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This book is the first single volume history of modern Spain to appear in over 30 years. It describes Spain's emergence in the nineteenth century as the first modern post-imperial power and examines the vast social and economic changes which Spain witnessed during this period. In lucid and accessible prose, the author provides a gripping account of 131 years of politics, warfare and social conflict.

Charles Esdaile places particular emphasis on crucial periods in the history of modern Spain. He shows how nineteenth century Spain was in many ways shaped by the Peninsular War of 1804-18, as the politicization of the army during this conflict cast a shadow over the century-long political struggle between liberalism and absolutism. Esdaile also demonstrates that the years between 1868 and 1874 were a watershed in the history of modern Spain. During this time the social and political changes of the century were consolidated and Spain emerged as a constitutional monarchy. Providing a riveting account of the events of the Spanish Civil War of 1936-39, this book shows that the result of the brutal struggle between the nationalists and republicans was the preservation of the social and economic order that had arisen in the nineteenth century.

Blending analysis with narrative, Charles Esdaile allows the reader to understand nineteenth century Spain on its own terms and to see how the seeds of the civil war of 1936-39 were sown by the failure of liberalism in the previous century. ... Read more

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This is an authoritative study of the history of early medieval Spain (400-1000). ... Read more

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It should be "Iberia", not "Spain"
Although I found the book very useful and reliable for research of early medieval Iberia, I must emphasize the following: The use of "Spain" to indicate the Iberian Peninsula (and vice-versa) is notcorrect since in our times it refers only to one of the countries locatedthere. Living in the Iberian Peninsula throughout the whole timespancovered by this book there were NOT ONLY the ancestors of the Spanish butalso of the Portuguese people. Everybody knows (and obviously also theauthors of the book) that until the XV century there was NOT a singlecountry named "Spain" (just a series of kingdoms which wouldunite under such name)! Even Portugal, one of the oldest countries inEurope still mantaining its original borders, was not a independent countryuntil the XII century, just three centuries before Spain... ... Read more

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Once Europe's supreme maritime power, Spain by the mid-eighteenth centurywas facing fierce competition from England and France. England, in particular, had successfullymustered the financial resources necessary to confront its Atlantic rivals by mobilizing botharistocracy and merchant bourgeoisie in support of its imperial ambitions. Spain, meanwhile,remained overly dependent on the profits of its New World silver mines to finance bothmetropolitan and colonial imperatives, and England's naval superiority constantly threatened thevital flow of specie.

When Charles III ascended the Spanish throne in 1759, then, after a quarter-century as ruler ofthe Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, Spain and its colonial empire were seriously imperiled. Twohundred years of Hapsburg rule, followed by a half-century of ineffectual Bourbon "reforms,"had done little to modernize Spain's increasingly antiquated political, social, economic, andintellectual institutions. Charles III, recognizing the pressing need to renovate these institutions,set his Italian staff—notably the Marqués de Esquilache, who became Secretary of the Consejo deHacienda (the Exchequer)—to this formidable task.

In Apogee of Empire, Stanley J. Stein and Barbara H. Stein trace the attempt, initiallyunder Esquilache's direction, to reform the Spanish establishment and, later, to modify andmodernize the relationship between the metropole and its colonies. Within Spain, Charles and hisarchitects of reform had to be mindful of determining what adjustments could be made thatwould help Spain confront its enemies without also radically altering the Hapsburg inheritance.As described in impressive detail by the authors, the bitter, seven-year conflict that ensuedbetween reformers and traditionalists ended in a coup in 1766 that forced Charles to sendEsquilache back to Italy. After this setback at home, Charles still hoped to effect constructivechange in Spain's imperial system, primarily through the incremental implementation of a policyof comercio libre (free-trade). These reforms, made half-heartedly at best, failed as well,and by 1789 Spain would find itself ill prepared for the coming decades of upheaval in Europeand America.

An in-depth study of incremental response by an old imperial order to challenges at home andabroad, Apogee of Empire is also a sweeping account of the personalities, places, andpolicies that helped to shape the modern Atlantic world. ... Read more

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"Focusing on the interaction between art and the socio-economic and political conditions that prevailed in Spain's golden age, this book offers information about religious beliefs, social attitudes the activities of patrons and collectors, and how these were absorbed and interpreted by painters. The author sets the history of Spanish painting within a European context and explores Spain's contact with artistic centres in Italy and the Netherlands. He discusses not only Spanish artists but also such non-Spanish painters as Titian, Rubens, and Luca Giordano, who either worked in Spain or influenced other artists there. Brown also examines the collections of foreign paintings that Spanish noblemen and prelates assembled and how these collections affected the production of art and the social status of the Spanish artist. In this up-to-date and innovative analysis of two hundred years of Spanish painting, Brown describes a country that brilliantly transformed the artistic impulses it received from abroad to fit the needs of its own society."--BOOK JACKET. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Just what I wanted
I am very happy with my copy of Painting in Spain, 1500-1700, by Jonathan Brown. My order arrived promptly, and the book was in perfect condition! The cover was not bent and there were no markings inside. I could not be happier with my purchase.

Art History without Art
This is more a history of art patronage and politics than an analysis of Spanish painting during this period. It reduces art criticism to tracing a uni-dimensional causality: why who commissioned whom. There is very little analysis of the paintings themselves, the painters' distinct artistic personalities or the intellectual milieu which shaped these works, most notably trends within Counter-Reformation piety. The book does cover the major painters (and many minor and best forgotten ones) in the major centers of artistic production in the peninsula. The pictures many in black and white are ample and well-reproduced.

Painting in Spain, 1500-1700 by Jonathan Brown
I am delighted with this book.It is ideal for teaching university students.It not only provides fresh insights into the social milieu as well as the the paintings themselves, it also has an excellent updated bibliography of the literature on the subject.For the past two decades Ihave lamented the fact that the Kubler-Soria Pelican book on Art andArchitecture in Spain had become first increasingly outdated and then outof print.This book fills that gap splendidly - although I do wish it hadbeen possible to include sculpture in the book as well:the interactionsbetween these two art forms is very important.One other minor criticism: the book emphasizes the importance of the regional schools of painting inthe 16th century, yet nowhere in the book is there a map of Spain showingthose regions!Next edition of the book, I hope one is included. ... Read more

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In the Western imagination, Spain often evokes the colorful culture of al-Andalus, the Iberian region once ruled by Muslims. Tourist brochures inviting visitors to sunny and romantic Andalusia, home of the ingenious gardens and intricate arabesques of Granada's Alhambra Palace, are not the first texts to trade on Spain's relationship to its Moorish past. Despite the fall of Granada to the Catholic Monarchs in 1492 and the subsequent repression of Islam in Spain, Moorish civilization continued to influence both the reality and the perception of the Christian nation that emerged in place of al-Andalus.

In Exotic Nation, Barbara Fuchs explores the paradoxes in the cultural construction of Spain in relation to its Moorish heritage through an analysis of Spanish literature, as well as costume, language, architecture, and chivalric practices. Between 1492 and the expulsion of the Moriscos (Muslims forcibly converted to Christianity) in 1609, Spain attempted to come to terms with its own Moorishness by simultaneously repressing Muslim subjects and appropriating their rich cultural heritage. Fuchs examines the explicit romanticization of the Moors in Spanish literature—often referred to as "literary maurophilia"—and the complex, often silent presence of Moorish forms in Spanish material culture. The extensive hybridization of Iberian culture suggests that the sympathetic depiction of Moors in the literature of the period does not trade in exoticism but instead reminds Spaniards of the place of Moors, and their descendants, within Spain. Meanwhile, observers from outside Spain recognize its cultural debt to al-Andalus, often deliberately casting Spain as the exotic racial other of Europe.

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documents Moorish influences
Fuchs explores the often ambivalent and conflicting attitude about the Moorish heritage of early modern Spain. This was the time just after the Reconquest, when the Moorish enclaves were overrun and many Moors expelled. Yet we see that much remained of the Andalusian influence. In architecture, fashion and writings. The book describes some of this cultural richness, and how it was retained in the dominant Christian Spanish society.

Ironically perhaps, this residue of Moorish influence would make Spain seem exotic to other Europeans, especially the Italians. There would be jibes about this other non-European, non-Christian identity. A reader might wonder if this would partially account for the ferocity of the Spanish Inquisition in hunting down presumed Muslim holdouts in Spain. ... Read more

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In the 19th and 20th centuries, Spain was a key player in the military conflagrations that created modern Europe. From the Napoleonic Wars, through the dress rehearsal for World War II that was the Spanish Civil War, to the grim struggle against terrorism today, the military history of modern Spain has both shaped and reflected larger forces beyond its borders.

This volume traces the course of Spanish military history, primarily during the 20th century.Chapter 1 provides the foundation for the role of the Spanish Army at home (the War of Independence [Napoleonic War],the Carlist Wars, and pronunciamientos), abroad (Morocco, 1859-60), and as an instrument for Liberal reforms in Spain. Chapter 2 covers the period following the Spanish-American War as the Army redirected its focus to the Spanish Protectorate in northern Morocco. This chapter covers the Rif Rebellion (1921-27), the dictatorship of Miguel Primo de Rivera (1923-30) and concludes with the end of the monarchy and the establishment of the 2nd Republic in 1931.Chapters 3 and 4 present the two armies of the Spanish Civil War, as well as their relationship to the warring factions of Nationalists and Republicans.Chapter 5 looks at the Spanish Army during World War II on the Eastern Front (Russia), in its overseas colonies, as well as in Spain.De-colonialism is covered in chapter 6 as Spain, following the lead of the other European powers, began to shed itself of its African empire. Chapter 8 charts Spain's integration into the Western defense community in the 1950s, its membership in NATO, and its participation in peacekeeping and humanitarian missions in the Balkans and the Middle East.Chapter 9 focuses on Spain's struggle against terrorism, both the domestic Basques of ETA (Fatherland and Liberty) and the newer conflict against al-Qaeda and radical Islamic fundamentalism.

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A Military History of Modern Spain is a welcome contribution
A Military History of Modern Spain: From the Napoleonic Era to the International War on Terror is an anthology of essays by a variety of learned authors that live up to the collection's title. The first chapter discusses the nineteenth century Spanish Army; subsequent chapters discuss the Spanish Military throughout the twentieth century and into the modern-day war on terror, through 2006. Individual essays include "World War I: Unarmed Neutrality", "The Spanish Military During World War II", "Rejoining Europe: From Isolation to Integration, 1945-2006" and much more. Extensively researched, with a bibliography and index, A Military History of Modern Spain is a welcome contribution to international history and college library shelves.
... Read more

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At last enquiring young minds can discover Europe in an engaging and inventive new series, fully illustrated with b&w illustrations, cartoon strips, and puzzles to solve. Combining Cadogan's renowned travel expertise with a totally fresh approach enlivening travel for children, Pick Your Brains present the most popular European countries in a way they've never been seen before
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Customer Reviews (1)

WONDERFUL !!!!!!!
This is one of the best book i ever read regarding Spanish Art. I mostly loved the art prints. well done and clear. Some of writing was a little anti -catholic. But if you overlook this the book is just great . The price is worth the art prints.An A+++++ book .... If you love religious art your sure to love this big book...... ... Read more

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Condor
Excited to learn about a war that I knew very little about.Found it to be informative and one more thing for me to know about that happened prior to WWII. ... Read more

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In Spain between 1936-1945, the Franco regime carried out one Europe’s more brutal but less remembered programs of mass repression. Many were murdered by the regime’s death squads, and in some areas Francoists also subjected up to 15% of the population to summary military trials. Here many suffered the death sentence or jail terms up to thirty years. Although historians have recognised the staggering scale of the trials, they have tended to overlook the mass participation that underpinned them. In contrast to the discussion in other European countries, little attention has been paid to the wide scale collusion in the killings and incarcerations in Spain.

Exploring mass complicity in the trials of hundreds of thousands of defeated Republicans following the end of the Spanish Civil War, The Francoist Military Trials probes local Francoists’ accusations whereby victims were selected for prosecution in military courts. It also shows how insubstantial and hostile testimony formed the bedrock of ‘investigations’, secured convictions, and shaped the harsh sentencing practices of Franco’s military judges. Using civil court records, it also documents how grassroots Francoists continued harassing Republicans for many years after they emerged from prison. Challenging the popularly prevalent view that the Franco regime imposed a police state upon a passive Spanish society, the evidence Anderson uncovers here illustrates that local state officials and members of the regime’s support base together forged a powerful repressive system that allowed them to wage war on elements of their own society to a greater extent than perhaps even the Nazis managed against their own population.

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Why be satisfied with leftist propaganda on the Spanish Civil War? Carroll's treatment of the events of 1936 is singular in Anglo-American scholarship for seeing the conflict for what is truly was: a death struggle against the Christian faith and a war against Christian civilization in Europe. This outstanding work of scholarship illustrates the phenomenon of the traditionalist as revisionist: the distortions of decades of Marxist historiography are overturned in Carroll's narration of the bloody struggle to preserve Western civilization in the heart of 20th century Europe.

Customer Reviews (15)

Fascinating
I was both fascinated and inspired by this book.

Like most Americans, I knew little about the Spanish Civil War.

I now consider General Franco to be a hero.

Inspiring story of Catholics defeating the left and taking back their country.We need to do this here.

"All are created equal,but some are more equal than others"
The Spanish Civil War was a war without good guys. The Communists (portrayed here as if they were the only "demonic" villains) persecuted Catholics, slaying religious and hating religious freedom. The fascists (here glorified in the person of Francisco Franco) engaged in the bombing of Guernica,and Franco had no moral qualms about allying with Germany. Apparently, Warren Carroll thinks that it's okay to support the SS,but Commies are always evil.

Franco restricted the freedoms of the political opposition,and those of non-Catholics/non-Christians. Protestants and Jews couldn't worship publicly,much like the situation of non-Muslims today in countries such as Saudi Arabia. They lived as second-class citizens,like non-Muslims in Spain centuries before. Of course, Carroll has no problem making Franco into a saint as long as he wasn't a Communist. His message is "it's okay to tyrannize people...if you're Catholic and not a Communist." Franco's nationalistic/religious rule mirrors the tyranny Christians suffer under today in fundamentalist Islamic countries,such as the Sudan.

"The Last Crusade" is an insult to Catholics. It poses as Catholic history, when it reinforces the prejudices of anti-Catholics. Atheists such as Philip Pullman and Christopher Hitchens would consider this book their ultimate vindication,that Catholics hate religious and intellectual freedom. "The Last Crusade" has only one redeeming quality--it shows the suffering of Catholics under the Communists. But it's an insult to Christians and Catholics in its glorification of tyranny,and worship of raw power.

Short, Sweet, and to the Point
Amazing history of the Spanish Civil War.Facts behind the motivations, without the politically correct B.S.

A much-needed correction of the leftist myth
It has been remarked that the history of the Spanish Civil War, contrary to the usual practice, has been written not by the victors but by the losers. When we add the persuasive voices of various Western intellectuals who took part in the war on the side of the so-called "Republic", it is no wonder that 99% of the literature on the subject displays an overwhelming anti-Nationalist bias. However, just a moment of dispassionate reflection must make it clear that the Nationalists would never win the war without a substantial mass support among the common Spaniards. Warren H. Carroll's book contains many facts confirming this conclusion, for example, when he quotes the breakdown of the popular vote in the February 1936 elections: 4,570,744 votes for the Right, 4,346,559 for the Popular Front, 340,073 for the Center and 141,137 for the Basque Separatists. The simple majority of the votes was thus cast against the left. Since the Spanish election system was not based on proportional representation, the number of seats awarded in the Cortes (the Spanish parliament) to each bloc was very different: 263 seats for the Popular Front, 133 for the Right and 77 for the Center.
One does not find this kind of information in the usual "democracy-versus-fascism" portrayals of this conflict.
Carroll also discusses at length the massacres of priests and nuns, political murders, burnings of churches and convents and other atrocities committed with the compliance of the Popular Front government in the period immediately preceding the military uprising in July 1936. The times are certainly different now but one cannot help but wonder about the parallels between the doctrinaire "progressivism" of the Republicans and the ideological impositions of the current Spanish government (abortion, the homosexual "marriage", etc.) This only makes Carroll's books more relevant.

Shameful
"Finally the truth", "Viva el Caudillo", Viva Cristo Rey", one can realize the crappiness of this book just reading the preceding reviews. They fall short, however. The book is worse indeed: biased selection of sources, praise for dictatorship, ignorance of basic facts on the collaboration of the catholic church of Franco. Don't be deceived, there is no scholarship here, just propaganda. ... Read more

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History of latino culture: Readings from...
This text arrived as describe on the page. Brand new!

Thank you! ... Read more

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This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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This concise, illustrated history of Portugal presents an introduction to the people and culture of the country and its search for economic modernization, political stability and international partnership. The first single-volume account of Portugal's history since the days of dictatorship and colonization, this updated second edition also covers the state of historical writing on Portugal at the turn of the millennium.First Edition Hb (1993): 0-521-43308-8 First Edition Pb (1993): 0-521-43880-2David Birmingham is a Professor of Modern History at the University of Kent, Canterbury.He has written extensively on Portugal and Africa including, among others, The Decolonization of Africa (UCL Press, 1995), History of Central Africa, Volume Three (Longman, 1998), and Portugal and Africa (Macmillan, 1999) and, more recently, a survey of Trade and Empire in the Atlantic, 1400-1600 (Routledge, 2000). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

mediocre but blessedly short
Birmingham's Concise History of Portugal is concise, straightforward, and well-illustrated.There is little else to be said in its favor.Portugal's distinctive national character--so different from that of neighboring Spain--owes much to the circumstances of its past.Until I read this book, it had not occurred to me that any author could make Portugal's history sound quite so dull.

Birmingham plods through a great deal of information about Portuguese history, but he has no gift for storytelling, so the facts spill onto the page in a disconnected heap.The reader learns next to nothing about such fascinating characters as the sixteenth-century king Sebastian and the seventeenth-century brothers Afonso VI and Pedro II, and important female characters are in most cases not even identified by name.Moreover, Birmingham provides little historical context, so it is often difficult to discern how the events he mentions related to larger trends in European and world history.Birmingham addresses some of the major themes of Portuguese history, such as the tension between centralized and aristocratic power and Portugal's special relationship with England, but he skims over other crucial topics, such as the creation of Portugal's far-flung colonial empire.The coverage of the Portuguese people's ethnic and cultural origins is weak, as is the coverage of religion and geography.The book conveys no sense of the Portuguese national character.

I do not recommend this book.It might be useful as a quick reference, but it will not give you a nuanced understanding of Portuguese history, nor is it enjoyable to read.

Covers the people, culture, economics, politics, and history
Students and travelers requiring an introduction to the people, culture, economics, politics, and history of Portugal will benefit substantially from reading A Concise History Of Portugal by David Birmingham (Emeritus Professor of Modern history, University of Kent at Canterbury). Now in its second edition, A Concise History Of Portugal is a modern account and the first to be written in English since the termination of dictatorship. No international history series can be considered complete without the inclusion of this Cambridge University Press edition of David Birmingham's A Concise History Of Portugal.

A distorted picture of the country and its history
In my view, this history of Portugal gives a distorted image of the country. It stresses the country's problems and plays down its achievements. The book pictures Portugal as a country struggling to establish a place on the world scene; modernise its economy and society; and secure political stability (!). In contrast, one can not find much on Portugal's gold age of the voyages of discovery and a worldwide maritime empire in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. In fact there is not much on the first centuries of Portugal as a country. The whole book is rather biased, giving a one-sided and not particularly flattering picture of Portugal. I much prefer the more objective and well-balanced approach of 'Portugal: A Companion History, by Jose Hermano Saraiva et al.

Maybe too concise
Anticipating a trip to Portugal, I picked up this book to prepare myself figuring this would give me a bit of background on the country.

First, I was suprised with the things I learned of its governmental and social history.It is not the typical western European country, but nonetheless has held its own.I did not realize that Britain played such a big role.

Although I learned a bit about the government and economy (and through this, a little about the population), I did not see much about the humanities and arts.The author does mention that as the country was getting gold from its colonies, it built some beautiful buildings.Nothing else was covered.I would like to know more about the arts, and this book does not give that.

The book is also not the quickest read.Given that it is a history, I would like things to be in chronological order.Birmingham will follow some actions a few decades forward to show the outcome, but then jump back to where he was without comment.This makes the flow a little distracting.I found myself jumping back a few pages to try to follow the narrative.Not the easiest of tasks.

If you know nothing about Portugal, this book will give you a brief glimpse which will get you on the right path to understanding Portugal, but it by no means gives you the most authoritative or the most readable history.

Poor is a Generous Rating
I have been to Portugal many times and know quite a bit about the country's culture, it's people and history.I have to say that I must agree with most of the criticism that previous reviewers have written.

It is hard to believe that Birmingham, despite his vast experience with Portugal and things Portuguese, could have produced such a mediocre book.Parts of it are almost fictional.Too much of the information Birmingham presents is just plain wrong, particularly regarding Portugal's colonial empire in Africa.After reading this I got the distinct feeling that Birmingham has no real depth of knowledge about the Portuguese people, let alone the history of Portugal. ... Read more

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This is a collection of recent revisionist essays by Spanish historians on the economic and social history of seventeenth-century Castile. The major areas of current historiographical interest and debate are covered: demography, agriculture, pastoralism, the Indies trade, industrial decline, de-urbanization, taxation and the fiscal system, re-segneurialization, and the politics of redistribution. Developments in Castile are also related to the issue of the general crisis of the European economy in the seventeenth century. ... Read more