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Paul Preston Books

1 book·~10 min total read

Paul Preston is a British historian and Hispanist, renowned for his scholarship on modern Spanish history, particularly the Spanish Civil War and the Franco dictatorship. He is a professor at the London School of Economics and a fellow of the British Academy.

Known for: A People Betrayed: A History of Corruption, Political Incompetence and Social Division in Modern Spain 1874–2018

Books by Paul Preston

A People Betrayed: A History of Corruption, Political Incompetence and Social Division in Modern Spain 1874–2018

A People Betrayed: A History of Corruption, Political Incompetence and Social Division in Modern Spain 1874–2018

world_history·10 min read

A comprehensive history of modern Spain from the late 19th century to the early 21st century, examining how corruption, political mismanagement, and social division have shaped the nation’s trajectory. Paul Preston explores the failures of leadership and the persistence of systemic corruption across monarchies, republics, and dictatorships, culminating in the democratic era.

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1

The Bourbon Restoration (1874–1931)

The Bourbon Restoration following the chaos of the First Republic promised stability. In practice, it delivered an intricate choreography of deceit. The façade of constitutional monarchy under Alfonso XII and later Alfonso XIII concealed an oligarchic pact: political parties, the Liberals and Conser...

From A People Betrayed: A History of Corruption, Political Incompetence and Social Division in Modern Spain 1874–2018

2

The Crisis of the Monarchy and the Second Republic

By 1931, Spain stood on the brink of transformation. The monarchy collapsed not because of a single scandal but because decades of political rot had rendered it indefensible. The proclamation of the Second Republic was met with euphoria — Spain’s experiment in honest governance, social reform, and d...

From A People Betrayed: A History of Corruption, Political Incompetence and Social Division in Modern Spain 1874–2018

About Paul Preston

Paul Preston is a British historian and Hispanist, renowned for his scholarship on modern Spanish history, particularly the Spanish Civil War and the Franco dictatorship. He is a professor at the London School of Economics and a fellow of the British Academy.

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Paul Preston is a British historian and Hispanist, renowned for his scholarship on modern Spanish history, particularly the Spanish Civil War and the Franco dictatorship. He is a professor at the London School of Economics and a fellow of the British Academy.

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