Spain since 1939 provides students with a comprehensive guide to one of the most exciting historical narratives of the twentieth century: Spain's development from poverty and isolation after the Civil War to its current role as a key player on the European and world stages. Incorporating the most relevant existing research, Stanley Black covers the modern political, cultural and social events that have shaped Spain's evolution through to the present day. This essential introduction charts momentous periods such as: * the violence and repression of the post-war years * the durability of the dictatorship of general Franco * one of the most successful transitions to democracy * the post-transition boom and integration into the European Union. As this fresh new study shows, Spain's history continues to fascinate as it transforms itself into one of the most dynamic and progressive societies in Europe while battling with economic vulnerability, the phenomenon of mass immigration, and the painful buried legacy of its Civil War past.