This narrative history of Spain for students and nonstudents alike reflects
what educated Spaniards tend to know of their history. I hope the bibliogra-
phy will prove useful to those who want to learn more. Although politics re-
ceives the chief emphasis, I have tried to weave into the text the concurrent
history of society, religion, culture, and economics because people experi-
ence their history as a whole.

Spain is a country with powerful appeal and an exceptional history.
Travel posters proclaim: España es diferente ("Spain is different"). I first vis-
ited Spain in 1956-1958, while serving in the U.S. Navy. I returned as a stu-
dent in the summer of 1963 and spent 1964-1966 there as a Fulbright scholar.
Since then I return to Spain every two or three years, and in my research and
travel I have visited every part of the country.

I want to express my gratitude to Harry de Wildt, who knows Spain bet-
ter than I do and who introduced me to much of its varied life; to my col-
leagues in the Society for Spanish and Portuguese Historical Studies, who
have done much to further Americans' understanding of Spain and whose
work I admire; to my friends and colleagues in Spain; and to my students at
Santa Clara University over the years, who took my course on Spain and
asked the kinds of questions and sought the sort of understanding I try to
address here.

-xi-