'The best account in a single volume of Spain since 1898, exemplary for concision and for accuracy in the use of language, as well as for equanimity and generosity of spirit' Felipe Fernández-Armesto, TLS.

This is a revealing new history of Spain, from the end of the 19th century to the 21st century. "Spain is different," declared Franco's regime in the 1940s, seeking to attract foreign tourists. From the end of the "glorious empire" in 1898 to the stunning World Cup victory in 2010, the dominant narrative of modern Spain has emphasized the country's peculiarity. Generations of historians and readers have been fascinated by the country's descent into civil war in the 1930s, while the image of Franco's regime has been viewed as an anomaly within a prosperous and permissive postwar Western Europe.

However, as Nigel Townson shows in this rich and compelling new history, beyond the familiar image lies a radically different story of Spain: a dynamic and progressive society that fits most evidently into the narrative of modern Europe. Drawing on more than forty years of research after Franco, Penguin's History of Modern Spain transforms our knowledge of Spain and its politics, society, economy, and culture. It combines pioneering research led by Spanish researchers—never before published in English—and testimonies from farmers, housewives, soldiers, workers, businessmen, feminists, and worker priests, offering an original and stunning portrait that finally allows us to see the country behind the veil of propaganda and romantic myths that continue to resonate today.

Pages: 608, Dimensions: 13x13cm