The Coming of the Spanish Civil War: Reform, Reaction, and Revolution in the Second Republic

by Paul Preston

This classic text is made newly available in a substantially revised and updated second edition.

Genres: History, Spanish Civil War, Spain

264 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 1994

About the author

Paul Preston, author of Franco and Juan Carlos, holds the Príncipe de Asturias Chair of Contemporary Spanish History at the London School of Economics. He lives in London.

Reviews

[Jennifer Sarha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Depressing and informative.

[Thomas Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite dense but still very readable, and focusing on key agents of the pre-civil war years gives this book the necessary cohesiveness, and keeps things clear. Which is no mean feat. Paul Preston has a keen eye for synthesis and criticism. After reading it I feel like I have a foundation of understanding of the conditions and events of the years leading up to conflict, and the key factors in the downfall of the Second Spanish Republic.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Useful read, repeats itself too much to be great. The author mocks the verbal revolutionism from Caballero for being performative, while also criticising the actual Revolutionism from young socialists and anarchists. Bit of a head scratcher that.

His coverage of the reactionary right is very informative and strikingly recognisable.

[Van Muller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for my research project. I particularly enjoyed his very strong stance on motivations and tensions before the war.