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There are few individuals in modern Spanish history that have been as thoroughly mythologized as José Antonio Primo de Rivera, a leading figure in the Spanish Civil War who was executed by the Republicans in 1936 and celebrated as a martyr following the victory of the Falangists. In this long-awaited translation, Joan Maria Thomàs provides a measured, exhaustively researched study of Primo de Rivera’s personality, beliefs, and political activity. His biography shows us a man dedicated to the creation of a fascist political regime that he aspired to one day lead, while at the same carefully distinguishing his aims from those of the Falangists and the Franco Regime.
“The author of various highly regarded studies of Francoism and Spanish fascism, Joan Maria Thomàs has produced a robust biography of José Antonio that provides not only an unvarnished portrait of the man and his ideas but also an incisive and compelling assessment of the rightful place he holds in twentieth-century Spanish history.” • The Journal of Modern History
“This is a most informative study. The impressive knowledge of the author, one of the leading specialists of Spanish fascism, is visible on nearly every page.” • Historische Zeitschrift
“This judicious and outstanding biography is essential for all scholars of twentieth-century Spain.” • Bulletin of Spanish Studies
Praise for the Spanish edition:
“[A] definitive and up-to-date biography that sheds new light on the brief life of one who wanted to “direct the course of the great ship of the Fatherland.” • El País
“Although José Antonio has aroused an inexplicable sympathy within certain precincts of the Left, this biography by Joan Maria Thomàs erases any doubt about his ideology.” • Revista de Libros
Joan Maria Thomàs is Professor of Contemporary History at the Rovira i Virgili University. He is the author of many books on Falangism, fascism, and Spanish history, several of which have been translated into English. He is a member of the American Historical Association and a Corresponding Member of the Royal Academy of History.
Chapter 1. José Antonio Primo de Rivera and His People
Chapter 2. The Rise of the First Born: From Defending His Father’s Memory to Molding a Second Primo de Rivera as the "Savior of Spain"
Chapter 3. Saving Spain
Chapter 4. José Antonio’s Fascist Ideology
Chapter 5. The Most Important Myth and Hero Worship in Franco’s Spain, Second Only to Franco Himself
Bibliography
Index