Spain is different,' proclaimed the Franco regime in the 1940s, keen to attract foreign tourists. For the most part, the world has agreed. From the end of its 'glorious empire' in 1898 to the dazzling World Cup victory in 2010, the prevailing narrative of modern Spain has emphasized the country's peculiarity. But, as Nigel Townson shows, there lies a radically different history of Spain: of a dynamic and progressive society that fits firmly into the narrative of modern Europe. Drawing on over 40 years of post-Franco scholarship, The Penguin History of Modern Spain transforms our knowledge of Spain and its politics, society, economics and culture. It interweaves cutting-edge Spanish-led research - never before published in English - and testimonies for an original and surprising portrait, which allows us to discern the country behind the veil of propaganda and romantic myths which still endure today.