Spain 1812-2004

by Christopher J. Ross

Written in an accessible style and assuming no prior knowledge, the books in this series address the specific needs of students on language courses. Approaching the study of history from an interest in contemporary politics and society, each book offers a clear historical narrative and sets its region into a world context.



Beginning in 1812, the year of Spain's first Constitution, and ending with the 2004 general election, Spain 1812-2004 focuses on political history. This new edition has been revised and updated to take account of the rise of the centre-right People's Party, the renewed economic boom of the late 1990s, the resurgence of tension in the Basque Country, Spain's evolving relationship with the European Union and the impact of globalisation.



Chapters begin with a brief overview of the main contemporary developments in European history. Emphasis is placed on understanding major developments, their causes, and the relationships between them. Inserts embedded in the text provide details of key concepts, while short extracts from contemporary Spanish texts in the original and in translation provide a flavour of the ideas developed.



This new edition also includes:

* a brief exploration of recurrent themes

* topics for discussion on each chapter

* summary boxes at the end of each chapter

* annotated suggestions for further reading which include websites and TV documentaries

* a combined index/glossary

Genres: Politics, History

192 pages, Paperback

First published December 2, 2004

Reviews

[WIlliam Gerrard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read this book as I am doing a university course next year on Spanish History in the Modern Period. The book is devised for language students and at the end of each chapter excerpts in Spanish are provided, with translations, which are really useful. The book has some great side notes, detailing often Spanish phrases for the various political bodies, organisations and specialist terms one encounters in the text. If I was to be critical of the book it is to say that it focuses very much on politics and maybe goes into too much depth at the expense of wider cultural issues. Certainly the last few chapters make tough reading and are perhaps more intrinsically focussed than say the wider world knowledge of the Spanish Civil War and enduring Franco régime. Spain is often an international anomaly in its history, from Empire to international isolationism through to its modern period of more fiercer European integration. There was a lot of detail on regionalism that I found most intriguing, in particular the cases of Catalonia and the Basque country. I feel that the book is well worth reading and now feel suitably historically enlightened about the state and home of the Spanish language. I am sure that I will find plenty of future use of the book as a reference tool.