Customer Reviews:
 good social knowledge of Spain April 11, 2005
Carlos Vazquez Quintana (Linares- Spain)
6 out of 21 found this review helpful
You can ignore the origins of Spanish Civil War but they are absolutely known, not almost ununderstandable as I think happens with First World War. Spain, owing to complex causes beginning with the arriving of gold and silver in big amounts from America, became a country disaccustomed to work excepting the poorer people. Catholic Church, ever in the side of the powerful, attracted hate of humble people and obstructed science. This situation lasted 3- 4 centuries of revolts. It has been said the putsch was the work of army officers, not generals or admirals, excepting three or four essentials with Mola and Franco in the head. Well, in 1975 Franco died and was done the Transición, a rational but complex process, as many people lost the war and had to forgot forcefully. Brenan or Robert Graves knew well Spain. Lamentably, this very day, these spirit of the Transición is being betrayed by ambitious irrational political class of the absurd "Autonomías", perhaps favored by the previous fiasco of the European Union. People in Spain now I'm afraid is on the razor's edge of another civil war or balkanization process.
 The best introduction available August 23, 2003
Mr Gregory Callus (United Kingdom)
26 out of 26 found this review helpful
This book is widely thought of as the best introduction to the Spanish Civil War around. As well as charting the basic cycles of state ranging from Isabella to Franco, it also offers specific insights to the various factions competing within each area of Spain at any given time. For those who have not grappled with the political complexity of the early 20th century in Spain, this book provides an excellent (and not so superficial) historical insight into Anarchism, Anarcho-Syndicalism, Carlism, and the Falange. It also explains the allegiances of the POUM and PCE during the course of the war, and the equally complex make-up of Franco's grand coalition.The earlier dictatorship of Primo de Rivero is also covered, and (uniquely) the Agrarian problem (essentially the crux of all Spanish politics in this period) is properly covered. If there are to be criticisms of this work, then perhaps the racial generalisations and assumptions made of Spaniards feel somewhat dated, and feel odd when compared to the political correctness of today. Also, the use of "anarchic" and "anarchy" to mean chaos (which is not the same thing!) is unfotunate, given that the Anarchist movement in Spain came closer than has ever been seen to giving these words their true meaning. But these are mere trifles. As well as being a seminal historical study, this is also a wonderfully readable account of one of the most interesting periods in Spanish history.
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