Is Spain Different?: A Comparative Look at the 19th and 20th Centuries(Liverpool Studies in Spanish History)

The slogan that launched the tourist industry in the 1960s, "Spain is Different!," has come to haunt historians. Much effort and energy have been expended ever since in endeavoring to show that Spain has not been different, but normal. Still, many of the defining features of the country's past-the civil wars, the weak liberalism, the Franco dictatorship-are taken as evidence of its distinctiveness. A related problem is that few historians have actually placed Spain's trajectory over the last two centuries within a truly comparative context. This book does so by tackling a number of key themes in modern Spanish history: liberalism, nationalism, anticlericalism, the Second Republic, the Franco dictatorship, and the transition to democracy. Is Spain Different? thereby offers a fresh and stimulating perspective on Spain's recent past sheds new light on the current political debates regarding Spain's place in the world.

About the Author :
Nigel Townson specializes in the History of Spain in the 20th century, especially in the Second Republic and the Franco dictatorship. He is the author of Is Spain Different?, The Crisis of Democracy in Spain, and The Penguin History of Modern Spain.

Review :
"Analytically the most intelligent book to come out of Spain in recent years." Stanley Payne, University of Wisconsin--Madison "This excellent and thought-provoking collection of essays, written by leading experts in the field, provides a much-needed comparative dimension to the history of modern Spain. It will be essential reading for all those seeking a clearer understanding of how Spain has developed since the nineteenth century." Professor Tom Buchanan, University of Oxford "By adopting a comparative perspective, this collection of essays highlights Spanish idiosyncrasies, as well as many similarities with other European countries in their quest for modernity. A well-edited, coherent, and informative volume with a broad appeal to students of European history in general and Spanish history in particular. Nigel Townson has done a fine job in assembling a group pf distinguished historians to challenge commonly-held assumptions as to Spain' exceptionalism. Sophisticated yet clearly written and argued, Is Spain Different? is a valuable teaching resource." Professor Raanan Rein, The Sverdlin Institute for Latin American History and Culture, Tel Aviv University "With contributions from leading Spanish, British and North American scholars, this is quite simply one of the most sophisticated and subtle books on Spain's fascinating and controversial contemporary history published in the past decade". Charles Powell, Professor of Spanish History at San Pablo-CEU University, Madrid