complete picture of the Spanish Revolution of 1936.
many positive reviews of the book came from orwell's friends and political allies such as geoffrey gorer and john mcnair respectively veterans of world war i such as herbert read and gerald brenan praised the book for its vivid depiction of life on the frontlines of a war read commented that except for a lack of artillery bombardment orwell's "physical miseries" in aragon seemed worse than his own in ypres; while brenan related to his descriptions of war's "immense boredom and its immense charm the sense of being a human being again among other human beings" irene rathbone likewise wrote that he had captured the feelings of the men that fought in the world war commenting that he was "in essence" a part of that same generation other positive reviews came from staunch anti-communists in conservative and catholic circles who had opposed the spanish republic from the outset a review for the conservative magazine the spectator concluded that the "dismal record of intrigue injustice incompetence quarrelling lying communist propaganda police spying illegal imprisonment filth and disorder" was evidence that the spanish republic had deserved to fall the book also received a positive review from austrian journalist franz borkenau who wrote that homage and his own book the spanish cockpit formed a complete picture of the spanish revolution of 1936