Spain: The Trials & Triumphs of a Modern European Country
By Michael Reid
Yale University Press, 2023
Michael Reid’s book begins with this remark from the 19th century English travel writer Richard Ford: “Nothing gives more pain to Spaniards than seeing volume after volume written on themselves and their country by foreigners…” That’s where Reid leaves it, but Ford goes on: “… who have only rapidly glanced at one-half of the subject, and that half the one of which they are the most ashamed, and consider the least worth notice.”
Spain’s international image has not benefited from much subtlety over the course of history. Stanley Payne roughly summarises the typical labels that have been put on Spain by foreigners: Cruel, bloodthirsty, sadistic and destructive in the 16th century and the first half of the 17th century; militarily weak, ignorant, lazy and unproductive in the second half of the 17th century and the 18th century; culturally picturesque and romantic but of little political relevance in the 19th century; and a combination of all of the above in the 20th century (Spain: A Unique History, 2011, p.5).
Besides sun, beach, and cold beers on a terrace, prejudices about Spaniards’ arrogance and proneness to fight with cudgels Goya-style still abound on international media. As a fun exercise, I challenge the reader to find a NYT piece about Spain that does not link current news with the Civil War (1936-39) and Franco’s dictatorship (1939-75). Thankfully, international coverage of Spain has become more sophisticated in recent years, and some very good books are being written by masterful vivisectionists of Spanish politics. Reid’s book is one of them. Reid observes Spain from the unique vantage point of the outsider within. He lives in Madrid, and knows the country perfectly well. Among multiple other roles, he was Spain correspondent for The Economist between 2016 and 2021.
The book covers........