A Brief History of Spain

by Jeremy Black

A wonderfully concise and very readable history of Spain, perfect for travellers

This is the extraordinary story of Spain, from early tribalism and Roman rule to the Moorish conquest, Spain's eighteenth-century revival under the Bourbons, the Peninsular War and revolution in Spanish America right up to the catastrophic civil war and Franco's totalitarian regime. A key theme from Columbus's first voyage in 1492 was Spain's trans-oceanic empire which was central to the country's global impact. And the story continues with a look at contemporary Spain, not least Catalonia, and its future.

Black succeeds in covering not only political and military history, but also environmental and cultural factors. He looks, too, at what makes Spain's regions distinct, and how the history of the Iberian peninsula, could, at various points, have taken some very different turns.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Spain, Spanish History, European History

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2019

About the author

Jeremy Black is an English historian, who was formerly a professor of history at the University of Exeter. He is a senior fellow at the Center for the Study of America and the West at the Foreign Policy Research Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US.
Black is the author of over 180 books, principally but not exclusively on 18th-century British politics and international relations, and has been described by one commentator as "the most prolific historical scholar of our age". He has published on military and political history, including Warfare in the Western World, 1882–1975 (2001) and The World in the Twentieth Century (2002).

Reviews

[Mark Porton · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve been ploughing through A Brief History of Spain by Jeremy Black for around three weeks now. I almost shelved it a few times – but I decided to persist (for fear of missing out).

This respected historian commences with a discussion on the physical environment and geography then proceeds with each significant period of history from prehistoric times, the Roman Period, New World Empire, The Moors, Revolutions and Civil Wars, Franco and the democratic era of post 1976.

Mmmmm……okay, I learned stuff, but it was all a bit too dry for me. I hate to bang on about pictures and maps, but a book like this needs to be engaging. Someone who reads a “Brief History of…….” book, isn’t usually an academic. We are usually laypeople, trying to understand something we are not familiar with and as a result the book needs to employ some tricks to make it interesting.

This book had none of this. Unfortunately, a bit of a disappointment, even though I learned a bit.

2-Stars

Might go to Pyongyang for our holiday now.

[Jo Leishman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very easy book to read, only stating relevant names and information where necessary and not overcomplicating things through literary and factual bombardment. Analysis is relatively indepth and chronological.

[Jonathan Mills · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to enjoy this book, as I'm fascinated by Spain, its people and its extraordinary history, and I don't doubt that the author knows a great deal about his subject - but sadly, on finishing it, I feel a little let down. Despite being "a brief history", it felt like a bit of a slog to read, and bears all the hallmarks of having been written in a hurry (and poorly edited). Even the cover, with its stock images of Spain (toreador, flamenco dancer, the Sagrada Familia), and a typeface that appears to have been written in felt-tip, reinforces a sense of a publication that has been, for some reason, somewhat rushed. At some points, Black simply lists battles and kings, and their dates, without any meaningful context, and the casual reader - who presumably a book like this is aimed at - could end up completely baffled. The narrative is also rather repetitive, and presumes a knowledge many readers may not have. It's interesting to make a comparison with James Hawes's The Shortest History of Germany, which I also read recently, and which is snappy, informative and highly readable. Someone really should give Spain the same treatment, but in the meantime, I'm afraid I would hesitate to recommend this.

[Alex · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's just awfully written! It's surprising and fascinating this book was published. Surely an editor must have stopped and warned that so many of the sentences in this book are clunky and obtuse. The line on the blurb about it being 'a very readable history' feels like a cruel joke.

Many parts are confusing, boring, or unnecessary. Surely if you're paid to write a book, you should know how to write well. Avoid this book like the plague. It has put me off reading more about Spanish history, and even reading in general. Spectacularly terrible.

[Abbie Edwards · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've been reading these brief histories about multiple countries and I really felt an injustice was done with Spain. I quickly became disinterested in the book and it became a task to read and continue. Spain has a brilliant history but I'd be lying if I said this book hadn't put me off finding out more.

[Vincent Zhang · Rating 1 out of 5]

Meandering, needlessly verbose and filled with references to random British travellers and the places they visited in Spain. A disappointing read. I really wish there were greater focus on the culture, arts, music and daily lives of Spaniards, rather than inconsequential battles and unexplained references. Strongly suggest other texts.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent concise history with geopolitical, cultural and social insights. I enjoyed the book very much

[Books Galore · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good overview. If you are wanting to have a quick read about Spain's history before travelling it's great!

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative overview of this huge country. A bit over detailed at times, but those sections were likely perfect for the right audience.

[Yew San Cheah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exactly as advertised and more - travellers / brief. Light on analysis but very good narrative history with some sharp points. Light on cultural / human geography analysis

[Don Dealga · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. It is a very brief history of Spain at just over 240 pages or so. Some of the criticism this work has attracted on this site seems rather harsh & unfair. Black takes us on a whirlwind tour of Spain's history spanning millenia so naturally much of his treatment of topics is slight, some topics are not addressed. However the book serves to provide a stimulating introduction to Spanish history to the uninitiated or to those of us familiar only with popular tropes on the subject. Despite what some of the more trenchant critiques on Good Reads assert, I found Black presented his work in a balanced style which was neither too heavily academic nor breathlessly popular in tone. He also selects and highlights various elements of Spanish culture and certain figures & personalities to illustrate aspects of Spanish history. He also addresses various historiographical lenses employed by Spanish and other historians which often contest the interpretation and focus of Spanish history with the sense of how Spainish identity/ies have been shaped by various ideologies and notions of what Spain is and what it should be. To me, this work is a short readable primer for neophytes or the underinformed - for some it will suffice to give them sufficient overview for some appreciation of the rich tapestry of Spain's history, for others the book will push them to delve deeper into more elaborate treatments of the field. Indeed, Black provides a (again rather "brief" ) list of works for further reading which many may find useful.

[MSN · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not read the other Goodread reviews before reading this book. After 1 chapter, I came back here and the 2-3 star reviews are mostly right.

Perhaps Professor Black is a brilliant historian who could just dictate Spanish history, it just feels like a series of events came out from the beginning of time to recent years. I agreed with one reviewer calling it a slog to read (the narrator for the audiobook also sounded bored). The book has added boxes of “fun facts” like on artists and culture, but Spainish History for Dummies would do a better job and actually witty.

I’ve come to the conclusion that the book looks like it’s being written by ChatGPT, without any explanation to causal relationships of historical events, nothing analytical… just a bunch of names, places and years. For example, he wrote, “Another traveller, Thomas Hardy (not the novelist), looked ahead in 1786 to another reason for tourism…” What’s the point of providing a random name if he’s not the famous novelist? It adds nothing to the “brief history”. In the last chapter (I persisted..painful),suddenly there were numerical quotes like “56.85 per cent of the votes cast had been yes..” Why the 2 decimal places? Even one sentence of how dictatorship came about, where did Franco come from etc would have been more helpful as springboard to people to further investigate the history of Spain.

[Karelkaas · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ambitious history overstuffed with facts whose causes and effects are carefully considered. The author is preoccupied with political and especially military history, discussing the effectiveness of military strategies in surprising depth, though all aspects of Spanish history are discussed to some degree. My main complaint is how the book never seem to find its voice - both at the beginning and end ideas are discussed that are rarely brought up in the other chapters, namely what if-scenarios and the impact of the landscape. This is probably in part a fault of the format; a work riddled with interesting asides that tries to do too much in too few pages. Still, I'd recommend this book for readers who can stomach a more scholarly tone (though it is interspersed with the occasional fun remark or travel recommendation) and have at least a decent grasp on general European and world history. Its lack of sensationalism might deter more casual readers, but I'd argue that it's the books' biggest strength.

[Rae · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'll start by saying this; it's very clear that Jeremy Black is an intelligent man who knows the history of Spain. That is without a doubt. Unfortunately, I do not feel his intelligence was efficiently put onto the page. Given the audience is not meant to be other historians, I feel as though Black's tendency to jump forwards and backwards in time is confusing, he often includes a barrage of names/places that are not mentioned again (which just contributes to cognitive overload), and he commits the cardinal sin of historians in his conclusion by playing the "What if...?" game. Without an existing background in Spanish history, it would be easy for a reader to get lost and overwhelmed by the amount of facts thrown at them. Though there are certainly interesting and informative sections and asides, overall I feel this book is not geared towards the public (i.e. people who aren't historians).

[John Dolan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Any attempt to cram into 240 pages the history of Spain from early hominids to the present day is bound to involve many compromises and excluded material. Yet Jeremy Black has a fair crack at it. Unfortunately, the necessary summarization – while at the same time attempting to analyze the many cultural, political and international streams that contributed to change and development – means that we learn little of the key individuals of the various times. Also, in places, I found Black’s narrative rather flat, and I had to work hard not to skip sections. However, if you want some background to the current ills and discontents plaguing the country, this is not a bad place to start.

[David Hastings · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great summary of Spain’s long and complex history into a couple of hundred pages. Standout features of the book include the way it demonstrates how the past is constantly reinterpreted by succeeding generations and how this affects the way historical events are memorialised. Also worth noting is the chapter on the Spanish Civil War which is as good a summary as you are likely to read anywhere. The book would be an invaluable starting point for anyone planning to study Spanish history. It would also be well worthwhile for any travellers and tourists who want to get a better understanding than the guidebooks can give them. Highly recommended.

[Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Listened to the audiobook) I chose this as something to do while looking out the train window on my travels through Spain. I definitely didn’t absorb all the details but I’d say I gained a vague familiarity with the historical timeline. Basque history is largely missing which is surprising (luckily I’m reading a different book specifically on them) but there is a subsection devoted to Rafael Nadal so all my criticisms are rendered insignificant.

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Boek waarin chronologisch door de geschiedenis van Spanje wordt gelopen. Ik ben zelf niet erg geïnteresseerd in periodes prehistorie tot vroege middeleeuwen, dus dat was even doorzetten. Ik vond de schrijfstijl ook niet heel fijn. Al met al wel leuke feitjes gelezen, maar er zijn betere boeken over Spanje.

[Jim Densham · Rating 2 out of 5]

An easy enough read but a bit dull. It focusses on what happened but not deeper into the why. Doesn't get under the skin of Spain.

[Melanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Decent recount of Spanish history.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book reads like a text book: academic language with lists of names, dates, and wars.

[Ray Hubley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Servicable.

[Kyleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Listened to this on audio while driving through Spain. Very in depth and lots of names, dates. Would not recommend unless you really want to know it all.

[Colin · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. This is a list of facts without any narrative or element putting it together. Feels like reading an extended Encyclopedia entry. From the get go reading this felt like a chore.

[Gemma Brand-Wolf · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bad book, hard to follow, skips important part of Spanish history, weirdly seems pro-colonization...? Also, as an audiobook, they really should've gotten someone who knows how to pronounce Spanish words to do the reading.

[Mikkel Tolnaes · Rating 3 out of 5]

The history of Spain is absolutely fascinating, this book is not. It is no small feat to write anything remotely brief about the history of a nation, and yet I feel like it could have been done better. Starting effectively with the Roman Empire, and ending with Post-Franco modern Spain, the book does effectively cover entire history of Spain in a succinct manner. The issue is that it feels rushed and disjointed. My hunger for detail grew progressively, and so did the pace of the historical events. Perhaps that is the crux of a "brief history" of anything complex. That being said, it's not a horrible synopsis of the last two millennia on the Iberian peninsula, and I did enjoy the cultural fact boxes throughout the book that makes the history relatable and approachable to the modern reader, so on balance the book is OK.