Franco (Text Only): A Biography
Customers who bought this item also bought. Page 1 of 1 Start over Page 1 of 1. A Personal and Political Biography. The Spanish Civil War: Inquisition and Extermination in Twentieth-Century Spain. Editorial Reviews From Publishers Weekly Preston's definitive, gripping biography of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco, "the least known of the great dictators of the twentieth century," penetrates the wall of secrecy, propaganda and myths surrounding the fascist demagogue.
A brutal tyrant who silenced his opponents with imprisonment, torture and executions and thereby paralyzed the masses with fear, Franco hid behind a series of masks-desert hero commanding the Spanish Legion in Morocco; modern El Cid during the Civil War, defending the Catholic faith and restoring Spain's national greatness; benevolent patriarch.
Moreover, Franco, a cunning politician of startlingly mediocre intellect, deeply believed in these personas, often denied he was a dictator, and ascribed domestic working-class and left-liberal opposition to the machinations of foreign Communist or Masonic elements. Professor of international history at the London School of Economics, Preston demolishes claims by admirers and apologists that the generalissimo skillfully held off Hitler to preserve Spain's neutrality; instead, he shows that Hitler's unwillingness to promise France's colonies to Spain led to a stalemate between the two dictators.
By the late s, Preston maintains, Franco was increasingly a figurehead who reluctantly acquiesced in Spain's technocratic turn to capitalism. Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc. Generalissimo Franco ruled Spain with an iron hand for nearly 40 years. Now, almost two decades after his death, Preston international history, London Sch. Preston refrains from fanciful speculation, documenting his assertions with pages of notes.
Franco early on developed his vision of the army's central role in determining Spain's future and of his own unquestioned right of command. He was convinced of his messianic mission in saving Spain from "the reds"; his successes were largely a result of his cunning and a series of lucky breaks at critical moments throughout his career. Only with Franco's death did the merciless Nationalist victory of become, at long last, a true Spanish peace. Highly recommended for all readers.
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Top Reviews Most recent Top Reviews. There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later. This is a classic and describes a period of Spain's history that has formed post-Franco culture to an important level. Paul Preston has written a very detailed book about this period, well researched and documented; it also reads well and even though most of the readers will know how the story ends this is what defines 'history' it maintains the tension even when re-reading after some time.
The most recent book I believe only written in Spanish so far about Don Juan Carlos king of Spain is equally impressive. To both books, however, there is one thing I missed: Why did they do what they did? Why was Franco able to 'hang on' for so long, how was Juan Carlos able to live under one regime and then change to a democracy doing what I would call a 'Gorbachov': I am looking forward to have those aspects covered by Mr Preston one day.
Only one conclusion from the book: Franco was a deviate - a horrible person which the US during the Eisenhower Administration supported. One person found this helpful. Ronnie Gonzalez Top Contributor: If you really want to understand a crucial and telling piece of world history that has been kept largely a secret due to a largely secretive maniac, Paul Preston's FRANCO: On one level, it can definitely be argued that "karma's a bitch" and that, because of that, Spain perhaps was due to get back a little of what they'd put so much of Latin America through for so long, and so God created Francisco Franco as a fair and just punishment for the people of Spain.
On another level, however, it could also be argued -- and I think much more convincingly argued -- that any culture is dominated and thus actually ruled by its most powerful militarized elements against which most of the people have no say if they disagree. In essence, societies and empires are captives of "their" militaries and those who strategize for them, and most likely Spain has never been any different, even through its most sado-masochistic peak as THE global empire.
The problem is that many Spanish most likely wanted no part of the Inquisition, the takeover of the New World, or any of the brutalities perpetrated by the Spanish Empire down through the ages. Yet the sadistic element in Spain, as in every other country, typically remains in control down through time. And so, when it came time for Spain to meet its final defeat in the Spanish-American War at the hands of Teddy Roosevelt, those same sadistic elements in control of Spain, having no more outside whipping boys against which to continue the tradition of indulging their penchant for wanton domination and cruelty, they turned first against Morocco to their south in the Rif Wars, and then against their own internal human infrastructure, in terms of what is so sanitizingly called "The Spanish Civil War", but which, upon the revelations of recent years, should be most accurately called The Spanish Holocaust.
And at the center of all that, with the help of pro-fascist, pro-Nazi American-Germanist elements like the Bush family, the Rockefeller family and so on, was the general Francisco Franco.
Kindle Edition Verified Purchase. Interesting book from the respected author.
Franco: A Biography
Easy to read for non-speaking English. Gives you more insight into Franco's life. Recommend for the people who are interested in history. I purchased this book for my uncle and he reported to me that it was the best biography of Franco he had ever read. My uncle is an avid Hispanophile and student of Franco's life so this was high praise indeed. A magisterial commentry on the life of Franco providing great detail of his life and that of his contemporaries and the politics of the time.
Immensely interesting, and certainly not boring. In the movie, "Being There," Peter Sellers plays "Chauncey Gardiner," a cipher who ends up as the frontrunner candidate for president of the United States totally by accident and without even his knowledge. Much of Paul Preston's biography of Franco reads like the sequel: Things just happen all around him, without him evincing any talent, aptitude, or intelligence. Franco manipulated both the Allies and the Axis during WW2 by pretending to want to join the war with Italy and Germany and yet making overtures to the UK and the USA about remaining neutral - in both cases, just to reap the benefits of victory while paying the minimal price.
He accumulated as much power as the medieval kings he adored and emulated and ruled with an arbitrary, heavy hand on overtly fascist principles. It was particularly heinous that until the 50s, he had the full, unequivocal support of the Vatican despite what everyone knew about the atrocities he committed during his africanista phase and throughout his self-imposed mandate. Postwar US and UK foreign policy had shamefully short memories in their off and on backing of the regime.
Spain is fortunate to have had a more democratic spirit in Juan Carlos after such a dark period in her history. It was also interesting to see that the balance of power under Franco was between the fascist Falangist movement and the militantly Catholic and royalist Carlist faction, both of which participated actively and knowingly in atrocity after atrocity while being at one another's throats but under Franco's thumb for over 30 years.
Other reviewers on GR have found this book's author to have taken an anti-Franco editorial line throughout the book. While indeed this book offers little praiseworthy about the Caudillo, I believe the author was relatively distant from his subject meaning he did not express personal opinions but rather documented facts and he does not come off in this reader's mind as judgmental beyond the objective reality he describes.
I found it a bit long at times with copious details on each of the various cabinet shuffled as Franco divided and ruled, but it was educational and informative. View all 11 comments. Although a very informative and interesting book, its author is clearly, from the first pages, ill disposed and biased against the subject of this biography.
Thus the author commits the cardinal sin of the historian and biographer, which is tainting clear, objective facts with subjective, uncalled-for, damning personal opinions and innuendo about the person portrayed so the reader somehow feels like the author is trying to lead him by the nose into sharing his convictions. View all 8 comments.
Epic biography of Francisco Franco and the iron fist he controlled Spain with.
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Explores how he maintained SPanish neutrality and the decades after the war. I liked the book, occassionally it got a little heavy, but overall a good read. Jun 23, John Meffen rated it liked it Shelves: Very difficult to rate this, my political leanings mean I do not like Franco, but Paul Preston is the genius on the Guerra civil. It is too big, coming in at just under a4 pages. He just was not that interesting, he was a deeply flawed character but so were many. Jan 26, Johan rated it really liked it. A very interesting read, but a bit of a slough, at the company of Franco was wearing me down: Noel Coward was absolutely right: Sep 05, Adrian added it.
This page monster of a book is the definitive one on the Spanish dictator. Preston's coverage of the Civil War is topnotch.
UW Press: Franco: A Personal and Political Biography
He emphasizes how Franco slowed down Nationalist progress against the wishes of his cohorts in order to secure his own leadership and to thoroughly wipe out Republicans. He saw all Republicans as Communists, who like the Moors he fought against in his early military career in Morocco were not part of la patria and therefore expendable.
He executed the enemy without comp This page monster of a book is the definitive one on the Spanish dictator. He executed the enemy without compunction. He rightly guessed that the west's view of him and his stand as a bulwark against Communism would change their minds about him. Franco was a classically insular dictator. Surrounded by acolytes and an adoring media he had no clear conception of how poor Spain was in the s and 50s.
In an official took him into a Seville slum and he was shocked at what he saw. He believed in many odd theories and gimmicks and was a lifelong hater of freemasonry. He supposed that all of his enemies belonged to the order. From the late s on Spain was run by a group of young technocrats who brought Spain into modern Europe with some sage economic policies which Franco had no understanding of. Franco had a fine instinct for survival warding off cadres of generals and groups of monarchists who hoped to overthrow him. His end was horrendous. He had three heart attacks, suppurating ulcers and stomach hemorraghing.
He was operated on three times and only died when his daughter demanded that life supporting machines be unplugged. Other than some lack of social detail and information on the development of the secret police and Guardia Civil I can't think of what the author could have added to this impressive tome. Sep 19, Czarny Pies rated it really liked it Recommends it for: J'adore les biographies qui sont du main d'un admirateur du sujet. Franco a commence sa carriere militaire au Maroc ou il a appris comment supprimer une rebellion des guerillos ce qui lui a tres bien servi dans la Guerre Civile en Espagne vingt ans plus tard.
Preston trouve les pratiques de Franco qui incluaient des nombreux meutres de civiles repugnant. Un admirateur du Franco aurait pu dire qu'il menait sa guerre de facon brilliante. Selon Preston, Franco qui admirait Hitler voulait batter du cote des Allemands mais il voulait en retour recevoir les colonies Francaises dans le nord d'Afrique. Pourtant, la guerre froide a tourne le vent en faveur de Franco.
Franco a de cette facon reussi a se faire rehabiliter. La restauration de la monarchie constitutionnelle suit la meme annee. Franco a demontrait beaucoup d'intelligence dans sa carriere mais ses seules reussites veritables selon Preston ont ete de saisir le pouvoir et de le garder longtemps.
Jun 28, Brad Eastman rated it it was ok. This book is exhaustive in detail about the life of Mr. Franco, but very little else can be said about it. After finishing it, I feel like I had read too much detail with nothing other than chronology giving structure to it. Preston does very little to put Franco's life in the context of Spain of the times or why some would support Mr.
Franco's program for Spain. Preston refers throughout the book to the reaction of the the Flange to Mr. Franco's policies, but Mr. Preston never really ex This book is exhaustive in detail about the life of Mr. Preston never really explains the various political parties: How could the Flange continue to be so popular in Spain after the collapse of fascism in Western Europe? What was the Flangist message to Spain?
Preston does do an admirable job of dissecting the internal and foreign politics of Spain in the lead up to and early days of World War II. Preston punctures quite convincing the myth that Franco wisely kept Spain out of the war. In truth, Franco was desperate for Axis membership and recognition. Germany refused at first because Germany was sacred of the weakness of Spain and the need to bail out a partner in the same way Germany had to bail out Italy in Greece and North Africa.
Preston however more or less ignores the long period of time after the early 50s when Franco continued to rule for decades. Preston hints at changing attitudes in Spain as affecting Franco's rule, but does not really explore or even identify those changes. He spends far more time on the personal relationship between Franco and the exiled monarch. In the end, I would not recommend this book as a general introduction to the period, Franco or Spain. The excessive detail feels more like a chronology and a catalog than a history with analysis.
Four stars does not really mean "really liked it. Rather it reflects my admiration for Preston's telling of his story. Although one of the reviews on the back of the book notes that Preston despises his subject, on the whole he does not belabor it. He relies more on showing us the man, and leaving the judgments to the reader. Yes there are moments where the text implies a judgment, but they are on the wh Four stars does not really mean "really liked it.