Modern Spain

Spain's transition to democracy after Franco's long dictatorship was widely hailed as a success, ushering in three decades of unprecedented progress and prosperity. Yet over the past decade, its political consensus has been under severe strain. A stable two-party system has splintered, with disruptive new parties on the far left and far right. No government has had a majority since 2015. Michael Reid overturns the stereotypical view of Spain as a country haunted by its Francoist past.

This is the story of the greatest achievement in the history of international football. After decades of failure, Spain won the European Championship in 2008 and then the World Cup in 2010. At Euro 2012 they became the first team to win three consecutive tournament titles. Graham Hunter was inside the dressing room as the players celebrated after the finals of the World Cup and Euro 2012.

From bloodthirsty conquest to exotic romance, stereotypes of Spain abound. This new volume by distinguished historian Stanley G. Payne draws on his half-century of experience to offer a balanced, broadly chronological survey of Spanish history from the Visigoths to the present. Who were the first “Spaniards”? Is Spain a fully Western country? Was Spanish liberalism a failure? Examining Spain's unique role in the larger history of Western Europe, Payne reinterprets key aspects of the country's history.

Explore Spain: Ultimate Guide to 10 Stunning Destinations takes you on an unforgettable journey through ten of Spain’s most captivating locations. Each chapter blends rich description, cultural insight, and practical tips so you can immerse yourself fully, whether you’re wandering Barcelona’s modernist streets, savouring tapas in Seville, or gazing at the Alhambra’s intricate arches in Granada.

Portugal is an established member of the European Union, one of the founders of the euro currency and a founding member of NATO. Yet it is an inconspicuous and largely overlooked country on the continent’s southwest rim. Barry Hatton shines a light on this enigmatic corner of Europe by blending historical analysis with entertaining personal anecdotes. He describes the idiosyncrasies that make the Portuguese unique and surveys the eventful path that brought them to where they are today.

Whereas so many 20th-century Spanish histories begin with Franco and the devastating Civil War, Paul Preston's magisterial work begins in the late 19th century with Spain's collapse as a global power, especially reflected in its humiliating defeat in 1898 at the hands of the United States and its loss of colonial territory.

Un recorrido vibrante por la Corona de Aragón entre Jaime II “el Justo” y Alfonso V, donde la política pactista se entrelaza con batallas navales, intrigas diplomáticas y el pulso de unas Cortes que exigen juramentos y libertades reales. El volumen abre con la paz trabajada con Castilla, los acuerdos con Francia y el Papado, y los pactos que redefinen Sicilia, Córcega y Cerdeña tras las Vísperas Sicilianas, con episodios estelares de Roger de Lauria y negociaciones ante Bonifacio VIII y los Anjou.​ Desde Pedro IV “el Ceremonioso” se proyecta un Mediterráneo en tensión.