cover image The Transformation of Spain: From Franco to the Constitutional Monarchy

The Transformation of Spain: From Franco to the Constitutional Monarchy

David Gilmour. Quartet Books (UK), $0 (322pp) ISBN 978-0-7043-2461-9

For nearly 40 years, General Franco wielded autocratic rule in Spain, denying basic rights and keeping opponents in check. In this lucid, informative study, British journalist Gilmour documents that Spain's recent, remarkable transformationfrom Franco's repressive dictatorship to parliamentary governmentwas fueled by massive changes (industrialization and urban growth) in the 1960s. Democracy, he maintains, became a ""natural'' development, one demanded by a majority of Spaniards. The author begins by tracing Franco's rise after the 1936 Civil War, then shows how the cold-hearted, politically adept dictator managed, with only minority support, to personally control a technocratic government. Gilmour then describes the people and forces behind the democratic transition under King Juan Carlos, and the difficulties still faced in instituting reforms. November 13