Franco

November 1, 2014

Dictator of Spain from 1939 to his death in 1975, Generalissimo Francisco Franco is widely criticized for his ruthless repression of leftist and democratic opponents and his regime's flirtation with Nazi Germany. Payne (history, Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison; The Franco Regime) and Spanish journalist Palacios attempt a more "objective" understanding of Franco, arguing that his authoritarian rule and Catholic conservatism did not truly cross the line into fascism. The general cut his teeth leading Spanish troops in Morocco, experience vital to winning the Spanish Civil War, and then headed a rigidly authoritarian regime while presiding over economic growth and rapprochement with the Western democracies. This biography often smacks of apologia, sprinkled with problematic asides such as "There were many officers who were better liked, but there was no one like Franco," or "the Civil War was deliberately provoked by the left." Tonal defects aside, the authors deliver a thoroughly researched, intermittently original scholarly biography of Franco, latest of the handful in English since Paul Preston's superior Franco (1994). VERDICT Payne and Palacios's work has value to specialists, but its laborious politics and Franco's own colorless personality limit its appeal, and its tone falls short of the objectivity the authors claim as their goal.--Michael Rodriguez, Hodges Univ. Lib., Naples, FL

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2014
Francisco Franco ruled Spain for nearly 40 years, a longer rule than the other major autocrats of the twentieth century, including Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini, and Mao. Despite several highly biased biographies, Franco remains an elusive, puzzling figure, both personally and politically. To some extent, this is due to the reticence of Franco himself, who revealed little of his thoughts in his personal papers. Payne and Palacios, both specialists in Spanish history, have utilized new sources, including observations from Franco's daughter, in an effort to provide a fuller and more nuanced account of Franco's life, achievements, and legacy. They trace his life from his youth in Galicia to his military career before and during Spain's Civil War to his lengthy dictatorship. Yet, despite their efforts, Franco remains difficult to pin down. He cooperated with and ruled with the help of the Fascist Falange, but he kept them at arm's length. He danced diplomatically with Hitler and Mussolini, but his wartime cooperation was lukewarm. The authors are probably most accurate in describing him as a conservative nationalist who sought to gradually transform Spain while keeping it as a bastion of Christian civilization. This is a well done but not entirely satisfying biography of a major twentieth-century figure.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)