Paul Preston

Preston knows a great deal about modern Spain. Here, he condenses, in nine brief biographies, the bitter divisions that racked the country during the civil war of 1936-39, ranging far outside those dates to explain what happened. There are three men and one woman from each of the Right and Left, and one neutral: included are Franco himself and Azana, the president of the defeated republic. A compelling book, full of savagery, pathos and insight.