De  Julián Casanova

 

256 páginas       13,5 x 21,5 cms. £12,99     I.B. Tauris

The years of the Spanish Civil War filled twentiethcenturySpainwith hope, frustration and drama. Not only did it pit countryman against countryman, and neighbour against neighbour, but from 1936–39 this bitterly contended struggle sucked in competing and seemingly atavistic forces that were soon to rage across the face of Europe, and then the rest of the

world: nationalism and republicanism; communism and fascism; anarchism and monarchism; anti-clerical reformism and aristocratic Catholic conservatism. The ‘Guerra Civil’ is of enduring interest precisely because it represents much more than just a regional contest for power and governmental legitimacy. It has come to be seen as a seedbed for the titanic political struggles and larger social upheavals that scarred the entire twentieth century. In elegant and accessible prose, Julián Casanova tells the gripping story of these years of anguish and trauma, which hit the country with a force hitherto unknown at any time inSpain’s history. Charting the most significant events and battles alongside the main players in the tragedy, he provides answers to some of the pressing questions (such as the roots and extent of anticlerical violence) that have been asked in the seventy years that have passed since the painful defeat of theSecondRepublic.

 

Julián Casanova is Professor of History at theUniversityofZaragoza. His books include Anarchism, the Republic and Civil War inSpain: 1931-1939 (2005) and The Spanish Republic and Civil War (2010).

 

‘An excellently written and very carefully documented history of the Civil War of 1936–39.’

Gabriel Jackson, Professor Emeritus of History,UniversityofCalifornia,San Diego

 

‘Julián Casanova is one ofSpain’s leading historians. In this short history he distils his rich knowledge and insight into a readable synthesis. Students and general readers alike will find his book informative, enlightening and thoughtprovoking in equal measure.’

Helen Graham, Professor of Modern Spanish History, Royal Holloway,UniversityofLondon