What do you think?
Rate this book
Franco: A Concise Biography
General Francisco Franco came to prominence during the days of David Lloyd George and Woodrow Wilson and was able to cling to absolute political power until his death in 1975. Over his fifty-year career, he became one of the four dictators who changed the face of Europe during the twentieth century.
Franco joined the Spanish Army when he was barely fifteen years old. In 1926 he became the youngest general in Europe and, driven by an astonishing sense of his own greatness, was recognized as sole military commander of the Nationalist zone during the Spanish Civil War. His ambition was always to hold on to the power that he had secured. In practice, this meant winning the Spanish Civil War and surviving the fall of the fascist regimes of Hitler and Mussolini and the international isolation that followed their defeat.
But behind the military heroics and dexterous political footwork lay an insecure and vengeful man, wracked by contradictory impulses. Although fueled by a single-minded determination to succeed, he was full of self-doubt. A bold and sometimes inspirational soldier in Africa, he became an indecisive, hesitant military commander during the Civil War. Filled with a burning conviction that his destiny was bound up with the medieval kings of Spain and God Himself, he appeared shy, withdrawn, and humble. Ruthlessly intent on wiping out all political opposition, he denied heatedly that he was a dictator. A stubborn man, he could be remarkably flexible when it came to safeguarding his power.
This psychological biography considers Franco's mental state, as well as his political motivation. In doing so, it succeeds admirably in getting under the skin of Europe's most enduring dictator.
Franco joined the Spanish Army when he was barely fifteen years old. In 1926 he became the youngest general in Europe and, driven by an astonishing sense of his own greatness, was recognized as sole military commander of the Nationalist zone during the Spanish Civil War. His ambition was always to hold on to the power that he had secured. In practice, this meant winning the Spanish Civil War and surviving the fall of the fascist regimes of Hitler and Mussolini and the international isolation that followed their defeat.
But behind the military heroics and dexterous political footwork lay an insecure and vengeful man, wracked by contradictory impulses. Although fueled by a single-minded determination to succeed, he was full of self-doubt. A bold and sometimes inspirational soldier in Africa, he became an indecisive, hesitant military commander during the Civil War. Filled with a burning conviction that his destiny was bound up with the medieval kings of Spain and God Himself, he appeared shy, withdrawn, and humble. Ruthlessly intent on wiping out all political opposition, he denied heatedly that he was a dictator. A stubborn man, he could be remarkably flexible when it came to safeguarding his power.
This psychological biography considers Franco's mental state, as well as his political motivation. In doing so, it succeeds admirably in getting under the skin of Europe's most enduring dictator.
- GenresHistory
304 pages, Hardcover
First published October 14, 2001
3 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 4, 2020
Having recently visited Spain, I was struck by just how little Franco was discussed, mentioned, or referenced. Here, the longest-lived and arguably most successful of the 20th century fascists, and yet...purty much nothing was said about him in our historic tours.
When I returned, I felt the need to know more than that Franco is still dead.
So I picked up this meticulously detailed account of Franco's life at the local library. It's thoroughly researched, and gives a deep dive into the personalities and characters who drove the brutal Spanish Civil War.
It may go a little too deep, as the psychoanalyzing of Franco is, well, it's a little much. Particularly if you think Freud is utter hoohah bunkum. A wee bit more narrative and a little less presumption about the inner life of a despot would have been welcome. The book also feels a bit overwhelming at times, as name after name and place after place rushes at you, feeling a bit like you're Lucille Ball in that chocolate factory scene, only instead of candy it's the rise of the totalitarian state. Which isn't nearly as sweet.
That said, reading about how a republic can fall and the strange entropy through which despots cement their rule seems all too apropos these days. A three point two.
When I returned, I felt the need to know more than that Franco is still dead.
So I picked up this meticulously detailed account of Franco's life at the local library. It's thoroughly researched, and gives a deep dive into the personalities and characters who drove the brutal Spanish Civil War.
It may go a little too deep, as the psychoanalyzing of Franco is, well, it's a little much. Particularly if you think Freud is utter hoohah bunkum. A wee bit more narrative and a little less presumption about the inner life of a despot would have been welcome. The book also feels a bit overwhelming at times, as name after name and place after place rushes at you, feeling a bit like you're Lucille Ball in that chocolate factory scene, only instead of candy it's the rise of the totalitarian state. Which isn't nearly as sweet.
That said, reading about how a republic can fall and the strange entropy through which despots cement their rule seems all too apropos these days. A three point two.
September 30, 2018
Poor Franco. No one seems to like the guy, then or now. This bio is basic, biased against him and shows him to be a ruthless leader, one who was able to play Hitler and others yet not do much for the good of Spain. A basic bio, not exceptional.
November 27, 2023
醿涐儴醿犪儛醿氠儤 醿撫儛 醿涐儩醿♂儛醿儳醿斸儨醿� 醿戓儤醿濁儝醿犪儛醿め儤醿ａ儦醿� 醿儤醿掅儨醿樶儛 醿め儬醿愥儨醿欋儩醿栣償, 醿犪儩醿涐儦醿樶儭 醿撫儤醿メ儮醿愥儮醿濁儬醿ａ儦醿� 醿♂儸醿犪儛醿め儠醿斸儜醿樶儭 醿愥儧醿濁儺醿♂儨醿愥儭 醿愥儠醿⑨儩醿犪儤 醿戓儛醿曖儴醿曖儩醿戓儤醿� 醿欋儩醿涐優醿氠償醿メ儭醿斸儜醿樶儣醿� 醿撫儛 醿め儬醿濁儤醿撫儤醿♂償醿ａ儦醿� 醿椺償醿濁儬醿樶償醿戓儤醿� 醿儞醿樶儦醿濁儜醿�, 醿犪儛醿� 醿愥儬醿愥儭醿愥儹醿樶儬醿濁儞 醿撫儛 醿п儛醿氠儜醿愥儞 醿┽儛醿溼儭 醿欋儤醿椺儺醿曖儤醿� 醿炨儬醿濁儶醿斸儭醿ㄡ儤.
醿メ儛醿犪儣醿ａ儦醿� 醿掅儛醿涐儩醿償醿涐儤醿� 醿め儩醿溼儮醿� 醿撫儛 醿椺儛醿犪儝醿涐儛醿溼儤 醿儛醿氠儥醿� 醿愥儲醿溼儤醿ㄡ儠醿溼儤醿� 醿︶儤醿犪儭醿樶儛.
醿メ儛醿犪儣醿ａ儦醿� 醿掅儛醿涐儩醿償醿涐儤醿� 醿め儩醿溼儮醿� 醿撫儛 醿椺儛醿犪儝醿涐儛醿溼儤 醿儛醿氠儥醿� 醿愥儲醿溼儤醿ㄡ儠醿溼儤醿� 醿︶儤醿犪儭醿樶儛.
October 27, 2021
This is a biography by a writer openly hostile to the subject. While Franco is not a terribly sympathetic subject, I was surprised at how little an attempt the author made to try to understand where his motivations and convictions came from. In place of that she offered half-baked psychological theories and psycho-babble. The book is indeed concise and does offer a coherent chronological account of Franco's life, and for that it does have value.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.