''The Spanish Labyrinth'' (full title: ''The Spanish Labyrinth: An Account of the Social and Political Background of the Spanish Civil War'') by

Gerald Brenan Edward FitzGerald "Gerald" Brenan, CBE, MC (7 April 1894 – 19 January 1987) was a British writer and hispanist who spent much of his life in Spain. Brenan is best known for '' The Spanish Labyrinth'', a historical work on the background t ...

, is an account of Spain's social, economic, and political history as the background of the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...

. First published in 1943, it has stayed in print, with repeated reissues. Together with works by noted Hispanists such as

Paul Preston Sir Paul Preston CBE (born 21 July 1946) is an English historian and Hispanist, biographer of Francisco Franco, and specialist in Spanish history, in particular the Spanish Civil War, which he has studied for more than 30 years. He is the winn ...

Raymond Carr Sir Albert Raymond Maillard Carr (11 April 1919 – 19 April 2015) was an English historian specialising in the history of Spain, Latin America, and Sweden. From 1968 to 1987, he was Warden of St Antony's College, Oxford. Early life Carr was ...

Burnett Bolloten Burnett Bolloten (Wales, United Kingdom, 1909 – Sunnyvale, California, 1987) was a writer and scholar of the Spanish Civil War. Early life The son of a Liverpool jeweler, he was born in the United Kingdom. Not wishing to follow his father's ca ...

, and Hugh Thomas, ''The Spanish Labyrinth'' is deemed to be essential background reading for studies of Spain and its history. ''The Spanish Labyrinth'' was banned by the government of

Francisco Franco Francisco Franco Bahamonde (; 4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was a Spanish general who led the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalist forces in overthrowing the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War ...

because of its criticism of his regime. A Spanish-language translation of ''The Spanish Labyrinth'', published in Paris by Ruedo Ibérico, was secretly smuggled into the country by anti-Franco travelers, and the book became popular among Spanish dissidents. After Franco's death, the ban was lifted and the book was well received by Spanish historians. The 1993 edition has an extensive foreword by

, stating that the book was acclaimed “as one of the most brilliant political and social studies in many years” by the ''

Chicago Sunday Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television are ...

'', and “the essence of Spain” by the ''

Manchester Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

''. Carr himself called the book “a revelation to my generation,” adding, “What is remarkable about Brenan’s account of the Second Republic of 1931–6 is the fairness that has enabled it to stand the test of time… s account stands out as surprisingly impartial.”Cambridge University Press frontmatter
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References

External links

Cambridge University Press
{{DEFAULTSORT:Spanish Labyrinth, The 1943 non-fiction books English non-fiction literature Cambridge University Press books Spanish Civil War books Censored books History books about Spain