The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution, and Revenge

This very well written book is a fine overview and analysis of the Spanish Civil War. Still a controversial subject, despite the passage of decades, this is an evenhanded account. This is not, however, a conventional narrative history. While Preston provides the basic narrative, this is more a chronologically arranged series of essays on crucial aspects of the Civil War. To get the most out of Preston's analysis, it is very useful to know the basic features of the Civil War. I recommend reading Antony Beevor's narrative history first and then follow it with this book. The advantage of Preston's approach is that he explores a series of key issues in considerable depth. The relevant background of Spanish history and the structural features of Spanish society that created the potential for the war are described well. Preston has a very nice chapter on the history of the Second Republic which preceded the war and the specific events that led to the coup attempt that triggered the war. Chapters follow that deal with the international aspects of the war, the complex internal politics of both the Republican and Nationalist sides, the nature of combat, and the aftermath of the war. Particularly important themes are Franco's use of the war as an instrument to consolidate power, his pursuit of a state purged of liberal-leftist elements, the importance of Italian and German interventions, and the disorder of the Republican side. In addition to the excellent text, the book has a couple of other nice features to ease readibility. It includes a decent list of important figures and a useful glossary of acronyms. Preston includes a very nice annotated bibliography as a guide into the literature.

Exactly what I was looking for as an American with limited knowledge into the Spanish Civil War. I feel I have gained a perspective that allows me to realize why this conflict still continues to divide Spaniards to this day.

I have read several books on the Spanish Civil War. What I enjoy most about this book is that it is engaging and it is more than just a dry recounting of the facts. It gives the background and the causes and shows how the war evolved in a very open objective way, citing some of the problems on both sides that made the confrontation inevitable. I highly recommend this book if you want to understand what this conflict and how it evolved.

Paul Preston is one of the world's foremost historians of Spanish history, so his focus THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR: REACTION, REVOLUTION, AND REVENGE is an essential acquisition for any military history library, appearing in a revised, expanded paperback to recount the major milestones and struggles of the era. It's a classic work and deserves a place not only in specialty military history collections, but in any general lending library strong in Spanish history and culture.