El Generalsimo: Franco: Power, Violence and the Quest for Greatness

(Hardback)

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A definitive new biography of General Franco that offers a new insight into his lasting legacy in Spain.

From a scrawny, overlooked military graduate to the youngest general in Europe, Francisco Franco was known for his ambition, talent and calculated risk-taking. Yet his reputation remains a topic of fierce debate. Did he destroy Spain and stifle its democracy or rescue the nation from left-wing tumult In this compelling biography, Giles Tremlett unravels the complex life and legacy of the enigmatic dictator who shaped twentieth-century Spanish history.

This book will delve into the complexities of Franco's character, exploring his volatile relationship with a domineering father, his traumatic experiences fighting in Morocco and the formation of his authoritarian ideology. The narrative follows Franco's ruthless leadership during the Civil War, his alignment with Hitler and Mussolini and the subsequent Cold War era that brought him international rehabilitation. Tremlett interrogates Franco's transformation of Spain through a lens that challenges the conventional view of him as a bumbling leader. Instead, he argues that Franco was a deliberate and pragmatic dictator who wielded terror to maintain an iron grip on power, and whose lasting (and most surprising) contribution was the period of peace that allowed Spain to challenge the absolutist spirit he embodied.

Nuanced and comprehensive, El Generalsimo offers a fresh perspective that reveals the intricate interplay of ambition and fearlessness of Francisco Franco; and examines his enduring legacy that continues to shape Spain's political and cultural landscape.

PRAISE FOR GILES TREMLETT:
'Tremlett's work will bring many who think we know Spain to confront what we have hesitated to acknowledge even to ourselves' Matthew Parris
'Tremlett writes with humour, modesty and a great affection for his subject' Daily Telegraph
'Tremlett is a fascinating socio-cultural guide' Guardian

Reviews

Making Francisco Francos long life and 38 years of dictatorship enjoyable reading is a daunting challenge. With supple and elegant prose, Giles Tremlett nonetheless succeeds magnificently -- Paul Preston, author of THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR and THE SPANISH HOLOCAUST
Giles Tremlett gives a rounded portrait of Francisco Franco, whose rise to power was extraordinary by any standardsfrom the youngest general in Europe since Napoleon, at the age of 33, to victor of the Spanish Civil War, and then dictator for 36 years. Tremletts vivid book makes judicious use of reports, memoirs, and newspapers of the time for an engaging and penetrating biography -- William Chislett, author of SPAIN: WHAT EVERYONE NEEDS TO KNOW

Author Bio

Giles Tremlett is a prize-winning biographer, narrative historian and journalist based in Madrid, Spain. He has lived in, and written extensively about, Spain almost continuously since graduating from Oxford University. He has been a Visiting Fellow of the Can~ada Blanch Centre at the London School of Economics, writes opinion and long-form reportage for the Guardian and is a former Madrid correspondent for the Economist.