Overview

A narrative of the life of Francisco Franco, Spanish general and dictator. Growing up in the wake of the Spanish military's shattering defeat at the hands of the United States in 1898 over Cuba and having survived a bullet to the stomach while serving his country in Morocco, Francisco Franco’s fame and notoriety were eventually guaranteed by his ruthless pursuit of victory for the Nationalists in the Spanish Civil War. Franco played a major role on the world stage until his death in 1975. At once intensely sentimental and affecting cool indifference at times of bad news, he emphasized the need to obey orders, the importance of individual bravery, absolute loyalty to the Fatherland, and the crucial role of the army. Franco was variously courted by the liberal democracies of Britain and France, the Fascist alliance of Hitler and Mussolini, and then by anti-communist administrations in Washington, but the memory of his successful policies, leading to rapid growth during a time of economic depression, is tempered by his government’s extreme repression of political opponents and perpetration of mass violence during the White Terror. In this updated edition of Franco, featuring a new introduction by the author, Michael Streeter explores the Generalissimo's legacy as the subject of a cult of personality in one of Europe's longest-lasting modern dictatorships and considers his genesis, his successes (decades of relative stability and prosperity during a period of great European conflict), and the terrible cost at which they came.

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9781914979392

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Reviews

'This was an excellent, if very brief, introduction to the life of the Spanish dictator, Francisco Franco ... All in all this is a great biography of the man for anyone who doesn't want to slog through a massive tome. The book is very aesthetically pleasing as well. It is sleek, compact, has glossy pages and many pictures.' amazon.com

Author Information

Michael Streeter is a writer and journalist. He has written for most British national newspapers and was editor of the Daily Express website. His books include The Mediterranean: Cradle of European Culture. He lives and works in France.

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