![Spain: A Unique History | [Stanley G. Payne]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51gvvo-m54L._SL175_.jpg "Spain: A Unique History | [Stanley G. Payne]")
Spain: A Unique History
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- Regular Price :$24.95Special Offer: Learn how to get this for $7.49 !
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Average Customer Rating
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LENGTH13 hrs and 56 mins
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RELEASE DATE12-28-12
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AUDIO FORMATS
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Program TypeAudiobook
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PUBLISHER
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Publisher's Summary
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.
Topics include Muslim culture in the peninsula, the Spanish monarchy, the empire, and the relationship between Spain and Portugal. Turning to the twentieth century, Payne discusses the Second Republic and the Spanish Civil War. The book's final chapters focus on the Franco regime, the nature of Spanish fascism, and the special role of the military. Analyzing the figure of Franco himself, Payne seeks to explain why some Spaniards still regard him with respect, while many others view the late dictator with profound loathing.
Framed by reflections on the author's own formation as a Hispanist and his evaluation of the controversy about “historical memory” in contemporary Spain, this volume offers deeply informed insights into both the history and the historiography of a unique country.
A Choice Outstanding Academic Book
©2011 The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System (P)2012 Redwood Audiobooks
What Members Say
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Richard Los Osos, CA, United States 02-07-13 Listener Since 2010- HELPFUL VOTES
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- REVIEWS
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"An Academic Wonder"
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?I would highly recommend this to anyone who has the patience to listen closely to a deeply layered analysis of Spanish history. I found the academic tone of the work to be highly stimulating. This is no rough sketch such as you might find in any lesser work; the author brings his long career as an historian and academician to bear on analyzing everything from economics to war to geography to politics in the shaping the Spain of today.
Who was your favorite character and why?The discussion of the highly controversial dictator Franco was intensely interesting, as was having a better understanding of the root causes of the Civil War. But so was the entire story from the Visigoths to the Twenty-First Century.
Have you listened to any of Kevin Pierce’s other performances before? How does this one compare?I haven't listened him before, but he gave an incredible performance in spite of his understandably Anglicized enunciation of tons of Spanish words. Getting past those hiccups was a bit distracting, but not much.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?The closing chapter, in which specific conclusions are drawn to illustrate what Spain is today and where it might be going, from the perspective of a very intelligent social scientist.
Any additional comments?The lengthy introduction was tedious but probably necessary in order to establish the author's credibility. The rest of the work was so good that I've given it a couple of listens. Of course, just having traveled through Spain for the first time added to the correlative joy of hearing this. I highly recommend this unique outlook on the history of an amazing culture.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful -
"The narrator slaughters the spanish language"
Is there anything you would change about this book?The narrator ineptitude towards Spanish pronunciation.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Spain?Unique book. Horrendous narration.
Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Kevin Pierce?Anyone. Even my 9 year old son.
Did Spain inspire you to do anything?Probably teach the narrator Spanish pronunciation.
Any additional comments?No
0 of 0 people found this review helpful