From Publishers Weekly
After a number of books on various aspects of Spain (The Collapse of the Spanish Republic; Franco and Hitler; The Spanish Civil War, The Soviet Union, and Communism), Payne now wants to tell the whole story of the country that so fascinates him. The Visigoth conquest kicks things off, followed by centuries of Islamic rule, reconquest and crusade, political and cultural advancement, a Civil War, and the Franco era. Payne's goal, as a historian and "Hispanist," is to create an "objective evaluation" of these events, avoiding extremist opinions and stereotypes perpetuated by the likes of Ernest Hemingway. Unfortunately, this also strips much of the flavor from what should be an exciting, as well as informative, effort. The straightforward perspective provides a less-than intriguing entry for the non-historian, resulting in a bland, concise explanation. Also lacking is enough background on significant participants. To be fair, there are nuggets of historical trivia to be gleaned here, like the fact that the region's name, Hispania, is derived from a Phoenician word meaning "land of rabbits"; helpful notes will explain other unfamiliar terms or events. Considering Spain's captivating story and culture, professional and armchair historians alike may be disappointed.
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From
Payne has been a leading historian of twentieth-century Spain for the past 50 years. In this compact survey, he covers its history from the Islamic invasion of 711 to the post-Franco era, with an emphasis on weighing the persuasiveness of schools of interpretation about eras and events. For example, popular books such as Maria Rosa Menocalβs The Ornament of the World (2002) hold forth the Muslim period as a tolerant multicultural idyll, which to Payne smacks of political correctness that ignores the Muslim practices of enslavement and recurrent warfare against Christian enclaves of northern Iberia. The historical debate concerning the ensuing Reconquista, completed by 1492, also induces Payneβs ruminations about how the experience of ejecting a Muslim rule so long imposed has uniquely shaped Spanish history. Among the consequences Payne touches on are Spainβs sense of separateness from the rest of Europe, its depth of Catholic faith, and its lagging process of modernity, all national characteristics persisting through the Franco dictatorship that have evaporated in the transition to democracy. --Gilbert Taylor